As digital marketing and the media landscape evolve, you must also evolve how you think, plan, and execute your marketing programs. This means you must think about your campaign planning at the channel level instead of a macro level approach.
One platform that has continued to grow in popularity and importance is Reddit. Reddit started as a user forum or online community. Users would post content, images, or links on various topics. Other users would then vote the content up or down, giving it more or less visibility on the site.
Over time, Reddit has become a powerful media platform. Brands and businesses are now using Reddit to reach new audiences, activate executive visibility programs, drive traffic to their website, and generate leads.
What is Reddit today?
Reddit has always been “the front page of the internet.” The platform has over 430 million monthly active users. While this might not seem like a lot compared to other channels, there are a few important distinctions.
First, Reddit users are highly influential and resourceful. I don’t know how many podcasts or true crime documentaries I’ve watched where Reddit users intervened and used their digital skills to enhance images and videos. They find it hard to get information and locate persons of interest. It’s also not uncommon for breaking news to come directly from Reddit.
Second, Reddit content is highly visible on Google. According to SEMrush, Reddit’s organic search traffic is 217.9M visits per month. In addition, they have 10.6B backlinks. The power of digital marketing on Reddit is that the shelf life of all the content is forever.
Using Reddit for Digital Marketing
There are several tactical ways to activate your digital marketing on Reddit. Here are a few to consider:
Advertise on Reddit: The most common way to use Reddit for digital marketing is through advertising. Like the other media platforms, you can buy media based on your marketing goals and objectives–drive traffic to a website, conversions, video views, or app installs. For example, if you work for a B2B tech company, you can target the audience based on interests like consumer electronics, virtual reality, or more technical topics like programming and development. You can also choose from specific communities, locations, and even devices. Finally, you can place your ads in a few places on the platform–within a Reddit feed or a conversation thread.
The best thing to do before launching a digital marketing program on Reddit is to understand what other companies have done to be successful. So here are a few Reddit case studies to review.
Participate in Reddit AMA: A Reddit AMA (Ask Me Anything) is when someone with expertise or experience in a particular subject matter hosts a Q&A session on Reddit. This is an excellent way to increase your brand’s visibility and establish thought leadership. You can use this opportunity to answer questions about your business, industry, or important topics. You can also partner with an influencer to host/moderate the AMA with one of your execs.
Several thought leaders have participated in AMAs–including Bill Gates, Barack Obama, and Neil deGrasse Tyson. But, you don’t need to be a celebrity or have a huge platform to participate. You can host an AMA with someone from your company on a specific topic.
Use Reddit Data: Reddit has a treasure trove of data that can be used for market and audience research. You can use this data to understand what people are talking about in specific industries or communities and about particular topics. You can even compare conversational data from one Subreddit to another. Making Reddit social listening a critical part of your digital strategy may seem complicated, but investing time is worth the insights you will get. In addition, Reddit insights can inform a customer journey, messaging, content marketing, and other pieces of your digital marketing programs.
The Risks of Digital Marketing on Reddit
Certain risks are associated with using Reddit for digital marketing like any platform. Here are a few to consider:
- The platform can be volatile–things can change quickly, and what worked yesterday might not work today.
- There is a learning curve–you need to understand how the platform works and how to use it effectively for marketing purposes.
- Don’t self-promote–the Reddit community does not take kindly to overt self-promotion. Instead, you need to be strategic and subtle in your approach.
What’s Next for Reddit
Reddit has always been a platform for the people, by the people. It’s where anyone can come to share their thoughts and ideas and connect with others who share their interests. In recent years, Reddit has seen a surge in popularity as more and more people have flocked to the site in search of community and connection. As we move into the future, Reddit will continue to be a powerful force for good. Here are three ways that Reddit will continue to evolve in the years to come.
First, Reddit will continue to grow its social audio offerings. In 2021, Reddit launched its first social audio platform, Reddit Talk. This platform allows users to connect through audio-only conversation threads. In the coming years, Reddit plans to expand this offering by launching new features and platforms that will make it even easier for users to connect through audio.
Second, Reddit has embraced NFTs with a vengeance. In July, they launched an NFT marketplace, allowing users to purchase blockchain-based profile photos. Over the past year, NFTs have exploded in popularity as they offer a new way for creators to monetize their work. Reddit will also allow creators to sell their original content directly to fans. In addition, Reddit enables users to show support for their favorite content creators by tipping them with NFTs.
Finally, there are millions of conversations happening on Reddit about the metaverse. But it’s unclear how Reddit “as a platform” will leverage the metaverse in the future. To say that it’s ripe for engagement is an understatement even though Reddit is known to be a text-based community, recent innovations with audio and the new NFT marketplace show where Reddit might be going.
To stay up to date, I’ve been tracking Reddit latest updates, news, and product updates.