Reddit marketing: How to reach and connect with your audiences

More and more brands are making marketing on Reddit a priority.

And with over a billion active users and countless customer communities to reach, it’s clear why.

Still, weaving Reddit into your social media marketing strategy can be tricky. Despite Reddit’s popularity, the platform is radically different from apps like TikTok, Instagram and Facebook.

But with the right strategy, you can engage customers and build a meaningful presence.

This post breaks down everything you need to know about marketing on Reddit.

What is Reddit marketing?

Reddit marketing refers to brands engaging with customers through discussions in subreddits (Reddit’s online communities) relevant to their target audiences’ interests.

Marketing on Reddit on behalf of brands can involve a variety of activities including:

• Engaging with your audience through your own dedicated company subreddit
• Responding to Reddit discussions across multiple subreddit communities in which your target audience engages
• Running Reddit Ads targeting industry-specific subreddits
• Monitoring brand mentions through tools to engage with conversations on Reddit about your brand, products or services

For example, a sporting brand might chime into discussions about their latest line of running shoes on /r/trailrunning. Companies like NZXT have a dedicated subreddit for customers with questions about their pending orders and recent purchases.

Through Reddit marketing, brands can build rapport with customers through real conversations.

What makes Reddit a good platform for businesses?

Reddit is a massive hub for product discovery across industries. No matter what you’re selling, there’s a niche community or subreddit that you can potentially reach. This makes Reddit an ideal platform for businesses looking to connect with highly engaged, interest-specific audiences.

How does Reddit compare to other social media platforms for business use?

Comparing Reddit to social networks like TikTok and Instagram is apples and oranges.

Reddit is almost entirely community and discussion-based, kind of like an old-school forum. While users post plenty of videos and photos, Reddit prioritizes content over profile popularity, allowing even small businesses to gain traction with valuable contributions. Reddit’s emphasis is on text-based discussions. That means it more in-depth written reviews and debates about product recommendations than you’ll find anywhere else.

With a tool like Sprout Social Listening, brands can reach users during key moments of decision-making. When approached with transparency and value, Reddit becomes a powerful space for organic brand awareness and customer loyalty

Alternatively, Iif your goal is to get on the radar of potential customers. Reddit can help build awareness and word of mouth.

High levels of authentic discussion are a big reason why Reddit threads rank well in Google searches. Searchers want authentic, unfiltered opinions and UGC. Reddit threads deliver in that department. Product-related posts on Reddit often rank for non-branded queries which makes them incredibly valuable for brands.

While discussions on Reddit do move quickly, the fact that threads rank months or years later highlights how the platform is different from TikTok or Instagram where posts have a relatively short life span. That’s where marketing on Reddit can support your SEO efforts as well.

Brands on Reddit can engage with their target audiences in various subreddit communities that appeal to their interests and are places brands can provide value to the discussions by sharing their expertise and perspectives.

Check out how Lodge is extremely active in the /r/castiron subreddit to answer questions about products but the brand itself doesn’t run its own community. The ability to go back and forth candidly with customers helps brands build trust.

That said, brands need to be mindful of transparency when it comes to marketing on Reddit. Companies that try to “fake” being a brand or hide their motives often get downvoted into oblivion or downright blacklisted.

What are the pros and cons of using Reddit for business?

Using Reddit for business has its pros and cons for brands. Here’s a breakdown of the pros:

• Engage and build community with your target audiences in niche subreddit communities
• Address customer questions and concerns about your products or services publicly
• Gather timely feedback and potential UGC from positive customer comments
• Greater visibility in Google search results

Of course, marketing on Reddit isn’t without its potential drawbacks:

• Brands must personalize their responses and avoid one-size-fits-all, which can require a significant time commitment
• Like other social platforms, justifying or explaining the ROI of Reddit can be complicated
• Unlike owned accounts, poor customer experiences or negative comments on Reddit are public-facing and can’t really be erased

How to use Reddit for marketing

Chances are you’ve spent a fair share of time on Reddit as a user. That said, marketing on Reddit requires a proper strategy and steps. Below is a framework to help you get started.

Set goals to support your Reddit presence

Given the time commitment involved with Reddit, you need to be clear about why you’re going to be active on the platform in the first place.

Different social media goals mean tracking different KPIs and prioritizing different actions for engagement.

Ask yourself: what do you want to get out of the platform? Brands focused on customer care will need to closely listen to conversations and brand mentions. If your primary goal is high with Reddit users, you’ll likewise need to post consistently and consider writing in-depth and personalized responses for high-traffic threads that could end up ranking in Google searches over time.

Plan your brand’s engagement strategy

With an understanding of how you’ll approach the platform, think about how you’ll engage users.

While the rules of social media engagement apply, it’s especially important to speak your customers’ language and to be transparent and approachable. In terms of engagement, consider how you’ll primarily spend your time based on your goals:

• Engaging with your audiences in subreddits by sharing expertise and knowledge
• Responding to questions about your products
• Replying to criticism or critiques of your brand
• Recommending your product to other users
• Conducting customer care

Depending on your brand’s size, you may not need to be super active on Reddit at first. Like any other platform, however, consistency counts.

Consider how you can integrate Reddit into your existing social media strategy and calendar versus treating it as a totally separate entity.

Identify and monitor relevant subreddits

Marketing on Reddit can be overwhelming. That’s why it makes sense to primarily focus on brand mentions, relevant keywords and a handful of subreddits versus trying to have a blanket presence on the site. If possible, find a balance between active subreddits with high engagement (think: 100K+ users) and niche subreddits that delve deep into your target audiences’ interests. Reddit search can clue you in on communities that you may have not even been aware of.

Track key conversations and results

The more closely you track conversations on Reddit, the better.

The platform can be a goldmine of insights related to brand awareness and how customers feel about your business. For example:

• Are customers talking about your brand more in the past 30 days versus the previous period?
• How has sentiment changed over the past 90 days?
• What trending topics and keyword phrases is your Reddit audience using?

The best and most time-efficient way to zero in on these conversations on Reddit (and beyond) is through social listening tools like Sprout Social Listening.

Aggregating messages and posts from across the web, you translate Reddit listening data into actionable data for your business.

With Sprout, you can set up tracking for competitor mentions or threads about your specific product lines.

These are the exact sort of conversations your business should be privy to and Reddit is rife with them. Take some time to explore industry-specific subreddits to better understand trends and what your customers are thinking.

Consider running paid Reddit advertising campaigns

Reddit offers a variety of paid ad tools for brands that range from text-based posts to photos and video-based ads. Among the biggest benefits of paid campaigns on Reddit is the ability to advertise to super-niche communities and audiences.

Right now, many marketers tout the relatively low CPM compared to other social media ads which could be a window of opportunity for brands that want to test the waters.

4 Reddit marketing strategies to jumpstart your Reddit marketing

Even if you’re unsure about building a presence on Reddit, you should understand how brands are using it. If nothing else, Reddit is a brilliant place to conduct market research and maintain a pulse on trends in your industry.

Below are five ideas for how to use Reddit for marketing based on your goals.

1. Uncover customer feedback and suggestions

Reddit is a treasure trove of conversations relevant to businesses.

From your audience’s favorite products to what people are saying about your competitors, you don’t have to look hard for customers asking for advice and recommendations.

However, you don’t have to immediately intervene or take action.

Instead, just listen.

By keeping tabs on conversations about your products or competitors, you can get a better sense of where you’re winning, where you might be falling short and how you can improve.

2. Discover unique user-generated content

In addition to questions from customers, Reddit is home to tons of user-generated content such as product photos and testimonials.

Customer photos are perfect for platforms like Instagram. Meanwhile, the fact that you have redditors talking up your brand is a brilliant form of social proof to give your business some serious credibility.

Check out these recent posts on /r/FancyFollicles talking about Arctic Fox’s hair dye.

With just a quick search, you can uncover brand advocates and success stories from satisfied customers. Just get permission before reposting their content!

3. Provide support and recommendations to your audience

So how much of how to use Reddit for marketing involves prioritizing support over selling.

Many brands have dedicated subreddit communities for asking questions and troubleshooting problems. This creates a direct line between your brand and customers, all the while being a public forum for people to seek out solutions and product recommendations in the future.

Done right, your brand can over time answer frequently asked questions and those Reddit Q&As are poised to rank in search to help future customers find answers faster.

4. Engage with customers from a personal account

This is a subtle tip but definitely one worth mentioning.

Ideally, you don’t want to potentially approach redditors with a totally inactive account. Accumulating posts and comments on the site might take time, but doing so is worth it to prove to your community that you aren’t a spammer.

Some companies get around this by approaching customers from a variety of accounts tied to actual employees. Corsair uses Reddit as an extension of its existing customer support efforts.

This creates visibility for your brand and likewise proves how committed you are to helping customers. Providing customer care from multiple accounts gives your efforts a more personal touch and helps your brand cover more ground, too.

Similar to how brands conduct employee advocacy efforts, this is a great way to approach people on Reddit minus the “corporate stamp” on your presence.

Best practices for engaging with audiences on Reddit

Let’s say you’re ready to engage with redditors but aren’t exactly sure where to start:

Below are some tips for Reddit marketing that brands should keep in mind:

• Be transparent and authentic. Don’t try to hide the fact that you’re a brand. Instead, be open and honest about the fact that you’re trying to engage your community. Redditors will appreciate your honest and can likewise spot a “corporate” account from a mile away.
• Drop the jargon and business-speak. That’s not to say you should abandon your brand’s tone altogether. However, Reddit is typically not a place where it’s necessary to be suit-and-tie. Speak your customers’ language and help them recognize that you understand them.
• Prioritize specific subreddits. Instead of searching far and wide, start by considering where your customers are most likely to hang out. For example, a coffee brand might hang out in /r/espresso or /r/pourover. Don’t try to spread yourself too thin and focus your efforts on the most valuable communities based on your target audience.
• Focus on community over selling. Unlike some social channels where it’s okay to hit customers with a hard sell, Reddit ain’t it. Building trust happens by answering questions and offering assistance to those who may not even be expecting it. Don’t put down competitors or try to hard sell but rather show folks that you’re listening to their concerns.
• Provide personalized responses. Copying and pasting or trying to use one-size-fits-all customer care responses on Reddit is a recipe for downvotes. Instead, make sure to respond.
• Stay proactive when responding to comments. Conversations move fast on social media and Reddit is no exception. Keep a close eye on brand mentions and make sure you address any customer concerns that could impact your brand’s reputation. You don’t always need to have the last word.
• Take conversations beyond Reddit if necessary. If a customer has a complex or truly unique issue, consider taking the conversation to a private one-on-one channel or DMs. Not everything has to be 100% public-facing.

Best tools to use for marketing on Reddit

Nailing your Reddit marketing strategy means having the right tools in your toolbox. Below are a few that can help depending on your campaign goals:

1. Sprout Social

Social listening is crucial for Reddit marketing, full-stop. From brand mentions to keywords related to your business or industry, keeping track of it all without a dedicated tool isn’t realistic.

That’s where Sprout Social Listening can save the day. Not only can Sprout identify keywords and mentions but also analyze sentiment, identify trends and provide competitor analysis.

This means brands can keep a constant pulse on their industry and mentions without bouncing between accounts or subreddits.

Start a free Sprout Social trial

2. Gumloop

Not sure where your brand should be posting? You can try a tool like Gumloop which uses AI to summarize subreddits and create briefs and trend reports. This is useful for exploring potential places to post as a brand or run your Reddit ads.

3. Reddit Ads Library

Speaking of running ads on Reddit, chances are you can use all of the inspiration you can get to maximize your ROI and optimize your campaigns. The Reddit Ads Library analyzes how headlines, calls-to-action and ad creatives come together with transparent performance data to help you produce better ads yourself.

How to take your Reddit marketing to the next level

Marketing on Reddit has become an expectation for brands of all shapes and sizes.

From building brand loyalty and awareness to increasing your search presence, being active on Reddit has unique upsides for brands that do it right.

Getting started means understanding the platform, plus all of the conversations that could be happening around your brand where you can make an impact.

And again, that’s where social listening tools are make-or-break.

If you haven’t already, check out a free trial of Sprout Social to see how your brand can master Reddit and the rest of your social media presence in one platform.

Reddit marketing FAQs

Is Reddit a good place for marketing?

Yes, Reddit is a good place for marketing for brands across industries. The platform offers a place for brands to candidly go back and forth with potential customers. Discussions about brands also tend to rank highly in Google searches, further signaling the value of earning frequent brand mentions on Reddit.

Is Reddit a good platform to advertise?

Yes, Reddit is a good platform to advertise. Reddit offers a wide variety of ad types including text-based, image-based and video ads. Through Reddit ads, brands can target niche communities and subreddits with focused copy and creatives.

What are the benefits of Reddit for business marketing?

Reddit marketing helps businesses connect with niche audiences and build community. Here’s how:

• Engage in targeted subreddits.
• Address customer queries publicly.
• Gather feedback and UGC.
• Increase Google search visibility.