60% of people start their purchase journey from search engines. Today’s consumers drive their purchase decisions on the information. It is important to understand the media they are active and engaging in.

One such platform is Reddit. Reddit is the place where people engage in conversations and discussions on topics of their interest. Reddit calls itself ‘the front page of the internet’. And it truly is. It brings the best of the internet in one place.

However, most content marketers consider Reddit a risky platform to market on and avoid it. It is risky, yes. But, if Reddit marketing done strategically, brings outstanding results.

But before diving into marketing on Reddit, let’s understand what Reddit is, exactly.

What is Reddit?

According to reddit.com, “Reddit is home to thousands of communities, endless conversations, and authentic human connections. Whether you’re into breaking news, sports, TV fan theories, or a never-ending stream of the internet’s cutest animals, there’s a community on Reddit for you.”

Reddit is the fancified term for ‘I read it.’ The audience on Reddit is informed and passionate about diverse topics. They’re called ‘Redditors’.

Let’s learn some Reddit jargon for starters:

Snoo – Reddit mascot alien

Redditors – Reddit users

Subreddits – communities on Reddit based on any topics, literally

Karma score – your Reddit reputation

AMA – ask me anything

Why use Reddit for marketing?

According to reports, the number of Reddit users has been rising since the inception of the app. Currently, there are 52 million daily active Reddit users worldwide.

With such a large audience, it is no wonder that it ranks among the most popular social media platforms. And it is the 15th most used social media platform.

Consider these statistics:

• People on Reddit make 9x faster purchase decisions and spend 15% more than others.
• Being one of the popular social media platforms, people usually spend 10.23 minutes on the site per visit. The reason is the 2.8 million subreddits.
• 50% of the content on top subreddits are video links.

Considering this data, if you’re thinking about marketing on Reddit then your marketing strategy has to be different from the other social media platforms.

How does Reddit work?

Reddit is a social platform where thousands of people post, comment, and vote on topics of their interest. It is the source of fresh and popular content on the internet. It has a diverse user base – ever-growing, engaged and distinct communities called subreddits.

Unlike other social media platforms, Reddit has a distinct algorithm that revolves around a simple voting mechanism. If a post is interesting, it is upvoted and gets pushed to the top to be seen by other community members. This keeps the first page constantly updated and filled with fresh content for the users.

Conversely, if Redditors find a post/comment to be boring or annoying,  they can downvote it, and it gets pushed down. Most of the time the downvoted posts/comments are buried into oblivion.

While users of other platforms are focused on themselves, Redditors are focused on what’s happening in the world and the communities. Redditors are more interactive than users on other platforms. All these differences make Reddit a unique social media platform and hence it requires a different marketing strategy.

How to use Reddit for B2B marketing?

Brands can promote their content on Reddit but it has to be well thought out. -Done right, Reddit marketing can help you collect consumer feedback, increase brand awareness, and impressions, and build a loyal community.

Reddit is the best place for brands to engage with their customers. But, it is a tough nut to crack, because it is different from other social media platforms. Reddit thrives on the sense of community.

Reddit users are quick to notice cheap selling tactics and are intolerant of promotional content. And, one mistake could lead to you getting downvoted to nothingness.

But tapping into the platform, if executed strategically, itis bound to generate remarkable results.

Let’s discuss how Reddit presents an opportunity to connect with an audience and can help in marketing your business.

1. Use Reddit to understand feedback and provide customer support

Reddit is a goldmine of discussions and conversations related to businesses. It helps you comprehend consumer preferences and product shortcomings, and understand how you could improve.

Exploring your industry/niche-specific subreddits takes time but it helps you to understand trends and customers’ needs.

For example, the user in the above image gave clear feedback on what could be improved in the Ahrefs tool. You can make the most out of these types of conversations and feedback by using a social listening tool like Radarr. It helps turn conversations into data, making it easier for businesses to understand their audience and keep up with trends.

Here’s how you could go about it:

• One of the best ways to market on Reddit is to prioritize customer support over selling.
• Ask questions to understand customer pain points and troubleshoot problems. It shows your dedication to helping your customers. In return, you gain visibility.

Pro tip: Don’t intervene. Just listen to the audience.

2. Ideal place to collect user-generated content

Reddit is the ideal place to find user-generated content. Here’s how you could go about it:

• You can quickly search and discover success stories from happy customers which can be used to promote your business on other social media platforms. Redditors talking positively about your brand is a huge plus. It helps in establishing trust and credibility among your audience.
• You can keep the conversation flowing by adding your two cents to the discussion and encouraging the audience to engage.
• Use Reddit reviews as social proof to drive conversions.

3. Make use of Ask Me Anything (AMA) to reach out to your target audience

AMA events are the anchor content on Reddit. As a B2B SaaS business, you can encourage the community to ask anything about your company, product/service, etc.

AMA is an organic way to engage communities by experts of an industry/niche. Brands usually conduct AMAs during their launch phase.

A successful AMA consists of prompt replies to the questions asked by the users rather than just talking about the product/service you’re promoting.

Here’s how you can conduct a successful AMA

• Decide the topic, goal, and duration of the AMA beforehand.
• Select the subreddit where you want to host the AMA.
• If you’re hosting the AMA on an already existing subreddit make sure to check the community guidelines, in case they want the AMA question to be submitted beforehand.
• Check with the moderators of the subreddits and get them involved in your AMA.
• Be authentic while answering and know where you want to lead your audience.
• Answer all the questions asked even if they’re difficult.
• Answer the questions with honesty, humor, or positivity.
• Inform your PR team about the AMA and have it covered in the media to leverage it more.
• Make sure to edit the AMA after it ends by thanking the community and adding your contact info in case they have any more questions.

4. Leverage other well-established subreddits

Subreddits are the communities where people engage on topics of their interest. One foolproof strategy to tap into Reddit marketing is to leverage subreddits. And, the best way to utilize subreddits is to engage within them. You can find a particular subreddit by searching for r/YourTopicHere (ex: r/SaaS for SaaS niche)

Reddit can also be used to learn what the audience wants and create freebies Redditors would find useful. As a SaaS brand, you can provide cheat sheets on SEO, blogging, Facebook advertising, etc.

5. Bring a human touch to your conversations

Talk like a person speaking to a person. Brands should talk to their customers in a jargon-free and easy-to-understand language. A clear personified brand voice helps businesses to connect with customers seamlessly.

One such example is from Deciem’s AMA on /r/skincareaddiction.

The brand’s response is detailed and personalized, making it an ideal example of how brands should communicate to win over Redditors.

Reddit is a tough nut to crack for marketers

Though reddit is focused on community building and endless conversations on topics of interest, ranging from sweets to space and everything under the sun, according to Digiday Reddit is one of the ‘trickiest platforms to crack.’ Unlike other social media platforms like Instagram, Facebook, and Linkedin, Redditors are specific about the content they consume.

Reddit has a unique, informed, and passionate user base. They enjoy the content that sparks discussions and offers value. Redditors are quick to upvote the post they like and downvote the post they don’t like.

With that said, it is necessary to create content that compels the Redditors to upvote and leave a comment if you want to make a mark on the platform.

Best practices for Reddit marketing

Just like any other social media platform Reddit also has some set of rules that needs to be followed to gain traction. And, we’ve discussed them below:

1. Follow the rules

Each subreddit has its own set of rules like respecting people’s privacy, keeping the communities free of harassment, not spamming, etc. These rules have to be followed, and if violated, can lead you to be banned from the community. Moreover, all your posts will be removed.

2. Be a community member

It takes time to make it on Reddit. Understand the platform before you start posting content. To gain the trust of the community members, submit valuable content and actively engage in the comments. Start with the community-first mindset on the platform and keep the promotional content away from them.

3. Post useful content

It is simple to make it on Reddit as a B2B business. There are a lot of already existing communities with B2B enthusiasts  engage. Remember to be helpful and avoid self promotion and sales tactics that can put off people. Redditors don’t take pushy marketing kindly.

In conclusion

Reddit plays an essential role in driving client communications with different communities.

Reddit doesn’t contribute to getting you more followers like other social media platforms but it does help you engage with your target audience and community building. It can be partly seen as a PR tool as well.

If you are looking to tap into Reddit marketing for your B2B SaaS business, reach out to us today!