Reddit is a powerful online community forum with the ability to shape industry conversations, buying decisions and brand perceptions, and with nearly two in three people in the U.S. using Reddit as a search engine at least once a week, it’s only becoming more influential. Is it time for your B2B company to start adding in a Reddit strategy to your marketing mix? It just might be.
Why Reddit?
In the age of AI generated content and paid influencer advertising, buyers are increasingly seeking authentic conversations and content. As the third most visited website in the world, with over 91.2 million active daily users and an estimated 1.21 billion monthly active users, Reddit is the place many buyers are going to to seek out third-party perspectives on products and services. In fact, 90% of users say they trust Reddit to learn about products and brands.
When it comes to B2B buyers, Reddit is an underutilized tool. According to Reddit:
- 124M business decision makers are on Reddit
- 1-in-3 redditors are B2B Decision Makers
By engaging on Reddit, your business can achieve a myriad of your marketing goals. You can bolster your subject matter expert’s credibility by giving them a platform to share their expertise directly with your customers. You can boost your ongoing SEO efforts, as Reddit threads increasingly show up in Google Search results. You can build a community around your businesses’ focus areas, allowing you to gain insights into what your customers need. You can reach audiences that aren’t found on LinkedIn and other platforms, by sharing your content where your buyers are making their purchasing decisions.
How to Use Reddit in Your Marketing Efforts
So how can your business authentically engage with audiences and reach the untapped decision makers on Reddit? The key is authenticity.
- Find Your Community
- A key first step to engaging on Reddit is identifying the Reddit communities – or subreddits – that are authentically aligned with your business’ mission or where your business is already being discussed. Identify your key subreddits, join the communities and read the community rules before you begin to engage.
- Engage In Discussions
- When you are engaging, it is essential to have your subject matter experts (SMEs) be the ones communicating with audiences as themselves while disclosing in some manner that they are affiliated with your brand (e.g., have a user name “JohnDoeYourCompanyName”). Ensure they are sharing expert insights and helpful tips, and are not overly promotional. Overall, the goal of engaging in these communities is to be authentic, responsive and ensure you are adding value while also gaining valuable insights into the perspectives and challenges of your buyers.
- Share Engaging Content
- After you have engaged in subreddit discussions you can begin starting your own thoughtful discussions as well by sharing engaging, informational content. Infographics and images generate great engagement on Reddit. As mentioned before, ensure you are staying away from overly promotional content by sharing research and SME insights that include no corporate jargon or sales-focused language.
- Another option is to start a company-owned/moderated subreddit. This would enable your company to provide a forum for customers to ask product-related questions directly, engage with fellow users and provide feedback on solutions. With a company-owned subreddit, you have a bit more freedom to share relevant promotional content and company updates for users that is not in the form of a press release.
- Host an Ask Me Anything
- Now that you have established a brand presence on Reddit, you can further invite your community to engage with you by hosting an Ask Me Anything (AMA) session. You can do this on your company-owned subreddit or a subreddit focused on the topic you are discussing (just double check the community rules and gauge the “personality” of the community first). For an AMA, your executives or SMEs identify themselves, their credentials and a time that they will be live on the platform ready to answer any questions your buyers may have about a specific topic area, your product or industry. Additional details on coordinating your AMA can be found here, but the key is to still ensure you are sharing valuable insights – not promoting your product or solution. This is a great tool for fostering trust and engagement with your customers and potential buyers.
- Inform Your Broader Content Strategy
- As you look at your broader marketing and communications strategies, you can use your Reddit conversations to inform the off-platform content you are developing. Maybe you noticed many of your customers are asking the same questions on Reddit and you can develop a piece of content or new product feature to address their needs. Reddit can be an invaluable tool in gaining authentic insights directly from the audiences you are trying to reach.
Ready to Get Started With Reddit?
Engaging authentically with your audiences and meeting them where they are is key to a successful marketing communications strategy. At W2 Communications, our marketing team is dedicated to staying apprised of the latest platforms and trends bringing value to marketing and strategic communications efforts. If your business is ready to start engaging with audiences on Reddit, reach out to our team today for strategic support.