“What is Reddit?”

I don’t know about you, but when I first heard of the website, I couldn’t help but think this was hacker central. By going there I wasn’t going to find anything good and probably end up with a virus. Sounds like what we usually do when we don’t understand something right? We think it’s bad and tend to stay away from it. Well, I’m here to tell you it’s time to change that form of thinking and embrace the social media platform that is Reddit.

Let’s start off with what is Reddit?

Reddit at its core is essentially forums, within forums, within forums. Reddit is comprised of a bunch of “subreddits” that focus on every category and topic you could imagine, making it an information buffet. Its users visit the site to engage in honest and open conversation in self-selected communities.

Why should you care about learning this platform?

Did I mention it’s an information buffet?! (Is that not enough of a reason on its own?) While I don’t encourage using the site or its subreddits for spam or promotional attempts (an easy way to get some backlash) it does become very beneficial for market research and learning what users are talking about. Social Listening…sound familiar? What’s better than observing a specific demographic segment, or a “subreddit”, that is devoted to your brand/product? Learn to use “AskReddit” to your advantage. This subreddit allows users to ask direct questions and receive a range of answers from a general community, sounds like a focus group, right?

How much effort should you really invest in Reddit?

While Reddit has been around for years and was voted as the 8^th most visited site by Alexa, it hasn’t been fully embraced as a major social platform yet. With that being said, Reddit does still offer links back to your site, if you do end up sharing an article or interesting link in one of the subreddits. Another great use that Reddit does offer, as mentioned above, is the fact that it becomes a focus group for you or your brand to bounce ideas off of, see what users are talking about, and create content around those topics to better engage with users.

We all know Content is King right now. So be sure to utilize this platform and its forums to learn more about your key demographic, find brand advocates, and share interesting/helpful information that will show you as a thought leader rather than a follower.

If you’re interested in getting started on Reddit or need any other social media help, please contact us today to get started!