A part of our work at OGS Media with Reddit is making it simpler for manufacturers to get on the platform the suitable method: clear, genuine, and actually connecting along with your viewers. A few of that occurs via our partnership, working with varied groups at Reddit, testing new options, and sharing insights from the manufacturers we’re at present managing.
One other a part of that’s via internet hosting Ask Me Something (AMAs) just like the one I did final week on r/RedditForBusiness.
The questions that got here in jogged my memory why this work issues. After almost 20 years on the platform and dealing with manufacturers like TikTok, Purple, and Asurion, I see how manufacturers are genuinely making an attempt to determine Reddit. The AMA drew questions from entrepreneurs throughout industries, from early-stage startups to enterprise manufacturers, all working to grasp the best way to present up authentically.
Let me stroll you thru the largest themes that emerged and what truly works on Reddit.
The Greatest Mistake Manufacturers Make (And Why It Occurs)
A number of folks requested variations of the identical query: “What’s the largest mistake manufacturers make after they first begin advertising and marketing on Reddit?”
“Most manufacturers discover Reddit via their on-line advertising and marketing groups. They see that Reddit is displaying up in Google search outcomes or they see it in LLMs. However when taking a look at who ought to give Reddit a strive, it nonetheless finally ends up touchdown of their on-line advertising and marketing groups. On-line entrepreneurs have been held to ROI numbers for thus lengthy, it’s how they have a look at their engagement on Reddit.
There’s an curiosity in being on Reddit as a result of it’s widespread and essential, however there’s not sufficient time spent understanding why Reddit is essential and that’s what I believe is the largest mistake manufacturers make.”
The basis drawback? Manufacturers want to grasp what makes Reddit so highly effective within the on-line consumer’s journey, how subreddits function as particular person communities with their very own guidelines, tradition, and expectations. How the journey to studying and making choices is as essential as the result.
When one marketer requested the best way to keep away from the anti-promotional backlash, I defined:
“As for the road between contribution and self-promotion, I believe that’s usually extra of a sense than a line. It takes understanding the group, what they count on and want, what they admire and what they despise. The perfect entrepreneurs know the best way to ‘learn the room’ and know their viewers, begin with being useful first, and look ahead to that second when what they’ve to supply is what you’re asking for, in order that they’re by no means promoting you one thing, however relatively serving to you out with an answer they only occur to have.”
Why Conventional Social Media Technique Fails On Reddit
A marketer with years of expertise requested why conventional social media approaches don’t translate to Reddit success. The reply will get to the guts of what makes Reddit completely different:
“It actually comes right down to a big section of the world wanting to have interaction in dialog, versus simply watching streams for updates and leisure.
It was lengthy after social media actually got here out that entrepreneurs began actually taking a look at it for the publicity and site visitors it may drive. This created two avenues: a megaphone to share data and customer support.
Neither of those helps people who find themselves on a journey to be taught one thing, interact in conversations or discussions round a subject of curiosity, or to discover a resolution to an issue they want solved.
Conventional social media doesn’t work right here as a result of it isn’t about dialog, it’s about promotion and advertising and marketing.”
The elemental shift manufacturers must make? Cease fascinated with Reddit like Fb or LinkedIn with stricter guidelines. As a substitute:
“Begin fascinated with Reddit like a networking occasion, a cocktail occasion, a social occasion. How would you strategy and have interaction with an precise occasion, versus posting content material on a social media platform.
It merely comes right down to the intent.”
Reddit operates extra like strolling right into a convention the place every subreddit is a distinct breakout session with its personal tradition, expectations, and unwritten guidelines. You possibly can’t simply seize the microphone and begin pitching; you might want to pay attention, contribute, and earn your home within the dialog.
This understanding leads on to what truly works on Reddit.
The Do’s And Don’ts For Reddit Success
When requested for the highest do’s and don’ts, I broke it right down to the necessities:
Do:
“Actually develop into a Redditor:
- Discover communities that you’re a good match to belong to (from the Redditor standpoint).
- Concentrate on participating and serving to Redditors via dialogue.”
Don’t:
“Give this job to your advertising and marketing crew (properly, not solely your advertising and marketing crew).
- Deal with subreddits like classes.
- Concentrate on KPIs outdoors Reddit.”
That first “don’t” surprises folks, but it surely’s crucial. Right here’s the factor: Advertising and marketing groups are skilled to chase quarterly numbers, to indicate rapid ROI, to justify each greenback spent. However Reddit operates on relationship timelines, not marketing campaign cycles.
While you hand Reddit to somebody who’s measured on conversion charges and cost-per-click, they’re going to deal with it like one other efficiency channel. They’ll miss what truly issues, the compound worth of turning into a part of the dialog, of genuinely serving to remedy issues, of constructing belief that turns your model into the answer folks advocate when somebody asks for assist six months from now.
The true ROI on Reddit isn’t within the site visitors you drive this quarter; it’s in turning into the reply that reveals up in Google searches and AI responses for years to return since you took the time to construct genuine authority in your communities.
How Lengthy Does Reddit Success Really Take?
This got here up a number of instances, so right here’s the reasonable timeline:
“A few of our shoppers see Reddit develop into their major funnel inside three months. Some rank with their content material prominently inside 30 days. Some present up all over the place in LLMs inside six months. Some shoppers get data that modifications their entire enterprise inside three months. One very giant model circled its model sentiment in about 9 months. So it’s simply depending on what impression means to you.”
However the basic rule: Six to 12 months for significant impression, assuming you’re doing it proper.
The Product Promotion Query Everybody Asks
One of the sensible questions was the best way to succeed with out truly promoting merchandise. I responded:
“General, the premise is you don’t promote merchandise on Reddit. You remedy issues. Assist folks with their precise issues, and so they’ll ask what you advocate. That’s if you point out your resolution. Nonetheless, some communities do need product posts, like trend or deal subreddits. It depends upon what you’re promoting. However the good transfer is be useful first, then run advertisements the place folks want your product. You get conversions from advertisements plus belief from being genuinely helpful.”
That is the place a number of manufacturers get tripped up. They suppose “no promoting” means they will by no means point out their product. That’s not it in any respect. It’s about context and timing.
What Startups And Enterprise Manufacturers Each Want To Know
Curiously, questions got here from each ends of the spectrum, pre-launch startups and established enterprise firms. The reply was the identical for each:
“I believe that the pathway for each model, early stage, prelaunch, or established, ought to be about understanding what their viewers on Reddit actually wants from them, what their prospects journey via Reddit seems to be like, and what the alternatives are for the model to attach with these prospects on the proper time, with the suitable conversations, and with the intent to assist them transfer via their journey to completion.”
The method is similar no matter firm dimension. It takes time, it takes dedication, and it informs the model what their prospects really want, what they consider the business, the model, and its opponents.
The Authenticity Problem
When somebody requested about responding to criticism, right here’s the fact test:
“What I’ll say, is that arguing and getting defensive virtually NEVER works. Keep in mind you and the folks you might be speaking with are people, so what would you do in actual life? I by no means suppose it hurts to offer a fast and sincere apology (via DM if wanted). One thing human. Individuals soften after they notice they’re speaking to a different individual.”
This ties again to the networking occasion idea. If somebody referred to as you out at a convention, you wouldn’t begin arguing with them in entrance of everybody. You’d deal with it like a human being.
What Ought to Manufacturers Do In Their First 90 Days On Reddit?
One other sensible query that got here up was what manufacturers ought to truly deal with throughout their first three months on Reddit. Primarily based on our work with enterprise shoppers, there’s a selected methodology that works.
The most important temptation for brand spanking new manufacturers is to leap in and begin posting instantly. That’s precisely backwards.
Month 1: Basis And Discovery
The primary month isn’t about your model in any respect; it’s about turning into a real Redditor. We have now our shoppers’ crew members be part of communities associated to their private pursuits first. Love cooking? Be part of r/cooking. Into pictures? Discover your digicam subreddit. This isn’t advertising and marketing; it’s studying how Reddit truly works.
Concurrently, we’re conducting what we name “deep viewers immersion.” Earlier than posting a single factor, we spend weeks analyzing subreddit discussions to grasp what your viewers truly cares about. We map consumer journeys, determine ache factors, and doc the language and tone that resonates inside every group.
Throughout this section, we additionally set up your model subreddit as a “dwelling base” and create one to 2 worker accounts for future engagement. However these accounts don’t interact with enterprise matters but. They’re constructing karma and credibility in private curiosity areas.
Month 2: Genuine Engagement Begins
Month 2 is after we begin participating authentically inside your business communities, however nonetheless not selling something. Crew members start collaborating in discussions the place their experience provides real worth. The secret’s participating as educated people who occur to work at your organization, not as firm representatives.
We’re additionally growing content material throughout this section, but it surely’s all primarily based on actual consumer conversations we’ve noticed. Each put up, remark, and engagement has a function rooted in fixing precise issues we’ve seen mentioned.
Month 3: Strategic Content material And Sensible Timing
The third month is when content material technique kicks into excessive gear, but it surely’s knowledgeable by all the pieces we’ve realized. We map high-traffic discussions and guarantee your model is current when it issues most, with out being intrusive.
We name this “good engagement timing,” showing in conversations not as a result of we’re pushing an agenda, however as a result of we genuinely have one thing worthwhile to contribute.
The Outcomes
This strategy works. One shopper, Devicie, went from relative obscurity to genuine business credibility inside their first quarter. They noticed a 2,000% enhance in Reddit visibility, 528 whole upvotes throughout community-driven posts, 271% progress in significant conversations, and enterprise leads sourced immediately from Reddit engagement.
However extra importantly, Reddit turned an engine for his or her complete enterprise technique, informing all the pieces from product improvement to gross sales conversations.
The 90-day strategy isn’t about fast wins, however relatively constructing the muse for long-term success that compounds over time.
The Funding Query
A number of folks requested whether or not Reddit ought to change different advertising and marketing channels. Right here’s the angle:
“I don’t know that I might ever put all my eggs in a single basket, however I might say that for me, and for lots of people I do know within the search engine optimisation house, Reddit is a vital funding to make. The biggest impression you’ll be able to have to look proper now for my part, in addition to for LLM search, is to have prime quality drawback fixing discussions that embrace your model on Reddit.”
And when somebody joked about tendencies we’ll cringe at in 10 years, the response was easy:
“Questioning whether or not Reddit is an efficient funding to make in your model.”
What This All Means
The questions from this AMA reinforce what I’ve been seeing for years: Manufacturers know Reddit is essential, however they’re approaching it with the flawed frameworks. They’re making an attempt to use Fb promoting logic to a platform that operates extra like a group {of professional} associations or passion golf equipment.
The manufacturers that succeed on Reddit perceive this elementary distinction. They present up as people first, consultants second, and corporations third. They remedy issues as an alternative of pushing merchandise. They make investments time in understanding communities as an alternative of treating them as promoting classes.
Most significantly, they acknowledge that Reddit success isn’t about gaming the system; it’s about genuinely collaborating in it. That takes longer than operating advertisements, requires extra nuance than posting content material, and calls for extra authenticity than most advertising and marketing groups are used to offering.
However for the manufacturers that get it proper? Reddit turns into greater than a advertising and marketing channel. It turns into a aggressive benefit that’s extremely troublesome for opponents to duplicate.
If in case you have questions on Reddit advertising and marketing, be happy to leap into the authentic AMA thread or join with me on LinkedIn, the place I put up most of my Reddit ideas.
Extra Assets:
Featured Picture: Courtesy of r/RedditforBusiness
