A part of our work at OGS Media with Reddit is making it simpler for manufacturers to get on the platform the appropriate manner: clear, genuine, and actually connecting along with your viewers. A few of that occurs by means of our partnership, working with varied groups at Reddit, testing new options, and sharing insights from the manufacturers we’re at the moment managing.
One other a part of that’s by means of 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 twenty 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 know the way to present up authentically.
Let me stroll you thru the largest themes that emerged and what truly works on Reddit.
The Largest 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 on Reddit?”
“Most manufacturers discover Reddit by means of their on-line advertising groups. They see that Reddit is exhibiting 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 groups. On-line entrepreneurs have been held to ROI numbers for thus lengthy, it’s how they take a look at their engagement on Reddit.
There’s an curiosity in being on Reddit as a result of it’s fashionable and necessary, however there’s not sufficient time spent understanding why Reddit is necessary and that’s what I believe is the largest mistake manufacturers make.”
The foundation drawback? Manufacturers want to know what makes Reddit so highly effective within the on-line person’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 necessary as the end result.
When one marketer requested the way to keep away from the anti-promotional backlash, I defined:
“As for the road between contribution and self-promotion, I believe that’s typically extra of a sense than a line. It takes understanding the neighborhood, what they count on and wish, what they respect and what they despise. The most effective entrepreneurs know the 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 quite 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 phase of the world wanting to interact 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 might 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 study one thing, have interaction 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.”
The basic shift manufacturers have to make? Cease interested by Reddit like Fb or LinkedIn with stricter guidelines. As an alternative:
“Begin interested by Reddit like a networking occasion, a cocktail social gathering, a social occasion. How would you method 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; it’s essential to hear, 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 change 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 by means of dialogue.”
Don’t:
“Give this activity to your advertising staff (effectively, not solely your advertising staff).
- 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 groups are educated to chase quarterly numbers, to point out 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 resolve issues, of constructing belief that turns your model into the answer folks suggest 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 Truly Take?
This got here up a number of instances, so right here’s the practical timeline:
“A few of our purchasers see Reddit change into their main funnel inside three months. Some rank with their content material prominently inside 30 days. Some present up in every single place in LLMs inside six months. Some purchasers get data that modifications their complete enterprise inside three months. One very giant model circled its model sentiment in about 9 months. So it’s simply depending on what affect means to you.”
However the common rule: Six to 12 months for significant affect, assuming you’re doing it proper.
The Product Promotion Query Everybody Asks
One of the vital sensible questions was the way to succeed with out truly promoting merchandise. I responded:
“General, the premise is you don’t promote merchandise on Reddit. You resolve issues. Assist folks with their precise issues, and so they’ll ask what you suggest. That’s once you point out your resolution. Nevertheless, some communities do need product posts, like style or deal subreddits. It is determined by what you’re promoting. However the good transfer is be useful first, then run adverts the place folks want your product. You get conversions from adverts plus belief from being genuinely helpful.”
That is the place a whole lot 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 corporations. The reply was the identical for each:
“I believe that the pathway for each model, early stage, prelaunch, or established, needs to be about understanding what their viewers on Reddit actually wants from them, what their prospects journey by means of Reddit appears to be like like, and what the alternatives are for the model to attach with these prospects on the proper time, with the appropriate conversations, and with the intent to assist them transfer by means of their journey to completion.”
The method is identical no matter firm dimension. It takes time, it takes dedication, and it informs the model what their prospects really want, what they consider the trade, the model, and its rivals.
The Authenticity Problem
When somebody requested about responding to criticism, right here’s the truth test:
“What I’ll say, is that arguing and getting defensive virtually NEVER works. Bear 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 provide a fast and sincere apology (by means of DM if wanted). One thing human. Folks soften after they understand they’re speaking to a different particular person.”
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 concentrate on throughout their first three months on Reddit. Primarily based on our work with enterprise purchasers, there’s a selected methodology that works.
The largest temptation for brand 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’ve got our purchasers’ staff members be a part of communities associated to their private pursuits first. Love cooking? Be part of r/cooking. Into images? Discover your digital camera subreddit. This isn’t advertising; 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 know what your viewers truly cares about. We map person journeys, establish ache factors, and doc the language and tone that resonates inside every neighborhood.
Throughout this section, we additionally set up your model subreddit as a “residence base” and create one to 2 worker accounts for future engagement. However these accounts don’t have interaction 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 trade communities, however nonetheless not selling something. Group members start taking part 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 creating content material throughout this section, but it surely’s all primarily based on actual person conversations we’ve noticed. Each submit, remark, and engagement has a goal rooted in fixing precise issues we’ve seen mentioned.
Month 3: Strategic Content material And Good Timing
The third month is when content material technique kicks into excessive gear, but it surely’s knowledgeable by every thing 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 precious to contribute.
The Outcomes
This method works. One shopper, Devicie, went from relative obscurity to genuine trade 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 straight from Reddit engagement.
However extra importantly, Reddit turned an engine for his or her complete enterprise technique, informing every thing from product improvement to gross sales conversations.
The 90-day method isn’t about fast wins, however quite 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 exchange different advertising 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 web optimization house, Reddit is an important funding to make. The biggest affect you possibly can have to look proper now for my part, in addition to for LLM search, is to have top 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 to your model.”
What This All Means
The questions from this AMA reinforce what I’ve been seeing for years: Manufacturers know Reddit is necessary, however they’re approaching it with the improper frameworks. They’re making an attempt to use Fb promoting logic to a platform that operates extra like a set {of professional} associations or pastime golf equipment.
The manufacturers that succeed on Reddit perceive this basic distinction. They present up as people first, consultants second, and corporations third. They resolve issues as a substitute of pushing merchandise. They make investments time in understanding communities as a substitute of treating them as promoting classes.
Most significantly, they acknowledge that Reddit success isn’t about gaming the system; it’s about genuinely taking part in it. That takes longer than working adverts, requires extra nuance than posting content material, and calls for extra authenticity than most advertising groups are used to offering.
However for the manufacturers that get it proper? Reddit turns into greater than a advertising channel. It turns into a aggressive benefit that’s extremely tough for rivals to copy.
In case you have questions on Reddit advertising, be happy to leap into the unique AMA thread or join with me on LinkedIn, the place I submit most of my Reddit ideas.
Extra Sources:
Featured Picture: Courtesy of r/RedditforBusiness
