When you think of starting a business, creating a marketing plan, or building a content strategy, Reddit isn’t usually the first platform that comes to mind. People often forget about Reddit as a social media platform because it’s so different from Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn. You aren’t posting as a business or promoting your company, but it’s still an extremely beneficial resource.
Instead of building your brand name, Reddit should be used to gather research and insights about your industry, competitors, and target market.
What is Reddit?
Reddit, often called “The Front Page of the Internet,” is essentially a massive collection of forums where people can share, comment, or post news and content. It focuses primarily on communities based on specific topics, which makes it stand out from other social channels. As of October 2018, it is the fifth most popular website in the United States, with a total worldwide monthly user base of more than 330 million people. So, Reddit is not a channel to ignore!
Who uses Reddit?
93% of Reddit users are between the ages of 18-49, and two-thirds are male. 64% are between the ages of 18 and 29. So, most likely, your target market is on Reddit. Find Subreddits that appeal to your target market and save them to your feed.
Learn how to identify your target market before heading to Reddit.
Start today.
Why is it so important?
Users of Reddit are highly engaged and spend about 15 minutes per day on the site participating in their Subreddit communities. The anonymity of Reddit gives users the ability to provide honest (sometimes too honest) opinions and feedback on topics and brands. However, there are some pros and cons to Reddit that you need to know before jumping in.
Pros
Subreddits
As a brand, you can follow Subreddits that are very specific to interests and topics that your target market is participating in on Reddit. By listening in to the conversations, posing questions, and even commenting, you can get some fantastic insight into the minds of your target market – likes, dislikes, interests, ideas, thoughts, etc. You can use these insights to influence your:
- Marketing strategy
- Communication with your target market
- Campaigns
Market / Competitive Research
Reddit isn’t just a place to listen to what members are saying about your brand; you can also hear what they are saying about your competitors.
- What are their pain points?
- What do they like most about their offerings?
- What don't they like about their offerings?
This information can be used to differentiate yourself and create your marketing plan. You can also use it to build ad campaigns based on real user insights.
Real Opinions
This can be a pro and con, depending on your mindset. On Reddit, you can pose questions to receive feedback from the community. By doing this, you may receive some honest feedback. It can be beneficial, but at times it can be a bit harsh. Because of the anonymity of the site, the users usually don’t hold back. So, be prepared! However, it’s a great place to test some ideas with your target market before launching a campaign, a new product, or a feature. You can receive instant feedback from a small group within your target market before you roll it out to everyone.
Cons
Don’t Market Your Business
The one rule for Reddit is to never outright market your company. Reddit users hate being marketed to. It is a place for social listening and posing questions, but it is not a place to be promoting your product or service. If you do, you will definitely hear it from the users. If there is an opportunity to answer a question and suggest your product, be sure to mention you work for the company. Being upfront is appreciated.
A Rabbit Hole
You can get stuck for hours in the rabbit hole of Reddit. The amount of content available on Reddit is overwhelming. So, you definitely need to go into the site with a plan.
- What do you want to learn?
- How long do you want to spend on the site?
- Who do you want to target for insights?
Without a plan, you can easily get lost and come out with little insights.
Steer your marketing strategy in the right direction.
Our Ultimate Guide for Small Business Marketing will lead the way.
Dive into the “Front Page of the Internet”
With an understanding of how Reddit can help build your small business plan, it’s time to try it out. Start by doing some social listening and then decide on how you can apply what you learned to your business. It’s never too late to get feedback on your business, for free.
