Reddit describes itself as “the Front Page of the Internet,” and a more fitting description is really hard to come by. In just a few years, Reddit.com has seen a massive spike in traffic and influence, becoming the breeding grounds for many of the web’s most well-known (and infamous) memes, trends, and personalities.
Reddit works as a form of “community news.” Users submit content in the form of text posts or links to pictures, videos, blogs, or other web content. Submissions are made to topical sections called sub-reddits; each sub-reddit can be for any topic imaginable, and is independently managed and moderated by fellow users. Content can be voted up or down by other users, with more popular content rising to the top.
The Reddit community is a very diverse, supportive, and web-savvy group of worldwide users. They have collectively been responsible for massive amounts of charity fundraising, and have caused major news stories to go mainstream. Many businesses have thrived by appealing to the Reddit community, or filling a gap in the market. There is a complete cottage industry that has emerged simply by creating tools or apps for a better Reddit experience, or explaining what has become popular on the site.
Here’s our tips and strategies to using Reddit as part of your content marketing plan.
Become a User First – Do you know what an AMA is? Did you get a lot of downvotes because of a repost? What does it mean that it’s “cakeday”? Like all online communities, there is a massive amount of jargon, inside jokes, phrases, and patterns of behavior that exist in the collective user base.
In addition to knowing the basics of the service, you’ll be able to discover what type of content appeals to the broad and niche audience of Redditors. Most importantly, you’ll discover the massive universe of sub-reddits – and how that even though a community might be smaller, it might be more targeted for your brand or service.
Reddit can be distracting, and just visiting the homepage can be confusing if you are not a “typical redditor” (e.g., college age male, video game player, politically liberal). Creating your own account, and then customizing the content you want to browse is essential to having a valuable Reddit experience. Unsubscribe from ALL of the default sub-reddits, and subscribe to topics where your content will be a good fit. Also, follow areas that interest you personally – you don’t want your account to be only providing for your business goals.
Provide More Value than You Expect to Get In Return – The content you post should be a mix of pictures, video, blog posts, questions, answers, upvotes, and downvotes. Redditors love to be supportive of other users, not treated like cows ready to be milked. Simple words make all the difference – when presenting a product, tell the community that you are “looking for feedback,” not “making available for sale.” If you have a service you provide, say “I am A (whoever you are), Ask Me Anything.”
Advertise -If you are looking for a quick, self service advertising solution targeted towards real people (not search algorithms), advertising on Reddit is a great option. The advertising platform allows you to create a post like any other on Reddit, but is displayed at the top of sub-reddits of your selection. It is important to note that a large portion of the Reddit user base uses ad-blocking plugins, and can be cynical in the comments for the ads. Expect trolls, and keep experimenting with offers, landing pages, and ad copy, just as you would in any other ad network.
With 37 billion page views, 400 million unique visitors, 4 billion votes, 30 million posts, and 260 million comments in 2012 alone, you really CAN’T afford to miss out on the potential exposure that being popular on Reddit can provide.
Chris Warden is a seasoned entrepreneur and CEO. Starting his entrepreneurial career at age 19, he has performed in numerous capacities owning and managing both offline and online companies. Chris now serves as CEO of Spread Effect, a leading content marketing and publishing company. He is a member of the Young Entrepreneur Council (YEC) and often writes on topics of content marketing, SEO, and business development. He’s passionate about building and mentoring world-class teams and loves to chat with like-minded individuals. You can connect with Chris via Linkedin, Twitter - @ChrisWarden_SE, or Google+.
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