One thing that makes the world today very different from how it was twenty years ago is the presence of social media and the vast number of people already interacting and communicating on the platforms. The world is now a global village, connecting billions of people with the internet. With our easy access to the many social media platforms available, we may likely see having less popular ones as redundant, especially since you already have accounts on common ones like Facebook or Instagram. This is not so, especially if you want to leverage social media as your brand promotion strategy. You must note that each social media platform is unique in how it works and can diversify your potential customer base and increase your presence online. One of the most underrated social media platforms ever is Reddit, and this is surprising since it is one of the best websites to get you the awareness your business needs. If you are having trouble seeing how creating and growing a Reddit account for your business can be worth the extra effort, this article is for you. We will tell you why Reddit may prove beneficial for your business and how you can use it to promote your brand.
Why Reddit?
To start with, Reddit has a staggering 430 million monthly active users, but this is only a tiny part of the website’s many advantages. Reddit is a community-based network, which means there is a community on the website for ANYTHING. This means that people can go on the website, look for subreddits that they will be interested in, and listen and react to posts from various people. In turn, it is way easier to locate people who will probably be interested in your products. For example, if you sell shoes, you can search for subreddits about shoes and find many communities of Redditors interested in shoes. This means that if you promote your brand right, you can get a follower base that is entirely invested and loyal to your brand, not just uninterested viewers. We don’t have to explain what that will do for your sales! There is a slight caveat. You don’t want to get on Reddit, and spam sale prompts and marketing ads, especially on just any subreddit. Generally, Redditors disdain businesses and people using the website primarily for promotion and marketing rather than its original purpose, bringing people together to discuss common interests. More so, many people are cautious about trusting business accounts on Reddit since everyone is fundamentally anonymous, thus making the website a perfect platform for scams and identity theft. However, this does not mean you cannot leverage Reddit for your business. As long as you are careful with what you post, how you comment, and how you interact with Redditors in their communities, you can take advantage of the platform as a marketing and PR tool and promote your business successfully.
Here are a few tips you should mind when trying to create and promote your Reddit account without risking having Redditors take offense to your promotions and content;
Build Up your Reddit Karma First
Your Reddit Karma is Reddit’s way of reflecting the quality of your account. You can gain post and comment karma by getting upvotes from your actions on the platform. Redditors who see your posts and take an interest in them may check your Karma to gauge your legitimacy, reputation, and experience, as higher numbers typically mean you have more upvotes from your posts and comments. You should increase your karma before you start any promotions. How? You can get a list of subreddits you know you can write about and contribute substantially and then post and comment there. You can answer questions at the Ask Reddit sub-community. Do this constantly to gradually but steadily grow your Karma.
Create Interesting Posts (Then Subtly Mention your Business)
You might need to engage your thinking a bit for this. Though Redditors do not like uncontrolled marketing, they like original content. One way to create posts that will appeal to them but still promote your business is by telling a compelling story. You will need to be creative or have help from others, but this will definitely help you get positive reactions and even pique people’s interest in your products and services. Try checking the posts of other businesses to see how they make posts that see positive responses and use that as a template for yours.
Post in Relevant Subreddits
Nobody wants to see posts about baby toys in subreddits for soccer updates. Finding the right subreddit for your post is just as important as creating an appealing post for viewers. The best promotion posts may be very offensive if placed in the wrong subreddits, so you must also take your time searching for communities that will take an interest in your interactions.
Stay Active and Respond
It is essential that you monitor Reddit constantly to respond to brand mentions, complaints, and potential purchases. A quick response to opinions from Redditors about your brand and services adds to your business’ reputation. You would want Redditors to see your account as active so you can realize better engagement and reactions to your posts.
AMAs are Great for Engaging People
Build your personal brand by going to the AMA subreddit and posting a prompt saying, “Ask Me Anything.” This is a great way to discuss your business with interested people asking questions openly. Make sure you are ready to respond to relevant questions quickly and in a way that will benefit your business’ reputation.
Reddit is Great for Market Research and Feedback
Get opinions from other people and potential customers about your business strategies and products on Reddit. You can post your website link or product description on Entrepreneur subreddits and ask members to give feedback, helping you know how your brand appeals to people and where you can improve. However, be careful about posting on non-business subreddits, as you may not get any responses or even be downvoted.
Hire Remote Talent through Reddit
This isn’t really a necessity, but it will help build your brand reputation. Instead of looking like a business that is only trying to turn a profit through multiple promotions, posting prompts for hiring talent will help people respect your brand as one that is trying to give back to the community. It is also assured that you will find specific subreddits for the talent you need and their locations; recruitment has never been so fulfilling!
Conclusion
There are so many ideas you can try to leverage the invested and engaged users on Reddit. Using Reddit for marketing might be scary, but it is worth your effort. As long as you are conscious about what, how, and when you post content to promote your brand, you will reap immense benefits from using this website. The key is consistency, as you cannot hope to benefit from Reddit overnight. If you cannot monitor and manage your account by yourself, get someone to do it for you. You can also consider using Reddit Ads if you have no problem paying some money. We wish you the best of luck!
