How to Use Reddit: A Beginner’s Guide for Marketers + Creators

As a marketer, small business owner, or creator, you might be tempted to brush Reddit off as the domain of internet trolls and cat memes. 

And while there is a fair bit of that on the platform, you can gain a huge amount of value from getting active in Reddit’s hundreds of thousands of niche communities. 

With more than 82 million daily active users and 16 billion posts and comments (as of May 2024), the social media platform can be a powerhouse for brand reach and growth — but only if you know how to use it. 

If you've ever felt a pang of curiosity (or confusion) about this behemoth of a platform, you're in the right place. 

Whether you're a seasoned marketer, a social media pro, or someone who thinks Reddit sounds like a color, this guide is for you. 

What is Reddit?

Reddit is a forum-style website where members share content and discuss specific topics and interests. Other Redditors then upvote or downvote the content based on how relevant, interesting, and helpful it is. The platform is the self-proclaimed “front page of the internet.”

Let’s unpack that with an analogy.

Picture this: the internet has an enormous, bustling town square where folks gather to share news and expertise, ask questions, or chatter about a juicy bit of gossip. 

It looks chaotic, but it’s not really — that giant square is divided into hundreds of thousands of smaller squares, each one dedicated to a particular interest. These smaller squares are called subreddits. (Here’s a fun map of Reddit to illustrate the topic distribution.)

All those people in the town square congregate in the subreddits that spark the most interest for them. For example, the cyclists roll their bikes over to one corner (called ‘r/cycling’), the gaming enthusiasts gather in r/gamers, and the social media managers scroll stroll over to r/socialmedia. 

For the folks more interested in a more specific niche, they’ll find their section too — think r/CyclingFashion, r/CozyGamers, or maybe r/InstagramMarketing.

Even dividing the millions of Redditors into subreddits can still mean there are thousands of users in each one. How do these communities decide what topics are under discussion that day and whose voice is heard?

It all comes down to a system of threads, which subreddit members can create to start a new discussion and upvote. The more comments and upvotes a particular thread and its responses receive, the more prominently they will appear on the subreddit’s home page. 

Why you should care about Reddit as someone building a brand

Whether you’re looking to build your own brand or your company’s, Reddit is worth exploring. Not just because of the sheer volume of users active there but also because of the power of niche communities. 

Given the vastness of the Redi-verse (sorry, I had to), I can almost guarantee you’ll be able to find a Reddit community (or several!) that perfectly aligns with your brand and target audience. 

To continue the analogy above, rather than wandering around the town like a town crier, hoping to grab attention, why not meet your ideal audience in their cozy little space in the square?

Let’s take a closer look at the benefits of Reddit for marketers, business owners, and creators.

1. Hyper-relevant communities: With more than 100,000 active subreddits, you can find niche groups that align perfectly with your brand’s target audience.
2. Trends and insights: Reddit is a goldmine for market research. It’s where many trends start and where consumers openly share their opinions.
3. More traffic to your website: We’ve not yet touched on the fact that thanks to a 2024 Google algorithm update, Reddit answers are appearing right up top in search results — which means that getting active on Reddit could help you reach people outside the platform, too. 

Getting started with Reddit: A beginner’s guide

Step 1: Create a new account

To create your own Reddit account, go to Reddit.com, click “Log in” or “Sign Up” in the top right corner and follow the prompts. Choose a username that reflects your expertise. Most redditors prefer to stick with their assigned anonymous usernames and cartoon avatars, but if you’re looking to establish yourself as a leader, it could be worth testing the waters with your own name and photo, if you feel comfortable.

Pro tip: Even if your ultimate goal is prompting your company, it’s worth creating an account as a person, not a brand. Overly sale-sy and traditional marketing content won’t be received well on the platform. Reddit users value authenticity above all else. 

Step 2: Find relevant subreddits

Use the search bar to find subreddits related to your industry. For example, if you’re in the health and wellness industry, subreddits like r/Fitness or r/Meditation might be a good fit. 

I’d recommend starting with a broad term like the ones above, and then checking out the homepage of each subreddit for ‘Related subreddits’ (usually found on the bottom right of well-organized pages).

As you explore subreddits, search for ones that would attract your ideal customer or target audience, but also look for ones that are fairly active. Some old subreddits can lie dormant for months — and no matter how perfectly they align with your brand, aren’t really worth joining. 

Step 3: Lurk before you leap

Whether you’re looking to use Reddit as a marketing tool or not, I’d recommend any new user get the lay of the land before they start interacting. Spend some time lurking (read: observing without jumping into the fray) to get a feel for the culture, humor, and etiquette of different subreddits.

Step 4: Understand the subreddit rules

Each subreddit has its own set of rules, found in the sidebar. These rules can be as simple as “no spam” or as specific as “no memes on Mondays.” 

Break the rules, and you risk getting banned by the folks who run and help maintain the subreddits (called ‘moderators’ or ‘admins’). 

Step 5: Engage, don’t advertise

When you feel comfortable enough to start posting in your subreddit/s of choice, I’d recommend getting your feet wet by responding to comments, answering questions, and sharing advice. 

The most important thing to remember when posting (whether creating your own or responding in the comments) is that Redditors come to the platform to connect with people, not brands. 

As such, they abhor blatant self-promotion or advertising. Instead of getting your marketing jazz hands out, focus on providing value. 

Answer questions, share insights, and participate in discussions. Your goal is to build trust and be seen as a thought leader within the subreddit. 

The only exception to this is the designated ‘self-promotion’ slots allowed in some subreddits. Here’s an example of how this is handled within r/CozyGamers:

It’s a great idea to take advantage of these opportunities, but I’d suggest you spend a few weeks engaging and building trust within the community to really see the value of sharing your work.

Crafting the perfect Reddit post

Feeling a little out of your depth when it comes to leaving comments and creating posts? My best advice is to save some examples of popular posts you thought were great and copy their structure and formatting. 

Some tips to help you wade deeper:

Titles matter

Your title is your first impression of your new post. Make it catchy but informative. “How Our Product Changed the Industry” might not fare as well as “We Build a Product that Will Help You Solve [insert specific problem here].”

Again focusing on real people and real problems is the key (more on this under storytelling). 

Be visual

As is often the case with posts on social media platforms, posts with images or videos tend to stand out more and get more engagement. 

Use relevant and high-quality visuals to make your posts stand out (but steer clear of overt adverts).

Storytelling is key

People love stories. Whether it’s a case study, a customer testimonial, or a behind-the-scenes look, framing your content as a story can increase engagement.

Engage with comments

Don’t just post and ghost. Stick around to respond to any comments your post gets (the more comments, the better, so you might even want to ask your commenters further questions to keep the discussion going). 

Try an AMA (Ask Me Anything)

Once you’ve established yourself as a thought leader within the subreddit, hosting an AMA can be a brilliant way to engage and help strengthen those budding relationships. AMAs (open Q&A sessions where you can share your expertise, experiences, or insights) originated on the platform, and tend to resonate in longstanding subreddits.

Tips for a successful AMA:

• Promote in advance: Let people know about your AMA ahead of time.
• Be available: Commit to spending a few hours actively answering questions.
• Be candid: Transparency goes a long way on Reddit.

A brief look at Reddit Ads

If you’re looking to boost your reach quickly, Reddit Ads could be an option. Here’s a quick rundown:

Types of Reddit Ads

1. Promoted Posts: These appear in users’ feeds just like regular posts but are marked as “sponsored.”
2. Display Ads: Banner ads that appear on the sidebar or at the top of the feed.

Reddit offers targeting options based on location, interests, and specific subreddits, allowing for highly targeted ad campaigns. Reddit Ads operate on a bidding system. You can set a daily or total campaign budget and choose between CPC (cost-per-click) or CPM (cost-per-thousand impressions) bidding.

To Reddit or not to Reddit?

Reddit is a powerful channel often overlooked by marketers and creators. But, with some nurturing, it can become a handy tool in your social stack for boosting brand visibility and community building. 

If you’d like to see how a business owner managed to leverage Reddit to help drive leads and sales, Kamel Ben Yacoub, Co-founder of Getuplead, shared his Reddit strategy for success (which helped drive both comarketing opportunities and leads), which is well worth reading!

Feeling a little out of your depth when it comes to leaving comments and creating posts? My best advice is to save some examples of popular posts you thought were great and copy their structure and formatting. 

Some tips to help you wade deeper:

Titles matter

Your title is your first impression of your new post. Make it catchy but informative. “How Our Product Changed the Industry” might not fare as well as “We Build a Product that Will Help You Solve [insert specific problem here].”

Again focusing on real people and real problems is the key (more on this under storytelling). 

Be visual

As is often the case with posts on social media platforms, posts with images or videos tend to stand out more and get more engagement. 

Use relevant and high-quality visuals to make your posts stand out (but steer clear of overt adverts).

Storytelling is key

People love stories. Whether it’s a case study, a customer testimonial, or a behind-the-scenes look, framing your content as a story can increase engagement.

Engage with comments

Don’t just post and ghost. Stick around to respond to any comments your post gets (the more comments, the better, so you might even want to ask your commenters further questions to keep the discussion going). 

Try an AMA (Ask Me Anything)

Once you’ve established yourself as a thought leader within the subreddit, hosting an AMA can be a brilliant way to engage and help strengthen those budding relationships. AMAs (open Q&A sessions where you can share your expertise, experiences, or insights) originated on the platform, and tend to resonate in longstanding subreddits.

Tips for a successful AMA:

• Promote in advance: Let people know about your AMA ahead of time.
• Be available: Commit to spending a few hours actively answering questions.
• Be candid: Transparency goes a long way on Reddit.

A brief look at Reddit Ads

If you’re looking to boost your reach quickly, Reddit Ads could be an option. Here’s a quick rundown:

Types of Reddit Ads

1. Promoted Posts: These appear in users’ feeds just like regular posts but are marked as “sponsored.”
2. Display Ads: Banner ads that appear on the sidebar or at the top of the feed.

Reddit offers targeting options based on location, interests, and specific subreddits, allowing for highly targeted ad campaigns. Reddit Ads operate on a bidding system. You can set a daily or total campaign budget and choose between CPC (cost-per-click) or CPM (cost-per-thousand impressions) bidding.

To Reddit or not to Reddit?

Reddit is a powerful channel often overlooked by marketers and creators. But, with some nurturing, it can become a handy tool in your social stack for boosting brand visibility and community building. 

If you’d like to see how a business owner managed to leverage Reddit to help drive leads and sales, Kamel Ben Yacoub, Co-founder of Getuplead, shared his Reddit strategy for success (which helped drive both comarketing opportunities and leads), which is well worth reading!