What’s in this article:
- Tips for marketers for crafting a killer Reddit marketing campaign
With hundreds of millions of active users, Reddit is one of the most active channels on the internet. One part social network, one part collection of forums, Reddit represents a unique opportunity for marketers to step out of their comfort zones and connect with engaged audiences while targeting specific interests.
Mastering Reddit comes with its own set of rules, however. Marketing pros need to immerse themselves in Reddit culture, gaining a deeper understanding of how Redditors interact with each other and promoted content. With these tips, you’ll be on your way to crafting a killer Reddit marketing campaign.
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Do: Know the language
Like any popular social channel, Reddit users have familiar abbreviations and shorthands to communicate ideas in as few characters as possible. Some, like “TL;DR” (meaning “too long, didn’t read”) are widely used outside of Reddit but take on new meanings within the forum. In order to market effectively on Reddit, you’ll need to be able to speak the lingo without it feeling forced.
This step is so crucial that Reddit created a helpful Reddit 101 infographic for advertisers. The “How to talk Reddit” section has an overview of the most commonly used abbreviations on the site, helping you differentiate your TILs from your ELI5s.
Don’t: Lose your brand voice
Reddit users are incredibly internet savvy. It’s most popular among users ages 25 to 29, with 18 to 24 being the second-highest demographic represented. In other words, the forum’s most active users have never known a world without the internet and likely had smartphones before reaching adulthood. They know their stuff, and they can spot inauthentic, try-hard ads a mile away.
While learning about different Reddit customs to find a strategy that works for your brand, make sure you don’t lose your brand identity in the process. There might be some temptation to appropriate popular memes, host promotional AMAs, or lean too hard into other Reddit-isms, but doing so could net you the wrong kind of attention.
Do: Find subreddits that align with your audience
With over 100,000 communities known as “subreddits,” it’s easy to find discussions about almost any topic imaginable. Pictures of tiny kittens? There’s a subreddit for that. Thoughtful analyses of unsolved murders and disappearances? Sure, just don’t read it before bed. Politics, entertainment, support, humor — almost nothing is off-topic if you can find the right subreddit for it.
Reddit allows advertisers to target subreddits for marketing campaigns, which can help you ensure that your ads reach the right people at the right time. Before launching a Reddit campaign, take some time to research popular subreddits related to your brand. Narrow it down to forums that are high in followers, currently active, and have an engaged, generally positive user base. Once you’ve identified relevant subreddits, reaching your target audience will be a lot easier.
Don’t: Push the hard sell
There’s a place for aggressive marketing, but Reddit isn’t it. Brands need to get creative to gain Reddit users’ attention and trust, tailoring ad design to targeted subreddits and engaging with responses. For example, when LEGO launched a Reddit marketing campaign, it didn’t spam the front page with calls to action to buy more of the building toys; instead, LEGO worked with the annual Secret Santa project to gift LEGO sets to unsuspecting Redditors. The indirect approach worked: related posts garnered a 2.5X higher clickthrough rate than Reddit’s benchmark.
On the other hand, actor Woody Harrelson’s attempts to promote his new film — and only promote his new film — turned disastrous in a now-infamous AMA. Apparently, forgetting that “AMA” means “Ask Me Anything” (and not “Ask me anything about my new film”), Harrelson’s — or more likely, his PR rep’s — responses to user questions were less than forthcoming. He only wanted to talk about Rampart and refused to answer anything else. Soon, users were heckling him for this behavior, with one noting, “Nothing like trying to utilize social media in the most unauthentic way possible – someone will be getting fired!”
Understanding Reddit’s many traditions and nuances isn’t easy but doing so will strengthen your marketing campaigns. Once you master the art of Reddit marketing campaigns, you’ll surely be able to gain and retain customers – and existing customers are the secret sauce of growth. Think of it as an opportunity to connect with potential customers in a more genuine way, and don’t be afraid to have fun with it. And above all, remember that AMA means Ask Me Anything, not Ask Me Anything About Rampart.