As a non-Redditor, when someone mentions Reddit, you may hark back to a 2015-ish state of mind. We’re here to tell you that using marketing-related Reddit subreddits as a tool for your content strategy is absolutely worth it.
Reddit was (and still is) the forum-style social network to go to for world news, social advice, and renowned memes. The sky is the limit – ask about the human experience, tell scary stories, and see what’s happening in your community.
For marketers, Reddit is also a gold mine for everyday work. The unfiltered and candid opinions you’ll find on any given subreddit are perfect for discovering real brand and consumer market research.
Previously, we discussed market research with George Kuhn, Owner and President of Drive Research. He told us, “Research over the decades has always been very stuffy, confidential, NDA-ish, don’t share that in your data, etc. However, the content world has really changed, and people are using studies to share data, build awareness, and generate leads.”
Let’s dive into how Reddit may just be the secret weapon you need to recharge your content strategy. We’ll also share our top marketing subreddits to join.
A Little on Using Reddit
As established, Reddit is divided into thousands upon thousands of niche communities called subreddits. Whether it’s world news, relationship advice, cute cats, or the latest in freelance writing – there’s a community for you. Unpaid volunteers moderate most subreddits.
Each user (or Redditor) must have an active account to reply to threads and create their own. You’ll also need an active account to send and receive messages and cast upvotes or downvotes.
Upvotes and downvotes can be applied to a thread or comments within, depending on how much you like what’s being said. The more upvotes a comment has, the better chance it has to appear at the top of the thread. The more upvotes a thread has, the better chance it has to appear on Reddit’s front page.
The Power of Reddit for Marketing Professionals
Reddit isn’t just a place for niche debates and fabulous memes. As of November 2024, Semrush listed Reddit as the sixth most visited website in the entire world. The United States makes up 51.25% of visitors.
Whether you’re a copywriter, marketer, or content strategist, this is proof that your ideal customer is likely using Reddit. If you haven’t been integrating Reddit into your content strategy, let this be your sign to start.
Why Reddit Is Ideal for Marketers
Think of times you’ve had an issue that needed research – think health, lifestyle, or the right brand for your needs. It’s probable that you’ve Googled your query and noticed “Reddit” as an autocomplete option.
That’s because Google understands that Reddit threads are great for finding your answer quickly – without fluff or bias. In fact, Google will often include clusters of Reddit results in the top three to four SERPs to browse.
Considering that Google favors Reddit in the SERPs, adding Reddit to your posting platforms is a no-brainer.
How Keywords and Subreddits Work Together
Let’s say you’re a freelance writer looking to expand your network and build your pool of leads. Your weekly content plan includes cross-posting on LinkedIn and Instagram. Your planned subject is how you land clients without sending cold emails – a topic valuable and magnetic to your peers. This would also be a great subject to talk about on the r/freelanceWriters subreddit.
When repurposing this post for Reddit, you should include keywords like “content marketing Reddit” or “find freelance writers on Reddit.” This helps draw traffic to your post – and your profile. Another approach would be to find rising posts within the subreddit and provide thoughtful responses that include your desired keywords.
How to Leverage Reddit for Marketing Success
When you embrace Reddit for the tool it is, you add a whole new layer of insight to your content strategy and lead gen efforts. It’s a whole new way to connect with your target audience, reach new leads, and unlock a wealth of content ideas.
Here are our favorite ways to use Reddit to help support your content strategy:
Engage With Your Ideal Subreddits
Unlike Instagram, Facebook, and other more traditional social media platforms, Reddit users thrive on nuance, discussion, and transparency. They are also a bit more scrupulous about self-promotion, so value-first content and engagement are key.
Responding to niche-specific questions with your genuine thoughts is great for building authority. Links to your own content, booking channel, or portfolio should be used sparingly in approved subreddits.
For example, if you’re a content marketer, responding to a post in r/SEO about the best link-building strategies with a detailed, actionable answer (rather than a direct link to your site) builds trust. If other Redditors find your insights valuable, they’ll naturally check out your profile and content on their own time.
Use Reddit for Keyword Research
Reddit is one of those tools that makes it easy to see what is up and coming in your favorite subreddits. In the upper left-hand corner of each subreddit, you’ll see a toggle menu. Select from Hot, New, Top, and Rising.
As an example, if you select ‘Rising’ from this menu, you’ll see recent posts that have quickly received a high amount of engagement. Watching these posts will give you an opportunity to jump in early to share unique viewpoints and advice when relevant.
Top, Hot, and Rising posts are also amazing “early access” resources for you to see what people are searching for. Use this as fuel for insightful blog posts, social posts, and email marketing initiatives.
Pitfalls to Avoid When Marketing on Reddit
As mentioned, Redditors can scent a thinly veiled promotional post or comment. It’s important to be genuine in all posts, comments, and messages. Be sure to only link out to your portfolio, website, or booking channel when asked or when relevant.
Another pitfall to look out for is not reading the room. Be sure to educate yourself on the rules for each subreddit to avoid being flagged or having posts and comments deleted. What may be allowed in one subreddit may not be in another. Self-promotion is often discouraged or all-out forbidden in many subreddits.
Consider also the nature of the posts. If you see mostly requests for advice, it may be poor form to post that you’re looking for work. Find the subreddits that align with your goals.
Finally, keep good profile hygiene. Your comments and posting history are public and easily accessible. Create a clear username and description, and avoid making spammy and controversial comments.
Focus on building up a positive profile “Karma.” Karma is how many upvotes you receive on posts and comments. The higher your Karma count, the better your reputation will be.
Top Marketing-Related Subreddits To Join
Keep reading to find our favorite communities that we at nDash like to use to do market research, share advice, and much more.
Content Marketing Reddit Communities
- r/content_marketing: 130,000 members strong with plenty of daily posts, this subreddit is a haven for marketers looking for advice and resources. Note their rules state that this isn’t the spot to spam your blog.
- r/copywriting: With 219,000 members, this is the subreddit for copywriters, both seasoned and fresh. Self-touted as by copywriters for copywriters, you can ask for critiques, share advice, and more. Their rules state, “This isn’t a marketing channel. A wee bit of self-promotion is fine, so long as it’s a free & helpful resource.” So be careful of being too promotional.
Find Freelance Writers on Reddit Communities
- r/freelance: This massive subreddit boasts a half million users and is another amazing resource for those seeking advice and trending topics. They have a strict no-promotion rule, so bear this in mind.
- r/freelanceWriters: With 161,000 members, this subreddit is another great resource for newbies and experienced copywriters. Self-promotion is forbidden.
- r/WritingJobBoard: A smaller community with about 8,000 members, this subreddit sees about 1-2 postings per month.
Social Media Marketing Subreddits
- r/socialmedia: With 2.9 million members, this subreddit is a fantastic look into trends and strategies for social platforms. They have a request to refrain from self-promotion.
- r/digital_marketing: A broader subreddit for social and digital strategy with 222,000 members. A good platform for thought leadership and market research. Self-promotion is forbidden.
Note: You’ll see that many of these subreddits either discourage or strictly prohibit self-promotion in varying degrees. These subreddits are still wonderful tools for seeing what’s trending and getting an enhanced understanding of what’s happening in your industry.
Explore Reddit to Elevate Your Marketing Strategy
Reddit might seem intimidating at first, but we truly believe it has value for marketers. The raw discussion and unbiased opinions make market research that much easier.
We challenge you to create your own Reddit account today and see what happens! If you’re already a user, go and join a few of the aforementioned subreddits. If you’re a copywriter, search a client brand to see what topics are trending. If you’re a social media marketer, explore what’s happening in your industry to stay on top of trends.
The sky is the limit!
About the Author
Katie Major is a versatile marketing professional with a passion for content creation and strategic storytelling. She leads creative initiatives as Lead Creative at Major Marketing and serves as a Content Strategist and Copywriter at Katherine Major Creative. To learn more about Katherine — and to have her writer for your brand — be sure to check out her nDash profile page.