Reddit: How Brands Can Use It and How AIR Brands Develops Account with Karma > 1 Million

How often do you find yourself turning to Reddit while searching for answers to your questions? It's referred to as the front page of the internet and is one of the three largest platforms, alongside Google and Amazon, when it comes to user reviews of products or services.

So, why is not being on Reddit today a significant missed opportunity for brands?

Reddit is a popular imageboard that allows users to create posts, rate content, and, most importantly, engage in conversations, comment, share their experiences, seek advice, or provide it.

As of 2023, Reddit had 850 million active users each month, surpassing the number of users on Snapchat, Pinterest, and LinkedIn. Every day, users create over 2.8 million new posts and comments.

Reddit covers a wide range of topics, from technology and science to entertainment and fashion. At the same time, Reddit remains a fairly undervalued social network, especially among Ukrainian brands targeting an international audience.

Using Reddit for Brands

According to SimilarWeb, Reddit ranks 6th in the world among "user-generated content websites" in terms of global traffic. The platform offers brands the opportunity to interact directly with their target audience through content or by engaging users in discussions as the largest English-speaking forum in the world.

Here are a few ways brands interact with their audience on Reddit:

AMA (Ask Me Anything) — This is one of the most popular formats for open interviews on Reddit. Brands can organize AMA sessions with representatives from their company, during which they answer questions from Reddit users. Well-executed AMAs help increase trust and loyalty towards the brand among the Reddit audience.

Participating in Discussions — Brands can join relevant discussions, enhancing their expertise or assisting users with advice regarding their or competing products or services.

Personal Subreddit — Some companies create their own subreddits to discuss their products and services, providing a direct communication channel with consumers.

What Makes Reddit Unique

No Need for Verification and Anonymity
Non-Intrusive Advertising, mostly based on local Reddit memes, slang, and stories.

Lack of Alternative Resources
Reddit's audience identifies with the platform, considering themselves part of the Reddit community, which is uncommon among other large social networks.
Highly Empathetic and Honest Audience
Almost No “Influencers”
Brands can receive effective feedback from real users of their products.

Examples of Successful Brand Pages on Reddit

AMA on Reddit (Ask Me Anything) is a question-and-answer session where users can ask any questions to a specific person or group conducting the session.

One of the most popular AMA sessions was with former U.S. President Barack Obama during his 2012 campaign, which garnered 23,000 comments. There are many examples of AMAs with brand employees (such as Adidas, Nissan, etc.). The phenomenon of AMA on Reddit is a very interesting tool for brands.

Apple successfully utilizes its official subreddit as its own space for users to share their thoughts, discuss news, share experiences, seek help, or provide it—all under the watchful eye of Apple employees. It's like a personal Apple island on Reddit.

Xbox One: An interesting case where your users were faster than you, unlike Apple. The largest subreddit about Xbox One, with over 4 million subscribers, is a great example of what can happen when your brand has a significant number of followers on a platform you've underestimated. Xbox recognized the unique opportunity to engage with its fans where they already are, and later, official developers joined discussions and conversations in the community, rewarding fans with exclusive content and answering frequently asked questions.

Successful Case Study of AIR Brands: Using Reddit for UNITED24 Media

AIR Brands uses Reddit to promote content about Ukraine for the UNITED24 media project. The main goals are:

To convey Ukraine's position to audiences who either support or do not support Ukraine.
To promote news from the website and war reports from the UNITED24 media YouTube channel.

Results after > 1 year:

481 million views on Reddit.
1M+ views on YouTube from Reddit.
Over 1 million Reddit Karma.

It is worth noting that in this case, Reddit is part of the UNITED24 media ecosystem, which consists of 2 YouTube channels, a website, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and WhatsApp, all managed by talented Ukrainian creative teams.

What is Karma on Reddit?

Karma is a sort of reputation system on Reddit that reflects how useful your posts and comments have been to other users. It consists of two parts: post karma and comment karma. A user receives karma when other users upvote their posts or comments.

Conclusion

If your target audience communicates in English and your marketing strategy does not yet include Reddit, don’t hesitate—this unique platform is waiting for your brand's presence. To avoid getting lost in the ocean of subreddits and karma, reach out to AIR Brands: we know how to develop your profile in a way that enhances your brand's marketing!

Authors:

Olena Beskorovaina, PR specialist, Brand Manager at AIR Brands

Nastia Kravchenko, Lead PM at AIR Brands