Reddit offered guidance via a range of discussions at the recent Cannes Lions Festival. The conversations included representatives from brands that are advertising in the app, and touched on how they’re driving impact.
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Reddit offered guidance via a range of discussions at the recent Cannes Lions Festival. The conversations included representatives from brands that are advertising in the app, and touched on how they’re driving impact.
As explained by Reddit: “Brands that listen, contribute, and respect the culture of each subreddit consistently outperform those that treat Reddit like any other social channel.”
According to Reddit, its platform shouldn’t be viewed as a traditional media channel, but more as a collection of communities. Within each community, the brands that win are not only advertising to users, but also engaging, responding to questions and addressing key concerns in-stream.
Reddit EVP of Community Laura Nestler said that brands need to “act like a citizen, not like a billboard” in these groups, by easing up on the promo, and focusing on human engagement.
“Every subreddit has its own language, pace, humor, expectations, and tolerance for brand participation,” Reddit said. “The best brand presence feels like a useful contribution to an existing conversation, not a campaign dropped into the middle of one.”
Reddit said brands should familiarize themselves with relevant communities in the app in order to understand tone, discussion style and who the key influencers are.
Reddit also said that brands need to start by outlining the specific communities where audiences ask questions, then focus on those interactions to shape their strategies.
That means spending more time in the app, as opposed to using a generic promotional strategy, which is less likely to resonate with Reddit users. Community members are knowledgeable and engaged, and they want brands to cater to this and align with the broader ethos of each group.
Brands that succeed in the app also gain insight from comment streams and from monitoring what’s being said. Brands can also drive engagement by posting content that community members want to respond to and discuss.
In addition, Reddit said brands should monitor key discussion points and learn how they relate to consumer responses.
“The goal is not to make every subreddit act the same; it is to understand which community moments can help buyers move with more confidence,” Reddit said.
It’s a lot of work for brands because it takes time to understand and effectively engage each subreddit community. But by analyzing and considering individual community needs and noting key engagement trends, brands can drive better response in the app.
