Is Reddit worth using for business?

Is Reddit worth using for business?

Reddit has released the results of a user survey. That type of statement would usually make alarm bells ring. If a platform releases data that is positive about itself, you should probably dismiss it. However, Reddit is a platform I have a lot of time for. So, is Reddit worth using for business?

What is Reddit?

We should begin by backtracking a little. There is no doubt that many readers will be Reddit users. There’ll also be many that haven’t heard of it and never used it.

Reddit is a social media platform that harks back to the days of forums. You know the sort of thing I mean. A person would post a question and others answer it. All out war then breaks out as everyone disagrees. A few of the users will know each other and they’ll support the others argument. That leads to people following biased advice. The old forums were often a haven for friends to attack the opinions of anyone that disagrees with them.

However, Reddit has been around a long time and has evolved. The old forum habits are easy to find, but it now cultivates a more open and informative feel.

When did Reddit start?

Reddit has been around a very long time, almost 20 years. I remember it starting way back in 2005. At the time I was using forums for a variety of purposes. Reddit was very much the new kid on the block. It attracted a lot of popularity in the video gaming sector in particular.

Since then, it has undergone periods of growth and decline. The last 3-5 years have seen it transform into an incredibly useful portal for advice. Whatever your hobby, interest or question, Reddit will have a Subreddit that will interest you.

What is a Subreddit?

A Subreddit divides a broader topic into sections based on specific interests. For example, Reddit organises content into categories like Cars, Gardening, Web Design, and Technology. Within these categories, you’ll find the Subreddits.

A great example of a Subreddit is found under Cars, featuring sections like Audi, BMW, Chevrolet, and more. Under a Marketing category you’d find Digital Marketing and much more. SEO is on there (I pop into it from time to time, but I’ll come on to why I don’t visit too frequently later in this blog).

However, the volume of Subreddits is astonishing. Kitchen appliances, down to washing machines, then down to brand level. You’ll genuinely find an answer to every question on earth – or at least an opinion on it.

What does the Reddit survey say?

The data Reddit have gathered has several statistics in it that make you sit up and pay attention.

• 47% of people that use traditional search engines find the results are irrelevant and that Reddit is better for finding an answer.
• 71% of people surveyed think that Reddit is the best platform for finding answers to questions.
• 23% of recommendations given to people on Reddit lead to what is called “redirection” – i.e. the user goes on to consider a brand they’d never previously considered.
• 42% of users value Reddit recommendations more than those received elsewhere – other than on expert advice or review sites.

Those are big, bold, claims. I don’t for a moment think they should be taken as entirely accurate. Reddit are never going to say “Our users think we’re awful” or “Don’t bother coming to us, use Google instead”.

However, I have enough personal experience of Reddit to say that I don’t think they’re too wide of the mark in some respects. What is important is to bring the claims down to context. Moreover, for the purpose of this blog, we need to look at how you might leverage Reddit for business purposes – and there is huge potential there, with a lot of care as to how you approach it and what you think you’re going to get out of it.

Is Reddit better than Google?

Taking the first claim and putting it into context, if you want a direct answer to a question, Reddit can be very useful indeed.

Is it better than Google? I think that depends on the nature of the question.

Fact based answers or opinions

If you were looking for a straight answer to a question that was a “fact” based answer, such as “How high is Mount Everest?” – you’re better off with Google.

If the question was “Are Bosch washing machines any good?” – you will get an answer from Google that is derived from a reviews or consumer site in all likelihood. If you asked the question on Reddit (and it’ll undoubtedly appear on Page 1 as a search result if you searched on Google), you’ll get opinion based replies.

Is the opinion from a Reddit user a “better” answer than from Google? I think that is highly questionable. It will come down to the users personal experience and, as is well known, you’re very likely to get more negative responses on most forums than you are positive replies.

What is an example of search redirection?

People on Reddit (or any forum) tend to reply with a degree of brand loyalty no matter how impartial they claim to be and this is where the redirection of a Reddit-based question comes into play.

For example, somebody might say “They’re okay, but Miele are better” – and before you know it you might be back on Google looking for facts about Miele washing machines!

That is redirection. You’ve asked a question and the answer has redirected you to a brand you’d not heard of or not considered.

Can you use Reddit for promoting your business?

This brings us to how you might utilise this type of user search for business purposes. If you’re thinking that you’ll create an account and go straight into Reddit and beginning recommending your brand of products or services, think again.

You could, theoretically, do that. You’ll probably get away with it a few times.

Reddit users will spot self-promotion

However, Reddit users aren’t stupid. Before long, users will expose your connection to the brand, leading to either a ban or a flood of negative comments and feedback. Reddit allows users to upvote or downvote comments; expect negative feedback if you try to abuse the system.

In my experience, direct promotion of businesses on Reddit ends badly. It might come later for some businesses, but it’ll happen eventually. The community thrives on honesty, and people are quick to spot comments that are always self-promotional.

Before you know it, you could end up doing your business or brand more harm than good.

Be prepared for negative feedback

You also have to consider something else. Be prepared for reactions to your comments that aren’t positive about your brand. If you say something, just as in real life, people can openly disagree with you – and they won’t hold back on Reddit.

If you claim that Product X is amazing (and it’s one of your own products), a user who has had issues with your products in the past will almost certainly call you out, exposing their comments to the entire Reddit community.

Ultimately, it is an open forum and you can’t push content without expecting feedback, be it positive or negative.

Use Reddit to answer questions and provide advice

However, there’s nothing whatsoever wrong with becoming part of the Reddit community and responding to questions – being seen as a caring and customer focused brand.

You can answer questions, provide advice, correct inaccuracies, and generally be seen as a valued and expert member of what is a burgeoning forum of millions of users seeking input.

I’ve answered many questions on SEO, digital marketing and web related technology in Subreddits in the past. The only reason I don’t do it nowadays is because the questions have become repetitive and AI has begun to appear in far too many Subreddits.

Users are jumping on the likes of ChatGPT, typing the visitor question into it and then copying and pasting the answer into Subreddits. It stands out like a sore thumb and is a sign of things to come in other areas.

Using Reddit for business related research

There’s one area in which I think Reddit can add value for a business. It can be particularly good at generating ideas. I don’t mean it’ll do it in the same way that AI will give you ideas, I mean in a far more practical and useful way.

Ask the Reddit community for ideas

For example, I recently saw a Subreddit in which the visitor asked about the methods people were using for advertising in a sector (non-digital methods, specifically).

They received a wealth of replies and one of them mentioned the value of events and exhibitions. The visitor hadn’t considered them and several other Reddit users commented that it was an area in which they had the most success. Other Reddit users joined in to say they’d not thought of that method of promotion and would consider it in future.

Get the opinion and advice of other business owners

It can be a great place to read through experiences other businesses have had with banks, finance companies, leasing, customers, how they’ve handled late invoice payments, the software and apps they use – and thousands of other subjects.

Indeed, it is in the reading of Subreddits and the challenges other businesses face, and how they’ve solved them, that I think Reddit is worth using for business.

Is the Reddit survey accurate?

I’m sure Reddit used proper market research methods when conducting their survey. However, you have to take own-brand surveys with a pinch of salt.

That said, I think the survey is probably an accurate reflection of how their own users feel and not too distant from the experiences of other internet users. Reddit can be an excellent tool and resource for businesses.

I don’t think it is a platform on which you should seek to blatantly promote your business, products or services. I prefer to think of it as a great research, advice and opinion hub. You’ll find answers to most questions on it, but you also have the option of asking your own question – and users and generally quick to reply.

Feedback

Please let me know of any experiences you’ve had with Reddit. Are you a user of it, a fan or have you found the community to be too closed in some Subreddits (I think it is uncommon, I have always found it to be a largely friendly community)?

I try to reply to all comments and I’m open to feedback on my blogs and the subjects I cover.