But what is Reddit? Is it a social media platform? A discussion board? A forum?

Well, it’s a bit of everything!

Reddit is a place where people from different backgrounds and life experiences congregate and share their thoughts and opinions.

It is increasingly becoming the de facto source for reliable information, with 90% of users reporting that they trust Reddit as a source to learn about new products and brands.

Why?

Well, Reddit has earned somewhat of a reputation for being more real—especially in comparison to TikTok and Instagram, which many believe to be full of undisclosed ads or inauthentic promotions.

Additionally, users on those platforms can filter their comments, potentially limiting discussion about a product. But on Reddit, conversations about products, and any issues with them, happen often—and openly. In fact, 85% of Redditors believe users post things that are honest and truthful.

Due to its increased popularity, and the increased desire for authenticity, it’s no surprise that Google began prioritizing Reddit after a few core updates rolled out that focused on rewarding genuinely helpful content.

Countless memes show the nearly universal experience of adding “Reddit” to the end of a search to get real answers.

3 out of 4 shoppers who use Reddit say that they can make faster purchases based on insight from fellow Reddit users’ experiences.

And it makes sense; people are more likely to trust recommendations from real people… even if those real people are strangers on the internet. So, when you want to know what the best hiking boot is, sometimes the answer is a two-year-old Reddit thread.

But, what does all this have to do with your business?

What Can Utilizing Reddit Accomplish?

Reddit offers immense value for a small business when it comes to connecting with—and learning from—your client base and audience.

Whether it’s insight gained directly (by users talking about your company specifically) or indirectly (by users talking about your industry as a whole), using Reddit can help you:

• Spread brand awareness
• Expand your reach
• Tap into undiscovered audiences
• Understand your clients (and market to them effectively!)
• Make impactful changes based on what you learn

There are a few different ways that small business owners can use Reddit, but in this post, we’ll focus on the more organic (see: unpaid/free) ways.

But first, the basics…

If you’re well-versed in Reddit, click here to skip past the basics!

Reddit Basics

While Reddit is relatively straightforward, some of the concepts and nuances of using it can come with a bit of a learning curve. So, here’s a quick list of key terms to know.

• Subreddit: Individual communities dedicated to a specific topic or area, each with their own rules and guidelines.
• Communities: Another term for subreddits.
• Moderators/Mods: A fellow Redditor who helps run a particular subreddit. They’re in charge of enforcing rules and keeping the subreddit in order.
• Posts: Text or media posted to a subreddit.
• Threads: Comments, as a whole, on a post.
• OP: Original poster.
• DM/PM: Direct message or private message.
• Spam: Irrelevant or annoying posts/comments that are posted repeatedly. For example commenting “Check out my website!!!!!!!!” on every new post on r/SEO.
• Lurking: Browsing and reading posts and comments without actively participating or engaging.
• Upvote: A way to show approval or agreement with a post or comment—typically shown as an up arrow.
• Downvote: A way to show disapproval or disagreement with a post or comment—typically shown as a down arrow.
• Karma: A number reflective of the amount of upvotes or downvotes your posts and comments get.
• Reddiquette: An informal set of guidelines for proper Reddit etiquette (hence the name).

Reddit Rules

Whether you’re posting or commenting, it’s important to adhere to both Reddit’s rules and any specific subreddit rules.

Subreddit rules can apply to content posted, such as relegating certain types of posts to specific days, or user behavior, such as no self-promotion.

Don’t worry—chances are, after spending some time on your preferred subreddits, you’ll get to know the rules. Plus, you can easily find the rules listed on the sidebar section on desktop, or by clicking “See More” on mobile.

Honestly, a lot of it is basic behavior—be kind, don’t be antagonistic, avoid being spammy, etc. As long as you practice good Reddiquette, you’re good to go!

Voting and Karma

Posts and comments on Reddit can be voted on with upvotes (yay ) or downvotes (boo ).

These votes can have a profound impact—in fact, one comment from EA holds the Guinness World Record for the most downvoted comment in Reddit history, with negative 668,000 karma.

Yikes. 

Outside of record-breaking achievements, votes impact two things: visibility and karma.

When content is upvoted, it increases the visibility of that content within the thread, subreddit, and on Reddit as a whole. When content is downvoted, it decreases the visibility of that content in the same way. This means that heavily downvoted comments can be buried (hidden).

Now, karma is a reflection of the amount of upvotes or downvotes your content gets. Every user will have post karma and comment karma.

While karma isn’t the most crucial factor on Reddit, it is still important. Some subreddits require a minimum amount of karma to post or comment, so your karma level can affect your ability to participate in those communities.

Navigating Reddit’s Search Function

When it comes to searching for something on Reddit, you can either use Reddit’s search function, or search “inquiry+Reddit” on Google.

If you’re using Reddit’s search feature, you have a few different options when viewing results. After hitting enter on your search, you can narrow your results by clicking certain tabs. The main ones you’ll want to focus on are:

• Posts: Will show you different posts, from any subreddits, that mention whatever you search.
• Communities: Will show you different communities (AKA subreddits) related to your search.
• Comments: Will show you comments on any post from any subreddit that mentions whatever you search.

Using this function can help you discover subreddits you may not have known existed, helping you reach and connect with different segments of your audience.

What Subreddits Should You Be On?

Users post on subreddits, and those posts can be commented on, shared across different social media channels, or cross-posted (shared) into other subreddits.

As of right now, Reddit has more than 138,000 active subreddits. 

There’s seriously a subreddit for everything—sometimes, even one topic will have multiple subreddits.

Most subreddits are about general interests or areas—for example, r/SkincareAddiction, r/crossfit, and r/TheBear.

However, some brands create their own subreddits.

A great example is Nordstrom; they launched their subreddit, r/Nordstrom1901, in 2014 as a place for discussion about anything and everything Nordstrom.

Similarly, there are customer-created subreddits, like r/amazonprime, that aren’t affiliated with the company in any way, but exist to provide assistance, air grievances, etc.

So…which ones should you be on?

Well, that’s up to you and your goals! When it comes to being a small business owner, there are three main groups of subreddits you could benefit from being on.

Subreddits for Small Business Owners

The first group has to do with small business ownership in general, and includes subreddits such as:

• r/smallbusiness
• r/Entrepreneur
• r/business
• r/marketing

Basically, any subreddits relating to the business-side of your business. These will be great for gaining insight, keeping up on industry news, getting help, or even camaraderie amongst your fellow small business owners.

Industry-Related Subreddits

The second group has to do with your industry or area of expertise.  So, for example, say your industry is flooring. Going to Reddit, searching “flooring,” and hitting the communities tab pulls up:

• r/Flooring
• r/HardWoodFloors
• r/HomeImprovement
• r/DIY
• r/woodworking

…Just to name a few.

By doing this, you can discover different subreddits that your audience is on, and even find some that are just for you and your fellow industry professionals.

It also helps to check out semi-related subreddits. I suggest starting with your niche, and then broadening into related areas. And Reddit makes it super easy!

When browsing subreddits on mobile, you’ll find a “Related Communities” section that shows communities it knows to be similar—think of it as a “users also search” feature.

Additionally, some subreddits have moderator-designated related subreddits, that appear in their sidebar on desktop, or in their “About” section on mobile.

Local Subreddits

The third group is local subreddits. For businesses with brick-and-mortar locations, these are invaluable in competitor research and gauging your communities’ thoughts on your business.

Depending on your location, you may have a few different options to choose from.

For example, Buffalo has r/Buffalo, but also r/upstate_new_york (even though we’re technically western New York).

To start, you can take a look at what your local community has to say about your business/business type. As seen in the screenshot below, I’ve searched “plumber” in r/Buffalo and there are quite a few different threads.

You’ll likely find similar results—threads asking for recommendations, favorites, or places to avoid. If you have competitors in the same area, don’t forget to look them up as well, and see what people are saying.

Now that you have everything you need to find subreddits, it’s time to put them to use!

Using Reddit for Your Business

There are two main ways you can use Reddit to your advantage.

The first is using it passively, or, in Reddit terms, “lurking.” This means browsing and reading posts/comments without engaging beyond an upvote or downvote.

The other way is active engagement—AKA actively posting, commenting, and engaging with other users.

Both come with unique benefits, solidifying Reddit as a powerful tool.

Passive Engagement

If you want a way to use Reddit without commenting or posting, you’re in luck. Even just browsing pertinent subreddits can bring a wealth of information, ideas, and insights that you may have missed out on otherwise. While lurking doesn’t bring the same benefits as engaging, it does allow you to gain a deeper understanding of your audience—which you can use to guide future moves.

There are a few ways you can go about this: learning about your audience’s likes and dislikes, seeing what people are saying about your competitors, and good old-fashioned social listening.

Again, this is information gained by just sitting and scrolling on your phone or computer. It’s stuff you can do while you’re waiting at the dentist, or while you eat your lunch. No commenting, messaging, or posting required.

Gather Feedback

Reddit can help you get to know your audience in a way that you might not have otherwise. Since many people feel more comfortable expressing themselves online, Reddit can give you a look into more of their personal opinions and experiences—for example, financial constraints. Many users will candidly comment their personal hesitations, such as “This isn’t worth me spending $10 a month anymore.” or “If they offered a smaller set, I’d buy it.”

As a business owner, you’re not having direct conversations like these with your potential, or even current, customers. And while methods such as feedback forms and surveys can get this information, those take time, money, and resources—plus, some customers may feel awkward answering candidly.

So, popping into related subreddits and reading some threads is a great way to gauge your audience. The feedback you gather will primarily fall into two categories: complaints and praise.

Complaints

Think of your audience—what are their day-to-day complaints? How do their complaints and problems impact your business?

These considerations, and more, can be explored by reading relevant posts and comments on Reddit (really). From there, you can use this information to inform your next steps, or to create content that directly speaks to those pain points.

So, a customer is complaining about their experience, and warning others about the company. That in itself is good insight, but in this case, a person from the company even replied—but more on that later.

For another example, let’s say you’re a dermatologist. In looking at a few different skincare-related subreddits, you notice that people constantly complain about being pu