In digital marketing, the focus of content marketing and blogging tends to be on social media channels like Facebook and Twitter, search engines like Bing and Yahoo, and review sites like Yelp. Seldom do I see someone write about Reddit, a social news aggregator that is the 6th most visited website worldwide, and its influences in the digital world.
On Reddit, there are currently 1.2 million subreddit communities that cover everything from mildly interesting to music to comedy to politics. In December, 2017, it boasted 1.7 billion unique visitors. A link accepted onto one of Reddit’s subreddits could bring you traffic anywhere from 500 visits to 10,000+ visits a day. It’s well advised that users should read the etiquettes and rules of each subreddit before posting as violations can lead to bans.
Posting on the subreddit’s is only part of the Reddit experience. Registered and verified users are able to start their own subreddit community after 30 days of participating on the site and invite friends and other users with similar interests to join. This will be the focus of the blog. Our digital marketing managers have compiled 4 tips to help novice Redditors to build an authentic online community:
Digital Marketing Strategy #1
Make it Unique
As stated, there are 1.2 million subreddits that are currently active on Reddit. When starting your own subreddit, you want to ensure that you are not duplicating an existing and thriving community because it is unlikely to draw users away from the original. Choose a name that is catchy and original like “Today I Learned”, “Mildly Boring” etc., and be careful not to be too specific as that may limit you to a small, dedicated community. You can always narrow down the focus once you’ve gained a good base following.
Digital Marketing Strategy #2
Be Sincere
Reddit is a democratic community. Every link you post and share is voted either up when the link is liked or down when the link invokes the opposite feeling. Your reputation depends on the number of upvotes you have and how much positive “karma” you earned, which is why being perceived as manipulative or untrustworthy will harm you even more on Reddit than on other social media websites. If you do have an agenda, such as marketing a particular company or supporting a political movement, it’s important to state that upfront.
Digital Marketing Strategy #3
Promote it!
Once you have created your subreddit, you will need to let other redditors know it exists. One good way is to submit a link to your subreddit to the /r/NewReddits community. Another way is to post links in related communities – read their rules to see if that is allowed. You can also promote the subreddit on your website, YouTube channel and social media channels like Facebook and Twitter. Reddit also offers paid advertising opportunities for verified redditors. Once you posted something onto your subreddit, you can promote it and receive visitors that way.
Digital Marketing Strategy #4
Be Authentic & Human
When people get online they can start to act differently than in real life. Sometimes they turn into “spammy” and “sales-y” people. They always say what they think they should say instead of what they would really say in real-life. Every other social media platform is built on the idea of “create an account and start sharing something about yourself.” Not Reddit! In Reddit, you must be authentic, be human, and treat content-generation just like you would conversation-generation in real-life.
About iRISEmedia | Digital Marketing Agency | Toronto
iRISEmedia is a digital marketing agency located in Toronto and services companies in Canada and the United States. We specialize in social media marketing and campaign management and will work with you to create a targeted digital marketing campaign for your online property or brand. Contact us today to get started!
