Senior Account Executive
Whether you use Reddit or not, your brand likely already exists in a subreddit or thread somewhere within the massive Reddit network, and people may already be talking about you. More than 20 years after its founding, Reddit now reaches 130 million unique daily users, 70% of whom are Millennial or Gen Z and around 60% of whom are male.
Even audiences who aren’t active Reddit users likely will encounter its content through Google searches or AI chatbot conversations. In fact, Reddit now accounts for as much as 21% of citations in Google search AI Overviews.
Long undervalued by organizations and PR professionals, Reddit’s growth and deep influence on AI-powered search make it more important for your organization’s image than ever before. So how should you use it?
Reddit 101
For those jumping in for the first time, Reddit is not like your company’s Facebook page. It’s a public forum for anyone and everyone, and you can’t delete the comments or try to control the conversation. Users are anonymous, speaking freely on the things that matter to them across any of about 138,000 active subreddits, which are individual message board communities moderated by often passionate volunteers to maintain their own unique culture and decorum. No two subreddits operate quite the same, but you can “read the room” by reading the rules posted at the top of each subreddit.
With constant conversations on everything from the Twin Cities (r/TwinCities) to minor grievances (r/mildlyinfuriating), Reddit is also a great place to put your finger on the pulse of your brand perception and other key issues. You don’t need to post content to monitor the conversation — in fact, 57% of current Reddit users have never posted. Staying aware of what’s being said about your brand on Reddit can help you identify gaps in your own messaging or publicly circulating misinformation.
In some cases, a subreddit may already exist for your organization, and if so, you can’t just demand the keys. This subreddit belongs to its community and moderators. Like a game of digital whack-a-mole, even if you were to successfully “take over” the page, you can be almost certain that the former userbase will migrate to a new subreddit and start over. In most cases, it’s best to view organic subreddits as an opportunity to monitor and inform your other communications channels, rather than a place to stage a coup.
What to do when you’re on “the front page of the internet”
Picture this: Your organization has had a bad week. People are talking about you on Reddit — and it’s not great. And now this negativity is even starting to appear on the AI Overview of every Google search for your brand’s name. Before you know it, you’re on r/all, and you see why they call Reddit the front page of the internet. Now what?
When to pause
It’s natural to want to step in and defend yourself in a thread or to take control of a subreddit about your organization. But often, this will do more harm than good. Reddit is not the place for anonymous damage control or to covertly push your agenda. In an online community where moderators contribute the equivalent $3.4 million in volunteer work each year to maintain the standards of their subreddits, getting caught trying to influence the conversation can create a much bigger reputational problem than the one you were trying to solve.
When to engage
If your organization has developed an official presence on Reddit, there are times when it’s appropriate to respond. If a user is sharing incorrect or outdated information on an existing page, it’s usually acceptable to share the correct information, following these guidelines:
- Full disclosure: Your post should clearly state its official connection to your organization. “Undercover” accounts break the trust of the community.
- Follow the rules: Every subreddit has a unique set of rules and guidelines, enforced by its moderators. Be sure to follow them!
- Be authentic: Your response should feel genuine to your organization, human and helpful — not defensive.
When to supplement elsewhere
Like a tough Google review or an underwhelming news story, sometimes it’s best to keep the conversation going elsewhere. If Reddit is changing the narrative about your organization across your audiences’ chatbot queries and Google searches, a strong Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) strategy can help change that, and your friends at Goff Public are always here to help.