Reddit: A Missed Marketing Opportunity

Reddit‘s not currently part of my marketing mix.

I’ll be honest, every time I’ve opened Reddit in the past, I’ve felt like a cat’s just vommed on my screen. It’s messy, chaotic, and… not really for me. I’ve never really considered it somewhere my audiences hang out, so I’ve always just ignored it.

Until now.

Did you know Reddit has 97 million daily active users and over 100,000 active communities (subreddits)? It’s now the 6th most visited site in the world. So, chances are, some of my audience probably are using it.

Search dominance

Beyond it’s growth, something else is changing…

Have you noticed how Reddit is dominating the search results these days?

That’s no accident. Reddit is openly selling data to help train AI models. As a result, Reddit conversations are being surfaced more and more in AI-generated answers. In fact, Reddit is now one of the most cited domains in AI-powered search.

Which got me thinking, if we want the internet to remember our brands, maybe we shouldn’t be ignoring Reddit. Maybe our brands need to be active in those community discussions.

I’ve started exploring Reddit properly for the first time recently. And do you know what? It’s actually an absolute goldmine for real-time insights.

How do people use Reddit?

Reddit is where people go to talk about the topics they care deeply about. Everything from obscure hobbies to serious health issues. Each subreddit is its own mini-world, with its own culture, language, and unspoken rules. People ask questions, share experiences, vent frustrations, offer advice, and seek out recommendations from others who really get it.

And unlike other social platforms, the content isn’t algorithmically manicured or brand-polished. It’s raw, authentic, and sometimes brutally honest. Which makes it incredibly valuable for marketers who want to learn more about a particular audience group.

How do brands use Reddit?

There are two main approaches:

1. Participating in existing communities: Brands can engage in relevant subreddits where their audience already hangs out. This might mean answering questions, offering insights, or simply showing up as a helpful human.
2. Creating their own branded subreddit: Some brands build their own communities for feedback, product support, or deeper conversations with supporters.

A recent update even lets you view analytics on your comments and turn popular replies into full posts, giving a great indication of the sort of posts that will really resonate with particular communities.

Why might marketers care?

Reddit’s often overlooked. But here’s why I think it can be a powerful marketing channel:

Highly engaged communities: When you do get it right, you’re speaking directly to deeply invested niche audiences.

Audience research goldmine: Use Reddit to discover how people really talk about your category, product, service or competitors. You’ll uncover language, needs, and frustrations.

Authenticity rules: Success on Reddit doesn’t require glossy content. It rewards helpfulness, transparency, and relevance.

Influences SEO and AI: As Reddit content becomes more visible in Google and AI search, having your brand’s voice in relevant discussions could boost long-term discoverability.

So what’s stopping me?

Honestly? Time. Reddit requires a fairly hefty time investment.

You can’t just schedule a few posts and hope for the best. Responses need to be personal, relevant, and community-aware. Each subreddit has its own culture and rules, and the community won’t hesitate to call you out if you misstep.

It’s not a quick-win channel, and it’s definitely not for everyone. But if you’re willing to play the long game and show up with a genuine intent to contribute rather than promote, Reddit might be a channel worth adding to the mix.

And even if Reddit isn’t the channel for you, I think we can all take something from the way it’s gaining prominence. Community management is becoming more and more important for brand discoverability. Combine that with the importance of community management for brand reputation, and I think your community managers are going to be absolutely key to the future success of brands. Yeah – they probably deserve a raise.