Image source: Eva Blue via Flickr
Reddit has robustly increased its user base and improved its advertising options, drawing new attention from PR and marketing. Reddit says it now has about as many monthly users as Twitter: 330 million. While Twitter has struggled to attract users, Reddit increased its user base by 30 percent over the past six months. Only Facebook with 2.13 billion active users and Instagram with 800 million are more popular.
In addition, Reddit fans are highly engaged. The average user spends 15 minutes and 47 seconds on the site each day, compared to just over 11 minutes for Facebook visitors and 6 minutes and 23 seconds for Twitter users, according to The Next Web.
Volunteers moderate forums, or subreddits. That human involvement provides Reddit an advantage over algorithm-based networks like Facebook. That system is “more effective in uncovering content I’m not aware of, improving discovery, while also enabling me to stay in touch with specific subjects,” says Andrew Hutchinson at Social Media Today.
New & Improved Ad Options
Reddit is now working hard to attract advertisers, a shift from its long history. In the past year, the company has expanded its promoted post ad options and its mobile app, improved its ad campaign structure, and added conversion tracking. It is also experimenting with offering user profiles. While not available to businesses, that feature could be extremely beneficial for PR and marketing purposes. Reddit just announced it had named Jen Wong, former Time Inc. president, its chief operating officer. Wong assumes a key role in strengthening Reddit’s advertising products.
Reddit’s redesign is the most obvious change. Design may almost seem like an oxymoron for the platform which for years has retained its text-heavy appearance that resembles a 1990s message. Steve Huffman, Reddit’s cofounder and CEO, once compared its appearance as a “dystopian Craigslist.”
Wired described its organization to “an esoteric maze.” The redesign aims to transform Reddit into something normal people can easily navigate. The new look features larger images and a more intuitive interface. The refreshed layout will be introduced to more Reddit users gradually over the coming months, and Redditors can switch back to the old layout at least for now.
Not surprisingly, Redditors oppose change and criticize the redesign. They like its ugly appearance and perplexing organization. But new users, Huffman argues, are put off by those outdated characteristics.
Reddit Tips for PR & Marketing
Reddit can be a challenging venue for PR and marketing professionals. Redditors don’t tolerate business promotions. They’re quick to spot and criticize any PR and marketing efforts they notice on the site. A few brands have found success on Reddit. Nissan achieved a huge PR victory after it sold the first car through Amazon and photos of the world’s largest Amazon box traveling for delivery become popular on the network.
Some tips for PR and marketing professionals considering Reddit:
Review its “brandiquette” guide for brands and its “pressiquette” and self-promotion guidelines that cover posting, sourcing content and other topics.
Don’t just link to your corporate site. Simply submitting your links is unwelcome. They may be removed as spam or your account could be banned. Submit from a variety of sources — ideally 10 percent or less of your posts and conversation should link to your own content.
Be thick-skinned. Redditors are outspoken. Rather than taking offense, try to learn from criticism.
Understand upvotes and downvotes. Reddit users rate links through upvotes and downvotes. A link with more upvotes rises to the top of the page, giving it more attention. Downvotes damage your reputation. “Reddit doesn’t work like Twitter where you can share anything and everything,” warns tech entrepreneur and marketing expert Hammad Akbar. “Reddit demands your best content. It requires quality content which really offers some sort of value to the reader. You can’t get away with just making a post out of ’10 Tweets about the Upcoming Presidential Election.'”
Find the right subreddit. It’s important to find a subreddit that has the audience you need, Akbar says. Follow these steps: Find a suitable subreddit. Check the pageviews. Check the number of members. A small but relevant audience will be more helpful and relevant for any campaign.
Bottom Line: Reddit may gain more attention from PR and marketing professionals. The online community is gaining more users, improving its advertising products, and is bringing its interface up to current design standards. Still, bold-faced promotional efforts typically backfire on Reddit. It’s critical to master the forum’s guidelines and post only helpful, relevant comments and links.
William J. Comcowich founded and served as CEO of CyberAlert LLC, the predecessor of Glean.info. He is currently serving as Interim CEO and member of the Board of Directors. Glean.info provides customized media monitoring, media measurement and analytics solutions across all types of traditional and social media.
