So I dug in. Turns out, the brands that win on Reddit participate. Here\u2019s how to use Reddit for marketing without getting roasted in the comments.<\/p>\n Table of Contents<\/strong><\/p>\n <\/a> <\/p>\n Reddit marketing means building genuine connections within Reddit’s vast network of communities, called subreddits.<\/p>\n Traditional social media tactics don’t work here. To succeed, you need to be a real community member first \u2014 a brand rep second. Not the other way around.<\/p>\n The platform runs on authentic discussions and shared interests across thousands of specialized communities. A Reddit marketing strategy takes consistency, expertise, and actual value. Most importantly, it demands patience \u2014 building trust and recognition within Reddit communities takes time, but creates lasting relationships with your audience.<\/p>\n <\/a> <\/p>\n Reddit’s reach keeps expanding. The platform now sees over 100 million daily active users<\/a>, a 39% jump from last year.<\/p>\n That’s a lot of people coming to Reddit every day to research products, solve problems, and engage in meaningful discussions.<\/p>\n What makes these numbers particularly interesting is the intent behind Reddit usage. When people come to Reddit, they\u2018re actively seeking information or solutions. They read product reviews from real users, ask detailed questions about services, and trust the community\u2019s unfiltered opinions more than polished marketing content.<\/p>\n The platform’s structure of topic-specific communities creates natural audience segments. Each subreddit represents a group of people united by shared interests, making finding and connecting with your target audience easier. These communities often become the first stop for people researching purchases or seeking recommendations.<\/p>\n This behavior creates unique opportunities for brands who understand how to participate appropriately. While Reddit users may be marketing-averse, they’re incredibly receptive to genuine expertise and authentic community participation.<\/p>\n <\/a> <\/p>\n Reddit focuses on community building and online discussion rather than highlighting individual profiles or specific content. Posts and comment threads, called subreddits, move up and down on feeds based on user upvotes and downvotes.<\/p>\n As you might expect, upvotes are like Facebook likes which signal Reddit algorithms to move content up. Downvotes do the opposite by moving less engaging content down.<\/p>\n Posts that engage hundreds of others will get moved up and seen by more users. Meanwhile, content that bores or annoys many users gets moved down where it might not even be seen. This causes users to see a feed that might be more engaging. But, this can also mean that non-promoted branded material that feels like a generic advertisement could get downvoted or marked as spam.<\/p>\n Another thing that makes Reddit challenging is that you can’t easily search for legitimate company profiles or official business pages.<\/p>\n Yes. That’s kind of scary.<\/p>\n There is a search filter for \u201cUsers and Communities,\u201d but you’ll primarily see results for the most active subreddits \u2014 which could be created by anyone.<\/p>\n This is very different from Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn, where you can easily search for people and verify business pages.<\/p>\n If a customer is looking for information on a product and searches for a brand, they might see unofficial community pages that host more specific subreddits about the company. However, almost all of this content is usually created by fans or customers.<\/p>\n Here’s an example of what happens when you search McDonald\u2019s on Reddit:<\/p>\n Although you see a number of communities related to McDonald\u2019s, none of them say they’re official or run by the restaurant chain.<\/p>\n While they aren\u2019t brand-affiliated, these communities can still be helpful to users and even companies. A prospect searching Reddit to learn more about a specific product might find great customer-posted chatter about the item they’re considering.<\/p>\n Gamers, for example, flock to the platform to discuss new launches, pro tips, and issues they might be having while playing a popular video game like Sims 4.<\/p>\n Similarly, users might create a subreddit or community about a restaurant, like Burger King, to talk about the weird or interesting things they’ve seen at the chain.<\/p>\n Since threads show positive and negative feedback, users might even recognize that positive feedback is more legitimate since the product would be destroyed by user comments if it were bad quality.<\/p>\n <\/a> <\/p>\n Reddit can be a tricky place to navigate simply because it\u2019s so different from other social platforms. Here are five strategies that\u2019ll help you learn how to use Reddit for marketing.<\/p>\n This means consistently engaging in subreddit discussions, answering questions, and sharing expertise without pushing your product. To do this, I recommend finding relevant subreddits where your target audience spends time and then becoming a regular, helpful presence in those communities.<\/p>\n I’ve watched brands attempt this hundreds of ways on Reddit. The ones that succeed, like Notion<\/a>, use community ambassadors who prioritize being helpful over being promotional.<\/p>\n Their ambassador, Mr. Wildenfree<\/a>, regularly participates in productivity and software subreddits.<\/p>\n He offers detailed advice, creates product feedback threads, and acts as a bridge between users and the Notion team.<\/p>\n Source<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n His Notion Certified Ambassador status adds credibility, but it’s his consistent, helpful presence that makes the brand more approachable.<\/p>\n Source<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n Here\u2018s what makes this strategy work, based on successful patterns I\u2019ve observed:<\/p>\n Ask Me Anything (AMA) threads are live events where an influencer, executive, or company staff member creates a post introducing themselves and inviting Redditors to ask questions.<\/p>\n Successful AMAs need three core elements: an expert who can share unique insights, genuine, unscripted responses, and dedicated time for meaningful community engagement. Without all three, you risk joining Reddit’s graveyard of corporate AMAs that felt more like press releases than conversations.<\/p>\n This type of promotion is best when you have an influencer or interesting person affiliated with your brand who can answer questions quickly and in an engaging way. However, it can be difficult to draw attention to these types of promotions if you don’t have an interesting host in mind.<\/p>\n When you do have an interesting host, though, it works extremely well. Film studio Lionsgate, for example, hosted actor Keanu Reeves on r\/movies.<\/p>\n Source<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n He spent hours responding thoughtfully to questions about everything from fun experiences with his co-stars to his favorite kung-fu training.<\/p>\n Source<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n His authentic responses about both personal and professional topics drew over 297K upvotes and 33k comments.<\/p>\n You can also coordinate AMAs with multiple experts. I like the one OpenAI hosted with five team members including their CEO, Chief Product Officer, and Chief Scientist.<\/p>\n Source<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n Each expert focused on different aspects of AI development, creating a comprehensive dialogue with the community.<\/p>\n Focus on storytelling opportunities. A software founder might share honest stories about failed features that shaped their product vision. A chef could reveal kitchen disasters that led to signature dishes.<\/p>\n Redditors value transparency over polish. They’ll engage more with imperfect but honest responses than with corporate messaging.<\/p>\n Creating a branded subreddit is about building a responsive community where users can find help and share experiences. I’ve seen this work well with tech companies who make their support team accessible through Reddit.<\/p>\n Take OpenPhone’s<\/a> subreddit, for example.<\/p>\n Source<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n Their community page is both a knowledge base and support channel, with clear organization and active moderator participation.<\/p>\n What stands out is how they handle challenging situations, like when a user recently posted about service discontinuation.<\/p>\n Source<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n OpenPhone’s support team responded promptly and personally, acknowledging the inconvenience and offering alternatives.<\/p>\n Source<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n Transparency converted a potentially negative experience into a showcase of their customer service values.<\/p>\n Here\u2018s what I\u2019ve learned about maintaining engagement in a branded subreddit:<\/p>\n The most important rule? Never delete negative feedback. Instead, address concerns openly and professionally. Your community will respect honesty more than perfection.<\/p>\n Sharing insights that help others succeed. I’ve found the best-performing posts offer genuine learnings rather than thinly veiled promotion.<\/p>\n For example, the founder of the form-building tool, Tally<\/a>, Marie Martens<\/a>, does this perfectly on r\/SaaS. By detailing Tally’s journey to $150K MRR, she provides actionable insights about product development and business strategy.<\/p>\n Source<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n SaaS founders want real numbers, honest insights about what worked (and what didn’t), and practical principles they can apply to their businesses. Her post delivers on all fronts: transparent metrics, clear strategic decisions like choosing simplicity over feature bloat, and specific values that drove their success.<\/p>\n What’s equally important is how she stayed active in the comments, answering detailed questions about pricing decisions and product development choices.<\/p>\n Source<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n Ongoing engagement turned a great post into a rich resource of founder insights.<\/p>\n When creating content for any subreddit, I focus on these principles:<\/p>\n Understand what your target community struggles with and share experiences that address those pain points. Always start by asking: What unique insights can we share that would genuinely help solve problems this community faces?<\/p>\n Consider promoting your posts<\/a> if you want to get your content front and center quickly. Promoted posts stay prioritized higher up in subreddits and target specific user groups. Like other social platforms, these posts display a \u201cpromoted\u201d icon, so users know they didn’t organically rise to the top.<\/p>\n Promoting your posts allows you to keep them prioritized higher up in subreddits as well as target them to specific groups of users.<\/p>\n Like promoted posts on Facebook and other platforms, there will be an icon on the post that says it\u2018s promoted. So, although the posts will be higher up, users will still know that it didn\u2019t get to the top of the thread they’re reading on its own.<\/p>\n Here’s an example of what one of these posts looks like:<\/p>\n Reddit’s targeting options are more sophisticated than most marketers realize. Beyond basic demographics and locations, you can target by:<\/p>\n The platform also offers interest category combinations. I’ve seen this work particularly well when targeting users who follow both technology and productivity subreddits, or combining gaming with entertainment interests.<\/p>\n My rule of thumb: Use paid promotion to amplify content that\u2018s already proven to work organically. If a post performs well naturally in one subreddit, it\u2019s worth testing as a promoted post in related communities.<\/p>\n <\/a> <\/p>\n Each subreddit operates like its own micro-community with unique unwritten rules, inside jokes, and preferred posting styles. Understanding these nuances is crucial before trying to participate or market within them.<\/p>\n Failing to grasp these nuances can lead to downvoted posts, negative engagement, or even bans.<\/p>\n Reddit has its own language that newcomers need to learn. Common acronyms include:<\/p>\n Beyond these platform-wide terms, individual subreddits often develop their own specific terminology. For example, r\/wallstreetbets uses entirely different language than r\/marketing.<\/p>\n Using the wrong terminology can make your post feel out of place, reducing credibility and engagement.<\/p>\n Study the top posts from the past month in your target subreddit. Note what gets upvoted, how people format their posts, and which topics generate engagement. Ultimately, adapting to each subreddit’s culture is the key to building credibility and engagement on Reddit.<\/p>\n Subreddit rules are non-negotiable guidelines that determine whether your content stays up or gets removed. Every subreddit has its own specific set of rules listed in the sidebar, and breaking them can lead to deleted posts, temporary suspensions, or even permanent bans.<\/p>\n Some rules are straightforward: r\/handbags bans discussion of buying replicas.<\/p>\n Other rules can be more nuanced, like r\/science requiring all posts to reference peer-reviewed research, or r\/gaming’s strict policy on self-promotion.<\/p>\n Many subreddits follow an informal \u201c10:1 rule\u201d \u2014 meaning you should contribute ten non-promotional posts for every one promotional post. Breaking these rules not only gets your content removed but can result in permanent bans from the community.<\/p>\n Reading and following each subreddit\u2018s rules protects your brand\u2019s reputation and shows respect for the community you’re trying to reach.<\/p>\n Reddit users have exceptional memory when it comes to public figures’ past statements and actions.<\/p>\n Professional wrestler Ronda Rousey learned this the hard way during her AMA, which quickly became a case study in how not to handle controversial topics on Reddit.<\/p>\n Source<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n When Rousey launched her AMA to promote a Kickstarter campaign for her comic book, users immediately questioned why someone of her wealth needed crowdfunding.<\/p>\n Source<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n They also brought up her extremely controversial tweets.<\/p>\n Source<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n Rather than addressing these concerns, she avoided responding to any challenging questions, choosing to answer only safe, promotional topics.<\/p>\n The AMA went horribly wrong for her.<\/p>\n![\"Download](\"https:\/\/no-cache.hubspot.com\/cta\/default\/53\/5effd942-8317-40c2-86c5-7af4169660ea.png\")
<\/a><\/p>\n\n
\n
What is Reddit marketing?<\/strong><\/h2>\n
Why does Reddit marketing matter?<\/strong><\/h2>\n
Why Reddit is So Tricky for Marketers<\/strong><\/h2>\n
![\"searching](\"http:\/\/nurseagence.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/reddit-marketing-2-20250324-2702899.webp\" "\\"\\"")
<\/p>\n![\"r\/sims4](\"http:\/\/nurseagence.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/reddit-marketing-3-20250324-4906297.webp\" "\\"\\"")
<\/p>\n![\"r\/burgerking](\"http:\/\/nurseagence.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/reddit-marketing-4-20250324-4592412.webp\" "\\"\\"")
<\/p>\nCommon Reddit Marketing Strategies<\/strong><\/h2>\n
Build a community through authentic participation.<\/strong><\/h3>\n
![\"use](\"http:\/\/nurseagence.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/reddit-marketing-5-20250324-2398041.webp\" "\\"\\"")
<\/p>\n![\"r\/notion](\"http:\/\/nurseagence.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/reddit-marketing-6-20250324-8252263.webp\" "\\"\\"")
<\/p>\n![\"example](\"http:\/\/nurseagence.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/reddit-marketing-7-20250324-5684912.webp\" "\\"\\"")
<\/p>\n\n
Host expert AMAs.<\/strong><\/h3>\n
![\"lionsgate](\"http:\/\/nurseagence.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/reddit-marketing-8-20250324-5635810.webp\" "\\"\\"")
<\/p>\n![\"lionsgate](\"http:\/\/nurseagence.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/reddit-marketing-9-20250324-3061908.webp\" "\\"\\"")
<\/p>\n![\"openai](\"http:\/\/nurseagence.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/reddit-marketing-10-20250324-9055939.webp\" "\\"\\"")
<\/p>\nCreate and nurture branded subreddits.<\/strong><\/h3>\n
![\"open](\"http:\/\/nurseagence.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/reddit-marketing-11-20250324-8518066.webp\" "\\"\\"")
<\/p>\n![\"open](\"http:\/\/nurseagence.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/reddit-marketing-12-20250324-2845936.webp\" "\\"\\"")
<\/p>\n![\"open](\"http:\/\/nurseagence.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/reddit-marketing-13-20250324-2602163.webp\" "\\"\\"")
<\/p>\n\n
Create high-value content.<\/strong><\/h3>\n
![\"tally\u2019s](\"http:\/\/nurseagence.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/reddit-marketing-14-20250324-3578589.webp\" "\\"\\"")
<\/p>\n![\"tally\u2019s](\"http:\/\/nurseagence.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/reddit-marketing-15-20250324-3303114.webp\" "\\"\\"")
<\/p>\n\n
Use paid ads.<\/strong><\/h3>\n
![\"example](\"http:\/\/nurseagence.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/reddit-marketing-16-20250324-1930229.webp\" "\\"\\"")
<\/p>\n\n
3 Reddit Marketing Strategy Tips to Avoid Getting Roasted<\/strong><\/h2>\n
Understand the culture.<\/strong><\/h3>\n
\n
Study subreddit rules.<\/strong><\/h3>\n
![\"reddit](\"http:\/\/nurseagence.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/reddit-marketing-17-20250324-2339372.webp\" "\\"\\"")
<\/p>\nAddress controversial topics head-on.<\/strong><\/h3>\n
![\"reddit](\"http:\/\/nurseagence.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/reddit-marketing-18-20250324-9439877.webp\" "\\"\\"")
<\/p>\n![\"reddit](\"http:\/\/nurseagence.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/reddit-marketing-19-20250324-3303932.webp\" "\\"\\"")
<\/p>\n![\"reddit](\"http:\/\/nurseagence.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/reddit-marketing-20-20250324-3479300.webp\" "\\"\\"")
<\/p>\n![\"reddit](\"http:\/\/nurseagence.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/reddit-marketing-21-20250324-6916793.webp\" "\\"\\"")
<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/track.hubspot.com\/__ptq.gif?a=53&k=14&r=https%3A%2F%2Fblog.hubspot.com%2Fmarketing%2Freddit-marketing&bu=https%253A%252F%252Fblog.hubspot.com%252Fmarketing&bvt=rss\")
<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"