Reddit PR: How to use Reddit like a Pro
You’ve almost certainly heard of Reddit, but do you know about Reddit PR?
As a PR professional with three decades in the business, I help clients maintain good public relations with all the tools available including social media channels like YouTube, TikTok and X (formerly known as Twitter). But, of course, they’re not the only social media channels that can be used to build and maintain positive public relations. So let’s talk about Reddit PR.
What is Reddit?
Reddit is hugely popular. It’s currently the 9th most visited website in the world, ahead of juggernauts like TikTok, eBay and even Amazon. When a website has more visitors than Amazon, which made around £113.5 billion in one quarter, it must be doing something right. And it’s why I think using Reddit is so good for marketing and pitching opportunities.
Founded in 2005, Reddit is a website that consists of over 3.4 million active subreddits (a subreddit is a forum, also known as a message board). Subreddits are started by Reddit’s users (Redditors) and dedicated to a particular topic, for instance, there are subreddits about deep sea diving and Marvel superheroes. Everyone can post messages, photos and videos, which helps build a community of like-minded individuals.
What is Reddit public relations?
Reddit public relations means using Reddit as a way of reaching your target audience. But wait. Can’t Reddit ads do that? Yes, there are ads displayed on Reddit, but with ad blocker usage costing businesses around £43 billion in one year, there’s a chance those ads won’t be seen. That’s why PR professionals like me don’t rely on Reddit’s ads. Instead, we prefer the free, long-term alternatives to help boost public relations and increase credibility.
So is Reddit PR worth it?
It’s Reddit’s 20th birthday this year. Can you imagine if you’d posted something on Reddit two decades ago? Tens of thousands, possibly millions, of Redditors would’ve seen that message, picture or video by now. If some of those people clicked your Reddit profile and visited your business website, that could’ve led to thousands of new customers.
That may sound too good to be true, but it’s not. When a bakery started a Reddit AMA (Ask Me Anything) discussion, they made around £16,000 within weeks. How much more profit could they have made over the years?
Over 400 million readers a month
No, that’s not a typo. Reddit attracts 430 million visitors a month. Will your posts get all those readers? Unfortunately, not. But can you imagine getting a tiny portion of that? Even 1,000 readers could be life-changing. Make a positive impression on those people and you’ll gain more business and great reviews.
But don’t spend money on Reddit ads
Did you know that 46% of businesses spend up to £8,000 a month on digital ads? When their budget runs out, the ads switch off.
But PR professionals know Reddit PR doesn’t have to cost a whole lot of money. By posting, commenting and sharing quality content several times a week, you’ll plant seeds that’ll grow over time. And fortunately, posting Reddit messages is free and, unlike ads, don’t switch off. They continuously build credibility 24/7 for years, possibly decades, to come.
By now, I’m sure you see the massive potential for successful marketing on Reddit. Now let’s go over some essential Reddit public relations tips. They prevent time-wasting, bad PR, rule-breaking and permanent bans.
Essential Tips for Reddit PR
Using Reddit for PR may seem like an overwhelming concept, but it’s not. Just remember this: Be patient and discreet. Unlike with ads, Reddit PR doesn’t shout from the rooftops about how amazing your brand or business is. Instead, it slowly and discreetly steers your customers a certain way without them knowing. This process starts with an effective Reddit profile.
Choose a neutral Reddit name
I’m sure you won’t choose an account name that is polarising, offensive or illegal. But don’t use your brand name either. Reddit PR means discreet marketing, not blatant self-promotion. So choose a name that reflects your interests and/or personality instead. For example, I wouldn’t choose the name ‘JillKentPRSuperstar’ because that’s obviously self-promotion. A name like ‘JillNeuro’ would be better. It includes my name and shows I’m neurodiverse, so Redditors will understand how my mind works.
Describe yourself, don’t sell yourself
Your profile is an important part of subtle marketing on Reddit. Complete the About description to make yourself relatable and approachable. Avoid blatant sales speech. And focus on showing you’re a real person, not a brand or an AI bot. You can briefly mention your business but don’t go over-the-top or Redditors will figure out you’re there for PR purposes. That’s why you should aim to be seen as a valuable member of the community, not a marketer.
Build credibility and trust
Your profile allows up to five links. Keep one for your business website and use the other four links for social media profiles on major websites like Meta (Facebook) or X. And link to websites where you have the most followers as that boosts credibility and trust. Also make sure the links show your expertise and specialisms, for example, an entertainment public relations campaign for a musician would include a Spotify link to their music in their Reddit profile.
With a great Reddit profile setup, it’s time to find the best subreddits to join.
Finding the right subreddit community
By typing your chosen industry or topic into Reddit’s search bar you can find relevant subreddits. There are descriptions under each subreddit’s name, so make sure you have accurate results. For example, when you type in ‘vet’, results includesubreddits for ‘veterans’ and ‘veterinary’.
You’ll also find subreddits by typing ‘[your industry/topic] subreddits’ into Google.
Carrying out a subreddit assessment
Now you’ve found subreddits for people passionate about certain topics or industries, it’s important to assess the community before anything gets posted.
An effective subreddit assessment asks the following:
1. When was the most recent post?
Posting in dead subreddits is pointless. Barely anyone reads posts or responds there. Eventually the subreddit is abandoned by Moderators and it becomes a ghost town. That’s why PR professionals recommend only joining subreddits with posts from the last twenty-four hours. The busier the group, the higher the chance of being read and given upvoted (highly rated) comments. More readers also mean more opportunities to build your credibility and eventually pitch your brand.
2. Are people rating posts?
Your Reddit credibility will sink or swim based on your karma rating. You can see the rating in your profile. A higher rating shows Redditors you are trustworthy Reddit community member instead of an online troll looking for trouble. So if you choose a subreddit where people don’t rate posts, you’re wasting valuable marketing time. Choose subreddits where you’ll gain karma and boost your reputation. The better your image, the less chance of backlash when you mention your business.
3. How many members are there?
Subreddits with at least 10,000 members are ideal. More members mean more chances to build credibility. Subreddits with fewer members are too small and often inactive.
With a profile setup and the best subreddits found, it might be tempting to start posting and sharing. But hold up. You could experience a permanent Reddit ban if you skip the following steps.
Reddit PR is slow and steady
Credibility and trustworthiness are critical when building and maintaining Reddit public relations. To nurture a good reputation, PR professionals don’t rush to post and share everything we see. Instead, we sit back, relax and observe.
Lurking means learning
Lurkers are Redditors who read and rate, but don’t post, and PR professionals often start off as a Lurker. Why? Because we need to observe subreddits for a while in order to learn the house rules. How do people speak to each other? Are there certain slang words or acronyms they use? Studying the group will help you blend in when you start posting.
Some groups ban newcomers from posting right away. Their rules state how old an account must be before the person can post, for instance, 30 days old. Your posts will be deleted if you post too soon.
Read the Room, and the Rules
Read each subreddit’s rules twice, especially the rules on self-promotion.
Remember, you’re using Reddit public relations to build a positive reputation. Don’t go back and forth arguing with troublemakers. Some trolls are posting under ‘throwaway accounts’ so it isn’t their main account. That means they have nothing to lose but you do, so ignore them. It’s the best way to avoid bad publicity and negative PR long-term.
Reddit PR Is Discreet
When you start posting and sharing content, don’t promote for at least the first three months. If you promote with a new profile and a low karma rating, Redditors will figure out you joined the group just for PR purposes. Then Moderators will delete your posts or Redditors will rate them down, hiding them from other users.
That’s why as a PR professional I play the long game. After three months, I start discreetly marketing but never switch to constant promotion.
Aim to write, share and upvote both quality and quantity content, but if time is short then choose quality. Never spam subreddits with PR posts, or Moderators could permanently ban you from the group. In fact, some Redditors have been banned from the entire website.
Avoiding blatant self-promotion and spamming are crucial ways to maintain quality content on Reddit.
Using Reddit for SEO
Posts are not limited to Reddit either. A recent poll showed 70% of Android Authority users added the word ‘reddit’ to Google searches to find what they need. Reddit ranks extremely well on Google with a 1,328% increase in SEO visibility. No wonder Reddit is often the top search result. With 6.3 million Google searches every minute, a Google search may link to your Reddit post and make it go viral. It could make headlines in places like the Reddit section on The Daily Mail’s website which showswhat’s trending on Reddit. And speaking of trends.
Reddit is trending
When the latest trends go viral and make headlines, Reddit has an easy way to find them. In each subreddit, you can choose to view Hot topics. Hot, trending topics have the most readers and posts, so PR professionals focus on posting there to build credibility and gain lots of karma.
Another great benefit of browsing hot topics is learning what’s trending in your industry. PR professionals can turn trending topics and hashtags into social media content, such as blog posts, Tweets, Facebook updates, and more.
There’s an even greater benefit of posting in Reddit’s hottest discussions. Trending topics reveal the most popular influencers, bloggers and journalists in different industries. By studying those influential people over time, you’ll learn the best way to build connections with them and make successful pitches.
Reddit PR is a Karma Booster
Posting in trending topics boosts karma fast because more people seeing your posts means more upvotes. Having a high karma rating gives you a good chance of openly marketing on Reddit without being downvoted or banned. You’ll also get extra perks like access to ‘special’ subreddits and posting privileges.
How do you gain karma? Boost karma by starting relevant discussions, sharing informative content, and leaving helpful comments. Four ways to lose karma include asking for upvotes, sharing info that’s already been posted, being a troublemaker, and posting irrelevant content. Always consider karma before you post. Your reputation depends on it.
Reddit Public Relations: No Pain, All Gain
Now you can see why and how PR professionals, like me, recommend Reddit. Reddit PR is a free, long-term way to gain attention and boost credibility. When you’ve completed your profile, found relevant subreddits, and lurked for three months, start posting, sharing, commenting and upvoting quality content. With countless subreddits, exceptional Google rankings, and the latest trends at your fingertips, Reddit offers a great opportunity to improve public relations.
Reddit PR is a dream come true. Getting it wrong is a PR nightmare. Which is why it’s worth considering having a PR professional on board to set up and manage your Reddit activity.
