As the social web has grown and matured, newer networks have emerged to challenge the mainstays for users’ time and attention. For those in marketing and PR, this means continuously revising their social media strategy and reassessing where they spend their effort and resources.
Networks such as LinkedIn, Pinterest and Tumblr are each pushing to be considered alongside social giants Twitter, Facebook and YouTube.
Of these newer entrants, however, none can claim the same mix of hype and controversy as Reddit.
While the so-called “front page of the internet” was founded in 2005, its size and exposure have increased dramatically in the past few years. As of 2013, Reddit has approximately 70 million monthly active users and a Pew Internet survey in July 2013 found that six per cent of online adults are Reddit users.
Three characteristics make Reddit especially important for marketing and PR – both as a potential opportunity and a potential pain point.
- Reddit’s users come to the site looking for content and links. Unlike many networks, Reddit’s central purpose is content discovery and its users are much more willing and likely to click on outbound links. Available data shows that Reddit often refers as much or even more traffic than much bigger social networks.
- Reddit provides an interactive and dynamic environment. The Reddit platform allows for discussions and interactions no other social network could produce. Users can easily converse with experts, celebrities or other knowledgeable individuals. The site’s structure makes it a powerful tool for crowdsourcing knowledge and experience, especially about brands and products.
- The Reddit community is active and influential. Reddit’s user-base has proved to be more impactful than its size would suggest. Reddit users spend a great deal of time on the website and are the source of many of the internets biggest memes, discussions and events. The Reddit community is also known for taking direct action on issues or causes, many times with big real world impact.
Based on these three aspects, communications and PR professionals would be wise to consider Reddit when determining their social strategy.
We’ll be releasing a white paper next week to explain the nuances of Reddit a little more, along with providing some guidance in integrating Reddit into your day-to-day workflows.
