A beginner’s map to Reddit
At first glance, Reddit.com may seem like nothing more than a cache of cat videos and memes. For most first time users, that’s exactly what it is. But if you start digging around (or just Google a few inside jokes), you’ll find an endless world of conversations and content built entirely on the foundation of fostering community.
To simplify it, Reddit is a content aggregator site. Through it, users can post links to news stories, videos, and original content. These posts are then rated by other Reddit users through upvotes and downvotes. The original poster (OP) receives points for the number of upvotes their posts receive — a system Reddit users call “karma.” But things get more complicated the deeper you go. Reddit’s ecosystem is made up of thousands of subreddits, which are essentially just specialized forums and chats about specific topics. If you want to post, you’ll first need to find the proper subreddit to post it to. Say, for example, you want to post a news article about hotdog stands in New York City. You could post it in /r/news or in /r/newyork.
Since it started in 2005, Reddit has helped launch careers as well as entire companies. It’s also taught us that when the hivemind loves something, they really love it. Over time, companies have realized the potential Reddit has for reaching specific customers, and some have figured out how to capitalize on it. There are entire subreddits dedicated to specific products, like GoPro (/r/GoPro). Members of GoPro’s staff regularly monitor this subreddit, and even pop in to chat when trouble arises, which has really paid off for the brand. GoPro is known to have an incredible social media presence in part because its employees actively participate in conversations on Reddit.
On the other end of the spectrum, Redditors will criticize those companies that don’t contribute to the community. Just this week, gaming giant Electronic Arts (EA) dropped their newest Star Wars game, Battle Front 2. Due to the way the game works, players couldn’t unlock the Darth Vader character unless they played for 40 hours straight, or payed to unlock it. This did not sit well with the community. Players took to /r/starwarsbattlefront to voice their opinions, and EA’s community team quickly responded to the concerns of their audience.
One of Reddit’s biggest assets is the ability to foster conversations in real-time. While there might not be an immediate fix to the problem, brands like EA see the value in using Reddit to meet their audience where they are and respond to their problems on a timeline that was not previously possible.
When it comes to using Reddit as a promotional tool, companies need to make sure they approach the platform with genuine intentions. If they’re only there to drop links to products, the Reddit community will react poorly. But if they come to the site with content or ideas that benefit the rest of the community, Redditers will reward them with fierce loyalty.
