Why Smart Business are Building a Reddit Presence

Written by Erin Kacerovskis, Marketing Project Manager
Where AI Gets Its Facts

It used to be if you were looking for a T-shirt for your company picnic, your options were to google “printed T-shirts near me” and browse the results or to ask around to find a recommendation. But in the age of AI, there’s another option: Ask chatGPT or read an AI-generated summary instead of browsing through pages of results. 

So how can you help your business show up in AI responses? Reddit may be your answer. According to a study last year, Reddit is the number one source AI pulls its facts from, followed by Wikipedia and YouTube. Building a presence for your brand on Reddit is a smart move if you want to stay ahead as technology and client behavior changes. 

How to Get Started on Reddit 

Reddit is a social platform structured around communities called subreddits, each focused on a specific topic with their own rules and culture. The best way to get started is to search out and follow topics you’re interested in, like business or marketing. Spend a little time reading and browsing the content to get a feel for the space before posting. 

More Reasons to Use Reddit 

  • Reddit has been rapidly growing as a platform and currently has over 100 million daily users. 
  • Subreddits allow you to engage with niche audiences, meaning your content is more likely to be seen by people it's relevant to. 
  • Even people who don’t have an account on Reddit often stumble across Reddit conversations when they’re looking for answers. If they’re looking for answers about promo, hopefully that will bring them right to you! 
  • Even though most people report using Reddit for personal rather than business use, businesses are made up of people and they might find your content and remember it next time they need merch for their business. 

3 Ways to Grow Your Brand Presence on Reddit 

1. Find Answers, Advice and Trends 

Pros: Easy, low time investment 

Cons: Unlikely to directly result in leads 

As a promo distributor, the easiest way to participate in reddit is by following promo industry subreddits like r/ThePromoIndustry and r/promotionalproducts to post questions and participate in discussions with fellow distributors. It’s an especially great resource for new distributors starting out. It’s also a good way to hear about new trends.  

Besides promo subreddits, you might want to join subreddits related to your top industries so that you can stay informed about the conversations happening in those spaces—and maybe even get wind of new potential clients. 

2. Create a Business Subreddit 

Pros: You control the narrative 

Cons: Building a large following takes time 

It’s easy to create your own subreddit about your business where you can post updates, share tips, and answer customer questions. The downside is that you might not attract a large following, especially if your current client base isn’t already on the platform. But ensuring you have a presence means your business is more likely to show up in chatGPT responses and search engine results. 

3. Build Credibility and Karma 

Pros: Builds brand awareness 

Cons: High time investment 

For the most part, the reddit community is not a fan of shameless self-promotional posts. Direct marketing probably won’t work, but posting useful information and responding to questions from other users will earn you major karma. (And we mean that literally because the point system in Reddit is called “karma.”) This type of branded content positions you as a credible and helpful source of information and advice as you build followers. That way the next time someone is searching for T-shirts, they’ll see your content and trust you to deliver for their business. 

In Conclusion

Although ensuring your company is mentioned in AI responses is still an inexact science, we do know where it’s pulling its facts from. Whether or not you choose to build a brand presence on Reddit, exploring the platform is a good way to stay on top of trends and position yourself as a market expert when talking to clients.

Sources