By Miles Lockhart and Jess Reus on 01/03/2022
We’re always looking for innovative ways to connect our clients with their fanbase.
This means being open to trying different platforms such as Reddit.
The website has become the internet discussion board since its inception in 2005, and is a gold mine for community engagement. Users share ideas and advice, debate on topical issues and interact with one another on Subreddits (communities used for individual interests).
Although Reddit is not part of every sports’ promotional strategy, it offers something different and might be worth considering within your tactical repertoire required to execute your strategy.
So without further ado, here are 6 reasons why Reddit might be of interest to you.
1. A vast database of engaged and knowledgeable users
By far the most important aspect of Reddit is its user base. Its countless forums (subreddits) are filled with extremely knowledgeable people passionate about their specific area of interest. They are eager to share opinions, advice and experiences.
Users are unrestricted by character limit and discussion is actively encouraged. To help streamline debates, only the most useful and insightful comments are upvoted and are easily accessible by the post’s author.
2. Subreddits help connect with your community
Subreddits are already in place on the site and cover every topic imaginable. You can create your own subreddit to streamline your audience’s attention or engage with those already made.
Threads are extremely popular on Reddit so you can talk and engage directly with communities. The Economist and Nissan have used the platform to host Q&As or ‘AMAs’ (Ask Me Anything) where Redditors pose questions to their employees.
3. Follow communities’ best practice
Using other subreddits to post content is a good way to boost engagement but only if it is done in an authentic way that benefits that community.
Every subreddit has its own set of rules and tone of voice and it is essential to understand each community before posting content or a discussion thread. Ensure your content is platform and community specific. What works on one group may not be suitable on another and could prove detrimental to your presence on the platform.
4. Reddit’s figures are trending in the right direction
Reddit saw a boost in traffic during the coronavirus pandemic and is enjoying continued growth:
- valued at more than $10bn, up from $450m in 2014
- 1,000% increase in monthly users from 2012 (46m) to 2019 (430m)
- 44% growth in daily user base from October 2020-October 2021
- 18th most-viewed website in the world (as of December 2021)
- 2nd most-viewed social media platform in America
This proves Reddit has a niche and growing audience despite the popularity of its social media rivals. 72% of Reddit users in the US report that they use it for entertainment purposes which is a massive potential audience for sports federations if targeted correctly.
5. Content best practice
Reddit is a simple platform which, like others, has a best practice to adhere to.
If you want your content to perform at its best, apply these tactics:
- titles with 60-80 characters perform best (i.e., most upvotes)
- questions get 2x more comments than regular posts; however, posts without questions receive more upvotes
- external links (especially videos) are the most popular kind of content
- crafting content tailored to individual communities is essential for quality and substantive engagement
6. Reddit’s anonymity
In an age of digital mistrust, Reddit has found a way to provide confidence for its users through anonymity. Users provide only an email, a username and password when signing up – no first name, surname, date of birth or address.
To further avoid discrimination and trolling, Reddit has removed the need for a user profile picture and gender/religious identification upon registration.
And there you have it!
A starter kit for Reddit.
Email Redtorch at hello@redtorch.co if you’d like to take advantage of Reddit’s continuing growth or learn more about the platform.
