Why Reddit is the Best Lead Generator You Haven’t Heard Of

 

With a slogan like “the front page of the Internet,” it would seem obvious as to why it is of use to business owners. But upon first arriving on Reddit’s site, it’s clear—business owners need to take some time exploring before attempting to use its services. Reddit is a social networking and news service in which its users submit posts with various types of content, including text posts, direct links and photographs. Upon posting, users can vote these up or down, and while the site organizes itself based on category, in order to make the front page you’ll need a substantial amount of up votes.

 

So what is the implication of Reddit for your business? It’s pretty simple; Reddit replicates word of mouth but in virtual form. Unlike Facebook, users don’t need to know one another to share content and because of this, Reddit content is known to go viral and spread across the Internet like wildfire. But take caution, while you can post things about your business, Reddit users do not like salesmen—post anything that sounds outwardly like marketing or advertising and you are certain to get negative attention.

 

But Reddit must be good for something, otherwise why are millions of people and thousands of businesses using it? People have called it the online equivalent of a bulletin board and it’s a great way to gather information to generate more leads for your company. Scouring through ‘Subreddits’ (how the site separates forum categories) you can actively monitor trends and user opinions on your market as well as your product or services. Businesses can use these to conduct market research and then refine the population they are targeting.

 

That’s not to say you can’t reach out to your market directly, you just have to do it in a different manner. On Reddit, users can post with an open-ended question, a feature called “Ask Me Anything” [AMA]. Here, businesses can interact with its target market and discuss their experiences with customer service as well as their preferences and so-on. Replying to AMAs can benefit your business in several fashions. It can be looked at as good PR, as it shows that your business cares how its users feel. Second, it can assist in brand awareness, or perpetuating your company image. In other words, if users like your responses it could be up-voted enough, trend, and perhaps even end up on the front page. While free promotion certainly cannot hurt, just be aware that AMAs should not be used to launch a new product or service. Ultimately, the AMA feature should be used as another information-gathering tool.

 

Utilizing Reddit for business can be a little tricky, but it can be beneficial. Take a look at Reddit’s rules, Reddiquette as they call it, to make sure you aren’t posting anything that will end up hurting the business in the end. When used correctly, it can enhance your place in the market, and in turn, gain more leads.