Posted by on Fri, Aug 31, 2012 @ 10 PM
So, when companies talk about leveraging social media marketing, generally they just stick to talking about Twitter and Facebook. However, there are still a lot of sites out there, some of them in niches that might not fit everyone, but could be perfect for your business model. So, we're going to spend a little time talking about social media marketing on some of the other major websites – what to do, what not to do, and who you could be marketing towards.
For this first installment, we'll be talking about one of the most popular and yet most difficult-to-market to sites on the Internet: Reddit.
Social Media Marketing and Reddit
Overview
A unique success story among the “Web 2.0” social content aggregators that began to pop up several years ago, Reddit has since outpaced sites such as Fark, Slashdot, and Digg to be one of the most-trafficked sites on the Internet.
Content is submitted as individual links, and then voted up or down by users, determining its visibility. Comments are encouraged, and discussions often get lively. One difference between Reddit and similar sites are the existence of “subreddits,” which are offshoots of the main site devoted to a single topic. There are more than 100,000 subreddits, with thousands being actively used every day, on topics ranging from politics, to historical photography, to My Little Pony.
Marketing on Reddit
Trying to use Reddit in social media marketing is daunting. Its user base tends to be cynical, to say the least. The average age of a Redditor around 20-35. Redditors are young, fairly well-educated, extremely Internet-savvy, and politically aware. Traditional advertising usually does not work on them.
Linking to your blog will generally be a failure unless the content is truly unique, entertaining, and directly relevant to the subreddit you submit it to. Submitting content to Reddit is something of an acid test. If it's recycled material or mis-filed, it will be downvoted into nonexistence within minutes.
Working with Reddit
None the less, Reddit does have some soft spots, and tends to respond favorably to the following things:
When using Reddit for social media marketing, there are three watchwords: humor, humility and honesty. Be unassuming and plain-spoken, don't use corporate jargon (unless sarcastically), and above all, do not lie. The ability of Redditors to spot deception is uncanny.
In the end, Reddit is something like a lottery. There are a lot of losers, but if you win, you get incredible amounts of exposure. Good luck!
Call DeepSky Marketing to find out how you can create profitable marketing strategies for your company. DeepSky Marketing is a company that provides businesses with profitable marketing systems and verifiable return on investment (ROI). To schedule a brief no-cost consultation call 707 823-3888.
For this first installment, we'll be talking about one of the most popular and yet most difficult-to-market to sites on the Internet: Reddit.
Social Media Marketing and Reddit
Overview
A unique success story among the “Web 2.0” social content aggregators that began to pop up several years ago, Reddit has since outpaced sites such as Fark, Slashdot, and Digg to be one of the most-trafficked sites on the Internet.
Content is submitted as individual links, and then voted up or down by users, determining its visibility. Comments are encouraged, and discussions often get lively. One difference between Reddit and similar sites are the existence of “subreddits,” which are offshoots of the main site devoted to a single topic. There are more than 100,000 subreddits, with thousands being actively used every day, on topics ranging from politics, to historical photography, to My Little Pony.
Marketing on Reddit
Trying to use Reddit in social media marketing is daunting. Its user base tends to be cynical, to say the least. The average age of a Redditor around 20-35. Redditors are young, fairly well-educated, extremely Internet-savvy, and politically aware. Traditional advertising usually does not work on them.
Linking to your blog will generally be a failure unless the content is truly unique, entertaining, and directly relevant to the subreddit you submit it to. Submitting content to Reddit is something of an acid test. If it's recycled material or mis-filed, it will be downvoted into nonexistence within minutes.
Working with Reddit
None the less, Reddit does have some soft spots, and tends to respond favorably to the following things:
- Internet regulation: Reddit has become known as a political crusader, and has been instrumental in drumming up opposition for technology laws it believes will harm Internet freedom, as well as supporting companies that do so.
- Personal freedoms: Reddit tends to side strongly with civil rights movements, such as promoting alternatives to Chick-Fil-A during the recent fuss.
- “Indie” culture: Reddit tolerates more open advertising from small, independent producers. Links to venture sites like Bandcamp and Kickstarter often do well, if the product being offered is good.
- Niche products: The wealth of subreddits means that there's at least a small group of Redditors who are interested in your product, IF you go to the right subreddit for it. Do your research before posting.
- Underdogs: Reddit is pretty openly anti-establishment. If you can position yourself as an underdog fighting an 800-pound gorilla, you may get a lot of sympathy and attention.
- “I Am A...”: Interactive Q&As between someone and the population are extremely popular. Those with an interesting new product or job can get a lot of exposure here, if they can handle themselves in a freeform discussion.
When using Reddit for social media marketing, there are three watchwords: humor, humility and honesty. Be unassuming and plain-spoken, don't use corporate jargon (unless sarcastically), and above all, do not lie. The ability of Redditors to spot deception is uncanny.
In the end, Reddit is something like a lottery. There are a lot of losers, but if you win, you get incredible amounts of exposure. Good luck!
Call DeepSky Marketing to find out how you can create profitable marketing strategies for your company. DeepSky Marketing is a company that provides businesses with profitable marketing systems and verifiable return on investment (ROI). To schedule a brief no-cost consultation call 707 823-3888.
