Reddit is known as the “front page of the Internet” for a reason. It’s one of few platforms where people from across the world discuss everything from knitting to fantasy football to owls with cat heads.
And for advertising professionals like us, it means you can get a glimpse into what people are actually thinking, feeling, and saying.
Is it a perfect oracle for consumer sentiment? Of course not–but it gives you a unique glimpse into the human psyche, which is why, in our agency, we use it all the damn time.
How We Use Reddit
While hard data and statistics are valuable, sometimes you just want to hear the open and honest musings of real people. Their thoughts, feelings, desires, and frustrations. And that’s where Reddit shines: because it’s anonymous, it often leads to more authentic opinions and discussions than on other social media platforms where people might hold back (the rare exception of course being Facebook around election time).
As a strategist, I predominantly use Reddit at the beginning of a project to dive into a new brand, explore an industry, or delve into a trending topic. Digging deep into a Reddit rabbit hole is a great way to validate or find tension around what the client thinks their problem might be, and it’s a great way to get a real feel for the lay of the land.
Here are a few examples of where Reddit has been a huge help in the past 12 months:
Natural Gas industry, to understand just how knowledgeable consumers are about the product and their service, and to gauge how much they actually care and (perhaps more importantly) WHEN they care about natural gas.
Senior healthcare to understand what people associate with terms like “nursing home” and “assisted living” – do they even know what personal care or other services are?
Weight loss medication to identify and texturize concerns, understand personal experiences, and gather some consumer vocabulary and phrasing to help create ads that will stand out in the market.
And strategy isn’t the only department where Reddit is a killer resource: just last week I overheard a couple of creative team members discussing using Reddit to get a pulse on the audience for a logo project before even starting the sketching process. That idea stems from a similar line of thinking: Reddit gives creative types insights that they can incorporate into design and copy to make the work relatable and familiar.
It’s Not Perfect
While Reddit can be a useful tool, it’s no secret that there are plenty of limitations.
What it’s great for:
Reddit offers some of the loudest, most passionate opinions, and that makes it an ideal place to start when you’re quickly trying to understand a brand or topic. You’ll quickly see what people love, hate, and debate.
Google searches can give you everything from vetted articles to unvalidated opinion sites–with Reddit, the commentary feels more authentic because of the direct, often emotional feedback people share.
Where it might be lacking:
Because Reddit offers some of the loudest, most passionate opinions, they may not reflect the opinions of the majority–always understand the “truth” is probably in the middle of the two sides you’ll find.
Reddit is useful for qualitative data. You’ll get real opinions and stories, but you will want to validate with verified quantitative data whenever possible.
The big takeaway is don’t be afraid to use all of the tools at your disposal, even if they aren’t considered “traditional or conventional.” If you can gather meaningful, actionable insights from a platform like Reddit, that’s what matters–just be aware of its limitations.
So, next time you’re kicking off a new project or if you’re stuck, give Reddit a try–you might be surprised by what you find. In the meantime check out this thread on why Reddit is actually just a psychological shortcut.
