How does Reddit Work

Before you sign up for Reddit, you may wonder how does Reddit work, and for this reason, it’s essential to take a look at what Reddit is as a social networking and social media platform.

What is Reddit?

Reddit is among the most popular websites where people can discover communities based on every subject that can exist. In the beginning, Reddit can seem a little confusing if one’s not familiar with it because of the symbols, the jargon, various inside jokes, and even weird topics.

Reddit is meant to be a website for social sharing, built by its users who submit content (for example, an individual post with text, links, and pictures), which everyone there can then vote on. The most popular Subreddits and the best content will rise to the top, and the downvoted posts will be less visible to old and new Reddit users.

How does Reddit work?

When it comes to understanding Reddit, it’s essential to know that it is a vast website divided into many smaller communities named Subreddits.

A Subreddit is any board dedicated to a particular topic. Each Subreddit starts with reddit.com/r/, for example, reddit.com/r/CokeCompany. Most of the time, users need to respect that particular Subreddit's rules, as Subreddits are known for having their own rules, look, and users’ expectations. You can easily find these rules in the sidebar of that particular Subreddit.

Reddit is meant to be a website for social sharing, built by its users who submit content (for example, an individual post with text, links, and pictures), which everyone there can then vote on. The most popular Subreddits and the best content will rise to the top, and the downvoted posts will be less visible to old and new Reddit users.

Users can notice a number next to every Reddit post (but also comments on posts), representing the score. Along with this score, you can see up and down arrows, allowing users to upvote or downvote.

The upvote and downvote arrows are not equal to agree and disagree buttons.

If you didn’t sign up for Reddit and choose to navigate the website like that (while not signing it), you would notice the feed of trending posts from different subs (subreddits). You can click a title to open it and explore the content (any Reddit posts)- visit the links, read the comments, and see the full-sized images.

How to use Reddit

Reddit has a lot to offer, even if you have no intention of posting (adding posts and comments). You can enjoy it even if you don’t sign up for Reddit. However, it is recommended to create an account in order to access and subscribe to specific Subreddits feeds that sparkle your interest, to create a feed of content you want, and to have the option to vote or upvote, too.

Reddit can be accessed via its website (its official site) and on mobile, although there are many alternatives (apps and websites) that provide a great user experience.

Getting started on Reddit: How to sign up and add a particular Subreddit

When you sign up for Reddit, you can immediately start posting about your favorite topics.

Signing up on Reddit’s website

At the top-right of Reddit, you will find the Log In / Sign Up button. Click this button to start - you can sign up by using your email (Google Account, Apple Account). Create the username and a password, and you can start posting.

After you Log In to your Reddit account, the main page switches from popular posts to your own Home page (custom feed). Your feed will show content from the subreddits you’ve chosen to subscribe to.

Signing up on mobile app

Download the Reddit app for your smartphone (Google Play, Apple Store) and sign up using your email account.

After that, you can Log In to your Reddit account, start posting, subscribing to Subreddits, and searching through comment threads.

How can content marketers use Reddit?

Reddit doesn’t function as most social platforms, providing valuable insights into the most popular topics at a specific moment. This means that social media managers can use Reddit for market research, identifying digital marketing and market trends, and, lastly, for including it in their social strategy. In other words, it is possible to promote your brand on Reddit. Done right, through marketing on Reddit, brands can identify their target audience, build a loyal audience, create valuable connections and get feedback.

Content marketers and social managers should know Reddit is known for being one of the main sources of popular and new content on the Internet. After all, many trends and memes have started on this social media platform.

Compared with traditional social media platforms (Facebook and Instagram), algorithms on Reddit are triggered by the voting system established by the entire community. As Reddit users provide all the existing content, they also determine through voting what represents junk content and what’s good to stay.

Reddit users form vibrant communities, appearing under the form of subreddits. Each community (a particular Subreddit) has its own page, topic, users, and moderators. In conclusion, Reddit is slightly different compared to other social media apps, so it requires a different marketing strategy.

References

Hootsuite, What is Reddit and Should Your Brand be Using It, https://blog.hootsuite.com/what-is-reddit/

Sociality.Io Blog, An Ultimate guide on how to use Reddit for marketers, https://sociality.io/blog/reddit-for-marketers/