How Should You Use Reddit in Your Marketing Strategy?

by Kerry Baker on 05-Feb-2026 09:30:00

If you have been paying attention to your Google results recently, you may have noticed something new. Reddit threads are appearing more frequently, sometimes ranking above company websites, blog posts and even long-established industry publications.

You may also have heard that Reddit content is being used by AI tools when generating answers. That naturally raises questions. Should you be using Reddit as part of your marketing? Is it now essential for SEO or AI visibility? Or is it another distraction that takes time without delivering results?

This article answers the questions business owners are asking us at JDR Group, and explains where Reddit fits, and where it does not, within a structured, results-focused marketing strategy.

What Is Reddit, And Why Does It Keep Appearing In Google Search Results?

Reddit is a large online discussion platform made up of thousands of topic-based communities, known as subreddits. People use it to ask questions, share experiences, debate opinions, and solve problems.

Google increasingly surfaces Reddit content because it reflects how people actually talk. Threads often contain:

• Real questions phrased in everyday language
• Detailed answers from multiple perspectives
• Follow-up discussion that adds context and nuance
• Fresh, regularly updated content

From Google’s point of view, this can be useful when someone is searching for an opinion, comparison or explanation rather than a sales page.

This does not mean Google prefers Reddit over expert businesses. It means Google is trying to satisfy search intent, and sometimes Reddit happens to align with that intent.

Is Reddit Influencing AI Answers And Summaries?

AI tools are trained to look for language that sounds human, balanced viewpoints and explanations that reflect real experience. Reddit often provides exactly that.

A single thread may include:

• A clear question
• Several answers that approach the problem differently
• Corrections, clarifications and follow-up points

From an AI perspective, that looks like a useful source for understanding how people think about a topic.

However, this does not mean Reddit is a shortcut to visibility. AI systems pull from many sources, and they still rely heavily on authoritative websites, trusted brands and well structured content.

Reddit is one signal among many, not the foundation.

Does Reddit Help Your SEO Directly?

Not in the way many people assume.

Posting on Reddit does not directly improve your website rankings. You do not control the page, the links are often no follow, and you cannot shape the message in the same way you can on your own site.

Where Reddit can help indirectly is by:

• Revealing the exact questions your buyers ask in their own words
• Highlighting misunderstandings or objections you should address in your content
• Showing gaps where high-quality business content is missing

Used properly, Reddit can inform your SEO and content strategy. It should not replace it.

Should Your Business Be Active On Reddit?

For most businesses, the answer is not immediately.

Reddit is not a broadcast platform. It is highly sensitive to promotion and very quick to reject content that feels self-serving. If you treat it like LinkedIn, Facebook or Google Ads, you will fail.

Consider Reddit only if:

• Your audience genuinely uses it
• You can contribute expertise without selling
• You are prepared to play a long game
• You have time to listen before speaking

For many SMEs, especially in B2B, Reddit works better as a research and insight tool than as an active marketing channel.

How Should You Approach Reddit If You Decide To Use It?

If you choose to engage, follow these principles:

• Spend time observing before posting
• Answer questions without linking to your site
• Share experience, not opinions without evidence
• Use personal credibility, not corporate messaging
• Accept that you may never see a direct lead

Treat Reddit as reputation building and market intelligence, not demand generation.

What Would a Sensible Reddit Activity Plan Look Like For a Business?

If you decide to test Reddit, approach it as a structured experiment, not an open-ended commitment. The goal is insight, credibility and learning, not immediate leads.

Step 1: Choose The Right Communities

Start by identifying 2 or 3 relevant subreddits only. These should be:

• Directly related to your industry or your buyers’ role
• Active, with recent discussions and meaningful replies
• Focused on problems, advice or comparisons, not promotion

Avoid large, generic subreddits at the start. Smaller, focused communities are more valuable and more forgiving.

Step 2: Observe Before You Contribute

Spend the first 2 to 3 weeks doing nothing but reading.

Use this time to:

• Note how questions are phrased
• Identify recurring frustrations and objections
• Understand what gets upvoted and what gets criticised
• Learn the tone and expectations of each community

This phase often delivers more value than posting.

Step 3: Create a Credible Personal Presence

Reddit works best when you participate as a knowledgeable individual, not as a brand.

Set up a profile that:

• Is clearly human
• Reflects your experience or role
• Does not reference your company directly
• Does not link out to your website

Trust on Reddit is earned slowly and lost quickly.

Step 4: Answer Questions Without Promoting Yourself

When you start posting, focus only on questions where you can add genuine value.

Good contributions:

• Explain how you have approached a problem in practice
• Share lessons learned, including what did not work
• Clarify misconceptions or oversimplifications
• Provide balanced, non-sales answers

Do not link to your site, even if it feels relevant. The moment you promote, credibility drops.

Step 5: Limit Time And Frequency Deliberately

Reddit can become a time sink if you let it.

A sensible structure is:

• 10 to 15 minutes per day, maximum
• 2 or 3 replies per week
• No obligation to post every day

If it does not fit comfortably around your wider marketing activity, pause it.

Step 6: Feed Insights Back Into Your Core Marketing

The real value comes from what you do with what you learn.

Use Reddit insights to:

• Improve website FAQs
• Shape blog and guide topics
• Refine sales messaging
• Address objections earlier in the buyer journey

Your website is where that insight turns into measurable results.

How Can Reddit Fit Into a Wider Marketing Strategy?

At JDR Group, we recommend looking at Reddit as a listening channel first.

You can use it to:

• Understand buyer language
• Spot recurring problems and frustrations
• Identify topics that deserve proper coverage on your website
• Sense how your market feels about suppliers, pricing and services

Those insights then feed into content creation, SEO planning, sales messaging and campaign strategy.

Reddit informs strategy. It does not replace it.

What Should You Do Next?

If Reddit is appearing in your conversations, search results or AI summaries, that is a signal. It tells you your buyers are actively researching, asking questions and forming opinions long before they ever speak to a supplier.

The right response is not to chase another platform. It is to make sure your business is visible, credible and persuasive wherever your buyers are doing that research, and that you have a clear system in place to turn that attention into enquiries and sales.

At JDR Group, we help you do exactly that. We work with you to build a joined up marketing system that attracts the right prospects, converts them into leads and supports your sales team to close more business, without relying on any single channel or trend.

If you want to take the next step, you have two sensible options.

You can book a meeting with us to talk through your current marketing, understand where platforms like Reddit genuinely fit, and get a clear view of what will make the biggest difference to your sales and growth.

Or, you can download our How to Use Social Media For Business guide, full of expert insights on the matter.