The news: Unlike Instagram or TikTok, Reddit doesn’t reward users for their number of  followers or algorithmic reach. With each post starting at zero, engagement depends entirely on its value to communities and its members.

“If you post more than three times a week, your brand sentiment falls off a cliff,” Reddit global head of insights Rob Gaige said at Adweek’s Social Media Week. “Reddit was never built around the people you know. It was built around what people say.”

Zooming in: Reddit found that 81% of its 121 million daily active users (DAUs) welcome brand conversation, per Adweek.

The online social community favors balanced debate, which stokes continued engagement and helps large language models (LLMs) surface trending posts more often, per Semrush. Here are some ways brands are standing out on Reddit:

Nike 

• The athletic brand asks for training tips instead of giving them, inviting its clients’ expertise. “Let the community be the hero,” Gaige said. 
• Brand tip: A software brand can ask for workflow hacks. A food brand can ask for serving ideas. Credibility on Reddit comes from listening, not telling.

Philadelphia Cream Cheese

• A user named Chivelord went viral for chopping chives daily. The brand referenced him in an ad campaign and increased Philadelphia’s visibility on Reddit by 120% in November, per AdAge. 
• Brand tip: Feature superusers in your content. Link to their posts but never copy their format to avoid community outcry over authenticity.

Dove

• The personal care brand incorporates both positive and negative comments into campaigns. “You’ve got to let Redditors have both sides of the story,” Gaige said. 
• Brand tip: Publish “we hear you” posts. Address complaints directly and show changes made based on user feedback.

Recommendations for brands: Redditors will spot weak claims, reject generic responses, and demand real expertise. Authenticity is imperative.

• Replace promotion with participation. Brands should ask questions, share raw assets, credit users, and publish both praise and criticism. Brands that listen earn trust. Brands that sell get ignored.
• Send in subject-matter experts, not just social teams. Knowledgeable users will challenge interactions that feel like pitches. Equip community managers with brand specialists who can answer queries with depth. Real expertise builds credibility and brand loyalty.

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