An Ultimate Guide to Reddit: Can You Use Reddit as a Blog?

While Facebook, Twitter and other big-name social platforms get all the glory in building brand followings via community outreach, another contender on the digital block is worthy of a spot in the conversation. Long viewed as nothing more than another web forum, Reddit now stands as one of the most vibrant, active, and valuable communities online, according to an expert blog post-writing service.

Before you make the big mistake of writing off this platform, let’s spend some time talking about how best to utilize Reddit and how this site can infuse your blog writing and content strategy with newfound energy and impact.

In digital marketing, everyone is talking about Reddit. But can Reddit be used as a blog platform? And if so, what are some of the advantages and disadvantages of doing so? Let’s explore these questions in more detail below. 

What is Reddit? 

First and foremost, let’s discuss what Reddit is. Put simply, Reddit is an online discussion forum where users submit content such as text posts, images, videos, and links to other websites. 

This content is then voted up or down by other members of the community. Content that receives the most “upvotes” will appear at the top of the page, while content with lower vote counts will appear further down in the feed. 

Why Reddit Matters to the Web

Naturally, this claim about Reddit standing with Facebook and other prominent platforms probably flies directly in the face of everything you’ve been told about promoting and spreading your content. However, it doesn’t take much digging to uncover the influential facts supporting this statement.

According to Craig Smith at the Expanded Ramblings blog, Reddit claims 430 million unique visitors a month and 50 million daily active users. This viewer hail from 209 countries and represents various demographics, audiences, and communities. If those numbers are too hard to grasp at first, the team behind /r/AskReddit explains that this reach equates roughly to the adjusted figures of 430 million unique visitors and 50 million page views a day.

To put it simply, Reddit is one of the hottest domains on the web, and things are only looking up for the massive digital community.  

Advantages of Using Reddit as a Blog Platform 

So why should you consider using Reddit as a blog platform? 

• One key advantage is that using Reddit can give your blog post an instant audience. For instance, posting an article on your own website or blog may not get much traffic initially because no one knows yet. 
• However, when you post an article on Reddit, you can guarantee that people will be reading it immediately because millions of people already use the site daily.
• Another advantage is that you can use subreddits (topic-specific areas within Reddit) to target specific audiences for your content. This can help ensure that only people interested in your topic will see your post instead of relying on search engine optimization techniques as conventional blogging platforms do.  

Disadvantages of Using Reddit as a Blog Platform 

Despite its many advantages, there are also downsides to using Reddit as a blog platform. 

• One major disadvantage is that posts on Reddit tend to be shorter than traditional blog posts— typically around 500 words or less—which means they may not provide enough context for complex topics and ideas. 
• Additionally, since moderators must approve all posts before they appear publicly on the site, there can often be a waiting period before your post goes live, making it more challenging to stay timely with news and events-related topics.
• Finally, since all posts must go through moderation before appearing on the site publicly, some topics may not be allowed due to their controversial nature, which could limit your ability to post certain types of content even if you believe it would benefit from being shared with others in the form of a blog post or article. 

The Basic Structure of Reddit’s Digital Community

Now that we know that Reddit means business in reach and viewership, it’s worth spending a few quick moments talking about the site’s structure. Otherwise, there’s the genuine possibility that you’ll feel like you’re in over your head when the discussion turns toward leveraging the various communities that make up this site.

“To the uninitiated, Reddit looks like a mess – text links, comment threads, points, upvotes, downvotes. At best, posts seem contextless — at worst, totally random.” – Matt Silverman, Mashable.

Matt Silverman of Mashable notes that while Reddit might look like a mess to the untrained eye, there’s actually a method to the madness of “The Front Page of the Internet.” Instead of operating like a real-time streaming network that lacks a community filter, the members of Reddit curate links, content, and posts on their own through a voting system. 

Enjoyable and relevant content earns “upvotes,” while substandard offerings quickly fall into obscurity via the harsh ranking penalties that come with “downvotes.”

Aside from the community-oriented curation approach, Reddit also segments itself into smaller groups, known as “Subreddits.” 

These Subreddits hone in on specific angles and aspects of a discussion, providing focused conversation and expert interaction. The best part about this system? The very nature of these subreddits ensures that as you seek out relevant groups, you’re automatically learning more about the target audience, thus expediting the all-important segmentation of your target viewership.

Breaking Down the Relevant Subreddits

A blog post-writing service will tell you that in terms of Subreddits that fit your blog writing and content marketing needs, the list could go on and on ad infinitum. 

After all, Reddit currently lays claim to over 653,485 unique subreddits, according to the statistical research conducted by the experts behind Reddit Metrics. 

However, for the sake of this guide, we’re going to boil the discussion down to the following five selections based on their relevancy to the world of content marketing, search engine optimization (SEO), and brand awareness tactics.

• /r/Entrepreneur – With 132,289 members, this subreddit aims to discuss the finer points of growing and developing burgeoning businesses in the modern digital world.
• /r/Startups – Much like /r/Entrepreneur, this 82,130-strong forum offers feedback, advice, and ideas to marketers and brand owners from all walks of life.
• /r/BigSEO – Designed for professional agencies and in-house SEO operations, this growing community of over 8,000 members discusses site optimization strategies, best practices, and case studies.
• /r/ContentMarketing – While /r/ContentMarketing might be smaller than the over members on this list – laying claim to less than 1,000 followers – the tight-knit viewership found within covers everything from content tactics to blogging and brand ideas.
• /r/Blogging – With a more general focus on blogging best practices, this subreddit and it’s nearly 7,000 users offer feedback and constructive criticism on emerging and established sites.

Best Reddit Tactics

“If you’re willing to invest time subscribing to great subreddits, and unsubscribing from those you find distasteful, the site can be a great tool.” – Clare McDermott, Content Marketing Institute 

The final – and by far the most important – part of this in-depth look at Reddit’s ties to your content marketing and blog writing operations comes from setting you up for success on this platform. 

As the Content Marketing Institute’s Clare McDermott explains, it all starts with treading lightly as you enter this community.

Reddit is full of horror stories regarding overly promotional posts and events, so it’s essential to participate sparingly as you learn the unwritten rules of each subreddit and community. If you doubt this claim, just check out this list of worst “Ask Me Anything” (AMA) fails for further proof of the need to approach Reddit from the right angle.

Once you’ve found the proper subreddits for your brand or content needs and you’re ready to start posting, McDermott suggests pumping the brakes a little before diving in head first. By listening to the tone and style of the conversation, you can better prepare yourself – and your content – for the scrutiny and questions that will no doubt follow new community members.

Finally, as you start spreading links and information, ask yourself one very important question: Does this content help your fellow Redditors?

If the answer is yes, then you’re well on your way to maximizing the impact of your time within the world of Reddit. If you find your response on the other end of the spectrum, you’ll probably want to take things back to the drawing board before you feel the wrath of the community and the official Reddit moderators.

Any blog post-writing service will tell you there’s no denying that growing your brand’s reach and your own knowledge of blog writing and content strategy on Reddit requires quite a bit of hard work and effort. 

However, by putting what you’ve learned here to good use, it won’t be long before you stand as one of the most prominent and respected voices on The Front Page of the Internet.

Conclusion 

So should you use Reddit as a blogging platform? Ultimately, this decision comes down to personal preference and whether or not it makes sense for your particular goals and objectives around blogging and digital marketing overall. 

That said if done correctly, posting articles on subreddits can be an effective way for bloggers to reach targeted audiences quickly without having to worry about SEO or waiting for search engine indexing algorithms to pick up their new content pieces over time., Ultimately only you know what’s best for your business!