Reddit is a safe place for B2B marketing

Reddit may have been in the shadows of other social platforms for years – in fact, the debate is on as to whether it’s a social platform at all – but one thing is for sure, the B2B buyer and marketeer are finding it a safe haven for research and insights.

Is it a community/forum? Is it a social network? Reddit’s purpose may not be defined, and many groups may debate its impact – but it’s undoubtedly becoming one of the primary platforms for community-foundering. B2B marketing is no exception, and neither is B2B as a sector. Various r/ topics cover both these areas, and with a high degree of confidence that these audiences are engaging on the platform, is it time for B2B marketers to head on over and see what all the fuss is about?

The B2B buyer shift

We now know the typically perceived B2B buyer persona is becoming a bit outdated. Research has shown that more millennials are involved in the buying phase than ever before – and Gen Zs are also showing a greater presence in this area. In fact, combined these groups are taking up 2/3rds of the business buying teams.

What’s more – 73% of millennials that work in B2B are involved in the technology purchasing process for their companies. A third are actually the sole decision maker.

And on social…

We know that millennials and Gen Zs are social media pioneers – the first (particular the former) groups to help Facebook and MySpace take off – while also giving first life to twitter and LinkedIn. Older generations have been slower on the take-up, and certainly for the B2B sector it has become even tougher to get those C-suite personnel to even set up a LinkedIn profile – or be convinced they need a company page on Facebook.

While the older generations typically have a slower navigation from platform to platform, Reddit is no exception. It’s not broadly known by older generations who may sit in that senior B2B buying position – but you’ll be hard pressed to find a millennial or Gen Z’er who hasn’t used it in some capacity.

And therefore…

Those key decision makers are right in front of you and are willing to absorb this content. They are present across so many platforms – and Reddit’s community in this respect is growing.

But a big thing for these groups is trust. Buying comes from trust and extensive research – with Reddit’s community feel, honest insights and extensive opinion-sharing, it’s a primary platform for B2B marketers to demonstrate their knowledge of sectors. It’s not a selling platform – your glitzy and ‘this is your problem, so buy this product’ method used on other channels is unlikely to yield success. Rather from a brand awareness perspective and top of funnel approach, Reddit is perfect for the B2B marketer who is challenged with finding new engagements and traffic sources.

Quick sum-up

Over 130,000 subreddits are active daily – so targeting community engagement is very much possible. Also, compared to other platforms, Reddit is cheaper for paid media campaigns. Cost per clicks are going to be similar to Meta but with a much more targeted system, meaning there is less budget wastage.

One key thing to know – Redditors are cynical. They know an ad when they see it and they know when companies are trying to wade in on the conversation with obvious marketing. You’ll be crushed before you even get the chance to get noticed, this is basically a theatre and you’re on show – don’t be surprised if you get booed for the most obvious ‘find out more’ click-hope nonsense.

Bide your time a little. Find your position in the topic and talk about what you know, not what you can solve. Mirror the issues your audience are having and BUILD TRUST.

We have lots of other insight on Reddit for B2B – if you’re keen to know more, reach out!

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