Why you should consider using Reddit, how to generate traffic and why the service is also exciting for advertisers: here, we’ll explain it all.

When the two American students Steve Huffmann and Alexis Ohanian founded Reddit in 2005, they wanted to create a large collection of posts that would make it easier for internet users to search for the right content.

The self-proclaimed “homepage of the Internet,” is now ranked eighth among the most visited websites in the world. In the US, it is ranked as the fourth most popular website. Over half of the users are male and have an academic degree.

In 2015 the operators of the website published official user figures, which amounted to 230 million visitors and 10 billion page views per month. 36 million people had a profile on the platform at the time of publication.

Openness and honesty

Former US President Barack Obama used the internet forum in his 2012 election campaign even for a so-called “AMA,” which stands for “Ask me anything.”

The politician used the platform in order to be in touch with the users as well as with the political issues at a private level, which was a major part Democratic strategy, along with good press.

Reddit users submit articles in the form of links, create a corresponding headline and let their content be evaluated by the community. However, registration is optional on the multilingual website, which is largely English-language.

However, visitors to Reddit who want to submit content in the form of texts, links, or media files must create an account.

Karma – the reputation of Reddit

Elemental for the site is their rating system. All featured content is categorized by the community with a thumb up or down. This creates a ranking from which the best posts are put at the top of the homepage.

If a user’s posts are rated positively, his karma will increase. This happens when a comment is commented on. The sum of the upvotes minus the downvotes  are displayed with a counter for the comment function and one for the evaluation of the post under the profile name.

The subdivision of the content into the so-called “subreddits” facilitates navigation on the platform. These sub-categories can also be subscribed to. For example, the sub-category “Worldnews” is followed by over 17 million users.

Advertising for 200 million users

With over 200 million visitors a month, the forum-like platform is a good option with regard to generating traffic.

Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian presented the relaunch of the website in June 2017 at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity – one of the most famous advertising festivals in the world.

Advertisers are now able to switch ads in the form of videos. Reddit also offers advertisers a new team of employees. Major brands such as Coca-Cola and E-bay have already used the new advertising opportunities.

“There is no other place on the internet where people come together just for a conversation,” Alexis Ohanian describes his platform in June 2017. He considers the users of his site to be very honest and open.

The blunt communication of users: A threat to advertisers?

And this openness can quickly become dangerous to advertisers. Reddit users are critical of advertising, as it interrupts their entertainment in the forums, is often not relevant enough, and is merely about selling or generating clicks.

With the new advertising format, the platform promises to improve this problem. Reddit employees are available to the advertisers in order to avoid serious mistakes.

The advertising is no longer involved in conversations, but only in the marginal column. For interested parties, Reddit has compiled an overview of the advertising formats.

Top target groups instead of wide spread

As on any digital advertising platform, advertisers should also be very well informed about the target group they want to reach with their advertisements at Reddit. The interests of the respective group can be well identified through the subreddits.

It is to be expected that a wide spread can result in image damage because of critical users. As Reddit is well aware of the fact that developing a commercial strategy for its platform takes a lot of time, a Help section has been set up.

The importance of Reddit as a space for public discussion on the internet is very significant. Even if the platform has not yet been able to build on its American success in Germany, its enormous influence should not be overlooked.