With the increasing lack of trust in social media platforms, generations today, especially Gen Z, are turning to platforms like Reddit and TikTok. What’s the reason? Gen Z is particularly skeptical of products or brands promoted on social media. According to a ‘How search marketers can keep up with Gen Z’ report, compared to other generations, Gen Z users believe that social media contains fake and biased reviews.
While Gen X has the highest purchasing power, Gen Z plays an important role on online platforms. They are the ones who drive trends and set consumer preferences. Brands need to balance targeting both generations with the highest purchasing power, while focusing on social listening.
Why is Reddit a better choice for social listening?
In the first quarter of 2024, Reddit reported a 37% increase in daily active users, and 40% in weekly daily active users. By the second quarter of 2024, the number of weekly active users had risen even more, reaching a remarkable 57%. The active presence of users on this platform indicates an excellent opportunity for brands to understand consumer opinions and preferences.
Reddit, which has gained significant popularity with users reaching over 500 million as of 2024, is particularly popular among Millennials, according to Business Insider recently. They note that Millennials are at a stage in their lives where the types of content, such as home improvement, gardening and personal finance, resonates with individuals in their 30s and 40s. With Millennials being a majority on Reddit, they are likely to be significant contributors to the platform.
Reddit has also become a choice for Gen Z to get those deep dives into topics that matter to them. Just last year, the r/GenZ subreddit, a space for Gen Z to gather, has reached 1.1k of online users, compared to only 296 active users in the Millennials subreddit.
One thing about Gen Z is that they value authenticity. They also find social media posters and comments superficial. What they want is depth and detailed information, which is why they are active on Reddit. From there, they could gain more in-depth, thoughtful discussions and reliable information from commenters.
Overall, Reddit’s active and diverse user base, along with its focus on in-depth discussions, positions it as a valuable platform for brands to engage in social listening.
What to look for in the Reddit platform?
When leveraging social listening on Reddit, it’s essential to look for niche communities or subreddits that align with your brand’s industry or target audience. These micro-communities often contain rich, unfiltered conversations that can provide a deeper understanding of consumer behavior and preferences.
Here is what you can identify from the diverse communities on Reddit:
- Your target audience pain points, needs and preferences
- Patterns of recurring topics which indicate emerging trends
- Latest issues, concerns or things that they appreciate from brands
- Positive and negative sentiments about brands in your industry
- Competitors’ strengths or weaknesses
With Reddit, brands or businesses can get to know what their potential customers are up to and what the current things are being discussed about. All of these will help brands to re-strategize better, improve business offerings and stay ahead in the market.
How to do it?
To successfully leverage social listening on Reddit, brands should actively monitor conversations, comments, and discussions related to their industry or products. Social listening tools such as Sprout Social, Brandwatch and Hootsuite can help brands and businesses even more in gaining important behavioral insights. Brands can also use these tools to monitor brand mentions and conversations across social media platforms. This also helps brands know crucial information about their reputation.
In addition to using tools to monitor niche subreddits, brands can also directly tap into the platform’s trending topics and popular posts to gain insights into broader consumer trends and interests. Participating in Ask Me Anything (AMA) sessions or hosting dedicated subreddits can also help brands directly engage with the Reddit community.
Conclusions
Reddit’s popularity among Millennials who engage in discussions and Gen Z, who influence greatly on shaping today’s trend online, offers brands a great chance to use social listening effectively. By monitoring discussions, engaging with the community, and using the insights gathered, brands can adjust their strategies to connect with this important audience. To succeed on Reddit, it’s essential for brands to be authentic and respectful of the platform’s unique culture. Doing so allows them to build meaningful connections with today’s generation.
