While brands compete for clicks on LinkedIn and Instagram through paid ads and social marketing tactics, Reddit builds communities that influence what people think, buy, and believe. Here’s why it’s PR’s secret weapon.
Your audience is talking, but are you listening in the right places? A quick glance at social media or a simple Google search won’t cut it. There’s a platform where real conversations take root, opinions are formed, and trends are born. It's where many users go before (or instead) of a traditional search engine to explore honest perspectives. Reddit isn’t just a forum; it’s where narratives are shaped in real time.
Reddit might be the most influential PR tool you’ve never used. With more than 1.1 billion monthly unique visitors in January 2025, up 27% from the year before, the platform has quietly become one of the world’s biggest social platforms, and one of the most impactful channels for PR teams.
In this article, we take a closer look at Reddit for PR: what it is, what sets it apart from other channels, why it should be a part of your digital PR strategy, and proven strategies to achieve brand success.
What is Reddit?
Reddit is a vast network of user-created forums, known as “subreddits,” where people gather to discuss a wide range of topics, from niche hobbies to news stories and in-depth product reviews. It’s a platform powered by user-generated content: real people sharing real opinions, experiences, and questions. This makes it a magnet for honest conversations.
Unlike algorithm-heavy social networks, Reddit surfaces what people find most valuable through community upvotes. This makes it a magnet for honest conversations.
Reddit users spend an average of 16 minutes per session, far longer than they spend on Facebook or X, and it’s now the third most visited site in the U.S. If you’re in the business of PR, you can’t afford to ignore it.
But it’s not just Reddit’s scale that matters; it’s the trust it commands. Reddit ranks as the fourth most trusted platform (above Google and every other social media platform) for product and brand research. The vast majority (78%) of users say they trust Reddit for honest opinions.
The only sources more trusted are store employees (83%), review websites (86%), and family/friends (88%).
In an era when audiences crave transparency, Reddit’s kind of trust is priceless.
Why Reddit is different (and why that matters)
Unlike traditional social platforms, Reddit isn’t used to broadcast information. It’s about participation and community-first communications.
With 138,000+ active subreddits, every niche audience you can think of already exists, from B2B SaaS enthusiasts and interest-based communities to consumers interested in your industry.
These active communities don’t want polished press releases dumped into their feeds. They want conversation. That’s what makes Reddit for PR so potent (and so risky if you treat it like a billboard).
“The key to building belief in audiences is authenticity, and this at a time when most platforms (LinkedIn, Facebook, and even traditional media) suffer from a genuine crisis in perceived authenticity. Reddit probably delivers the most authentic interactions on topics online today, which can make it challenging to manage but impactful if done successfully.”
– Patrick Van de Wille, Lead Moderator for the Public Relations subreddit and host of Pitch Perfect: The PR Podcast.
Earned media on Reddit: Authenticity wins
Reddit is an incredible trend incubator. It’s where memes, frustrations, and movements bubble up before they hit mainstream media.
Smart PR teams use Reddit to identify trends, conduct sentiment analysis, and gain community insights that inform a more effective PR strategy on Reddit and beyond. Done right, conversations here can spark real engagement and generate wide organic reach—not just on Reddit, but across other media channels too.
A great example? Reddit AMAs (Ask Me Anything). Done well, these interactive Q&A sessions can earn headlines far beyond Reddit. Celebrities, CEOs, and brand leaders use AMAs to engage directly with their communities. But they only work if they’re real. Be warned: Redditors can spot spin from miles away.
Brands that got Reddit right (and wrong)
Spotify is a brand that listens well. They joined music fan subreddits to gather feedback on playlist features (not to sell, but to learn). This earned goodwill, loyalty, and organic mentions.
Oura, the company behind the popular smart ring that tracks sleep, activity, and overall health, nails Reddit interactions by showing up as a genuine, human voice rather than a faceless brand. They don’t push product in their subreddit. Instead, they join conversations where people are already talking about sleep, wellness, or biohacking by answering questions, acknowledging feedback, or sharing helpful resources. Oura’s responses feel thoughtful and community-driven. It’s subtle, consistent brand building done right.
When it comes to what not to do on Reddit, Woody Harrelson’s AMA is a perfect case study. He joined the platform to promote his new film, and while users were eager to ask about his career and personal insights, he stuck to a narrow script—ignoring or dodging anything unrelated to the movie.
The response was swift. Users felt the AMA was disingenuous and overly promotional, sparking backlash and memes. It’s now a cautionary tale of how quickly Reddit can turn when authenticity is missing.
Reddit for PR: Best practices
Most public relations wins on Reddit happen in the comments. A thoughtful comment strategy can build trust faster than a branded post ever will. Keen to add Reddit brand engagement to your playbook? Keep these essentials in mind:
- Listen first. Use social listening tools to monitor relevant subreddits before your brand joins the conversation.
- Be transparent. Rethink your advertising strategies on Reddit. If you represent a brand, say so. Faking it will backfire.
- Add value. Don’t just drop links. If you want to be a part of brand-relevant conversations, you should answer questions, share insights, and reward loyal fans.
- Train your team. Reddit culture is unique. Prep spokespeople to handle skepticism.
- Embrace honesty. Feedback can be blunt. Don’t panic; use it to improve what you add to the conversation.
Tools to monitor and engage
You don’t need to refresh Reddit all day to keep up. Tools like Meltwater, Brandwatch, and Reddit’s native alerts can help you monitor conversations and track shifts in sentiment. If you're looking for a free tool to track your Reddit mentions, try F5 bot.
Combined with social listening tools, Reddit becomes a real-time focus group that reveals what your audience truly thinks.
Use Reddit for public relations to gain an edge
PR teams that dismiss Reddit as “just another forum” miss out on one of the internet’s richest sources of social insights.
It’s not for the faint of heart, but for brands that want to listen to community members and engage honestly. And it’s a goldmine of earned media opportunities. Here's how you can integrate Reddit into your PR strategy:
Make Reddit insights work harder
Don’t let your Reddit insights sit in a deck. Turn the patterns you uncover from user behavior into sharper brand narratives. Whether it be on Reddit itself, in your newsroom, and across your press releases. Use these insights to fuel content creation that’s not only timely but deeply relevant to what your audience actually cares about. Apply what you’ve learnt to refine your messages across channels and achieve genuine traction.
Reddit and AI Search Rankings: An Emerging Opportunity
As AI-powered search engines become more sophisticated, the content and conversations on Reddit are gaining new importance. Because AI models often draw from a wide variety of online sources—including forums and user-generated discussions—mentions and authentic engagement on Reddit can help improve how your brand is understood in AI-driven search results.
This doesn’t mean Reddit alone will boost your rankings overnight, but it does add important context, backlinks, and signals that help AI and search engines understand you better. So, using Reddit in your PR and SEO game isn’t just about joining the conversation—it’s a savvy way to get ahead in how people find you through AI search.
Build a smart public relations strategy with Reddit and PR.co
The first step toward brand stories that truly resonate is to listen in the right places. Reddit can help you understand what your audience cares about and transform how you communicate.
At PR.co, we help brands turn these insights into newsroom updates, press releases, and campaigns that actually land —supporting your goals for long-term reputation building.
Want to develop a more thoughtful and responsive PR strategy? Book a demo and let’s explore how your newsroom can support that.
Ana is a marketer at pr.co, and is the driving force behind our 100+ articles and guides. Ana has an MSc in Corporate Communications, and four years of experience in the PR industry. Now, Ana distills knowledge from pr.co’s 250+ customers to help PR professionals get better results through high-quality content.. Connect on LinkedIn or send an email