Reddit: The Alternative Platform Finally Becomes Mainstream

The social platform Reddit recently received a Balkan version of the super-popular subreddit LinkedIn Lunatics (LinkedIn Ludjaci) where cringe-worthy posts from LinkedIn are shared. The number of users wanting to read this somewhat banal, pseudo-philosophical content about business success and life secrets has exceeded 3,400, but it has also angered the LinkedIn team, who diligently post, network professionally, and strive to build a great personal brand on that favorite business platform. The skilled PR professionals among them have even announced that they are on the mentioned subreddit, thus creating a sort of advertisement for it (I learned about this subreddit precisely on LinkedIn).

But this is not a story about cringe moments on LinkedIn or the diversion of Reddit’s mischief-makers; it is a clear example of how the latter platform is penetrating the mainstream, becoming increasingly popular, and thus more attractive to brands. Recently, Fast Company wrote about how posts from Reddit are increasingly being reposted on other platforms, making it more visible and popular. This is, of course, a great thing for them, but the leakage of content to other platforms could backfire in the long run (if they fail to capitalize on their newfound popularity), preventing users from opening their profiles, as they can get the best of it on Instagram, X, or LinkedIn anyway.

Traffic Boom

As explained to Fast Company by eMarketer analyst Jeremy Goldman, such posts are a very good tool for increasing the platform’s visibility. Although users may not open a profile at this moment, due to content transfer, Reddit is on its way to becoming more mainstream. That this path is good is confirmed by the data: between the second quarter of 2023 and 2024, the number of daily users increased by just under 10 million, jumping from 32.1 million to 42 million. In March, the company went public with a stock price of $47, and then in July, it rose to a record $78.08. As Fast Company writes, content from Reddit most often leaks onto TikTok, which has become a sort of additional outlet for that platform, a place where the most interesting things and summaries are posted. Reddit is thus actually being reshaped for younger generations, drawn to short formats, a group that does not want to read the entire story on the original platform. These users with shortened attention spans and concentration most often consume content with a gaming label, and that genre is the most popular on Reddit. Fast Company continues to note that youtubers have recently been drawing inspiration from Reddit – user testimonies are being turned into video format.

For example, Reddit’s forum ‘Am I The Asshole’, where users share experiences and stories about how they were wrong, turned out to be an inexhaustible treasure trove of good but controversial stories. YouTubers like Charlotte Dobre and Two Hot Takes retell these stories to their million-strong audience, recording their reactions and encouraging them to interact in live addresses. Screenshots from Reddit also end up on Instagram and X. In fact, there are even profiles dedicated solely to transferring content from Reddit, such as @darkthemereddita with over three hundred thousand followers, which posts dark stories; @toxicreddita with over two hundred thousand followers who learn about stories that are described as ‘bleh’; and funny ones can be found on @GoodReddit, which has the most followers, 1.2 million.

Punk Platform

The Reddit team is aware of this content sharing, which is why in 2023 they tried to introduce order, allowing users to share content but in a way that drives traffic to the original platform. For example, they enabled users to share content via a link, but to their great disappointment, very few use this feature; instead, they share it by taking screenshots or simply retelling a post, story, or content like TikTokers and YouTubers, which is why Reddit is losing extra traffic. Regardless of the fact that sharing does not bring additional traffic to Reddit, Fast Company believes that it still serves this punk platform that operates outside the mainstream and gathers users who are not necessarily interested in traditional social platforms; they are there because they want to share something (anonymously), learn something, or be part of a thematic community.

As more users become familiar with its content, they might get the impression that they are missing out on something (just like Instagram users watching TikTok reels on ‘their’ platform) and eventually open a profile. Since the company was recently listed on the stock exchange, this trend surely pleases investors, who are always more comfortable investing in the mainstream than in brands that are marketed as alternative. Brands share a similar stance, as Reddit’s better, centrist position could serve as motivation for them to position their campaigns and profiles there.

Successful Campaigns

One of the more successful companies with a profile on Reddit is often Blizzard Entertainment, whose official subreddit has over 94 thousand users who discuss new game releases, classics, company news, and similar topics daily. This company profile, as recently noted by the marketing blog Meltwater, excellently complements the ‘unofficial’ subreddit opened by fans of its Overwatch franchise, which has over five and a half million members. It should not be discouraged that this is a gaming company that has no trouble finding fans on Reddit (the team often engages in playing video games there), as brands unrelated to that genre/industry can also have a good run on the platform. A great example of this is Purple Mattress, which is engaged in – selling mattresses – and successfully engages users of the same-named subreddit. There, over 3.8 thousand consumers discuss its products, share advice (including about sleep), ask questions to the company, and participate in creating new products.

This platform has also proven excellent for media brands like the cult Washington Post, which launched its subreddit seven years ago and remains quite lively, managing to engage users with the content it publishes, stimulate discussions, and even gather additional information on specific topics.

In any case, the platform Reddit, which will celebrate its twentieth anniversary next year, has finally caught the attention of users from other networks, digital networking enthusiasts, brands, and investors, and it is quite likely that it will soon stand shoulder to shoulder with titans like Instagram, X, or TikTok and compete equally for advertising money.