Many digital marketers are scared of reddit, but it's actually an excellent tool for community engagement and content marketing. Here are lessons and tips learned from one of Lightspan's community managers, including how to prepare for an AMA.

1. Try, Fail, Repeat
A reddit marketing case study
Jamie Rutter, senior community manager

2. Take a guess
Which of these brands do you think succeeded the best on
reddit?
● an intimate moisturizer for menopausal women
● allergy-friendly/vegan candy
● lube for couples trying to get pregnant
● moving company

3. Answer: the lube
After less than 4 months, Pre-Seed had over 200 karma
(link and comment combined), hosted an AMA and
generated over 1200 sessions on the brand’s website.
The moisturizer’s account crashed and burned (“obvious marketer is obvious”), the moving company
generated website traffic but not conversions or conversations, and the candy didn’t get much
momentum.

4. This is why it worked
There were subreddits specifically for their target audience (which vastly
differs from reddit’s overall demographics), making community engagement
that much easier. These community members were already talking about the
exact problem Pre-Seed aims to solve and about the product itself.

5. This is why it worked

6. What they liked
They reacted well to helpful, uplifting and personable
interaction.
Do those traits sound familiar? It should because that’s authentic community engagement.

7. What they liked

8. What they didn’t like
This came across as too promotional and
inauthentic.

9. Where it was fuzzy
Some of the content we shared, while helpful, was
occasionally called out as marketing material. But
having a supportive, engaged community means
you have fans who will have your back! That’s why it’s
so important to build rapport and trust within the
community.

10. Where it was fuzzy

11. AMA
After being supportive and informative with positive
reactions from the redditors, a mod reached out and invited
us to host an AMA!
It was a regulatory’s worst nightmare.

12. AMA: how
After scheduling a time with the subreddit’s mod and
announcing the AMA, there was a lot of prep behind the
scenes.
● Pre-approved documents with example responses to every possible question we predicted
● “Command center” conference line with regulatory for real-time answers to risky questions
● Promotion on other social channels

13. AMA: how
During the hour-long live AMA
● Every question or comment was answered
● Questions were not seeded
● Sales were not pitched
● Website content was only linked to when 100% relevant
● Tone was kept light and friendly

14. AMA: measuring success
1st priority: community engagement/branding
2nd: creating a search-friendly FAQ resource on reddit
3rd: website traffic

15. Lesson:
You can’t start the conversation, but you can be part of it!
Seek out active, relevant communities and join in by providing something of value (information,
accessibility, support, humor, etc.). This builds trust, rapport and fans!

16. Checklist for success
❏ Useful content
❏ Voice that matches your community’s
❏ Free reign to represent brand
❏ Related community on reddit (not just target
demographic)
❏ Organic conversations related to brand
❏ Follow reddiquette
Follow my 5-step reddit marketing guide to get more tips from this case study!

17. Just starting?
This guide will teach you how to search for and identify
your community on reddit, how to interact with them and
how to leverage your wins AND failures.