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The Results Are In: Reddit Is the Most Trusted Recommendations Platform

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Published on January 10, 2025

New research has described Reddit as the number one social media platform for finding “immediate answers to specific questions”.

The current search landscape continues to push AI-generated content to users, which has made authentic human content all the more valuable and difficult to find – especially when it comes to online research for product recommendations. A recent survey, by Reddit, of 7,000 prospective buyers, has confirmed these difficulties and further identified Reddit as a hub for influential product recommendations.

But what makes Reddit stand out among the competition? In this article, I’ll walk through the research findings and show you the ways your business could make use of the purchase power that Reddit holds.

Over 40% of Buyers Favor Reddit Recommendations

Reddit’s research shows the platform plays a big part in buyers’ purchase decisions. This is mainly down to the conversational style of its posts, which differs from the sponsored advertisements and stilted AI Overviews that dominate search engine results pages.

It’s also becoming increasingly difficult to find trusted content on social media since the influencer markets on TikTok and Instagram are booming. Reddit’s survey showed that:

Eight Reddit recommendations has equal reach to a TikTok influencer with 100,000 followers
Six Reddit recommendations has equal reach to an Instagram influencer with 100,000 followers

Another factor differentiating Reddit is that its users often enter the platform by searching for an answer to a general problem rather than opinions on specific products. This means they are open minded to nuanced answers.

How Can Your Business Utilize Reddit?

So, it’s clear that Reddit recommendations can be of great value to your business, but how can you encourage these posts?

Reddit recommends that businesses should invest in Reddit ads – specifically conversation placement ads – in relevant conversations within your product category, and that doing so will “lead to more organic posts, creating a multiplier effect of discoverability.” As well as this, these ads integrate into the conversation and are helpful when a buyer is actively seeking advice and open to new recommendations.

Reddit conversation about small business earnings with a santander banking ad to the right hand side — Conversation ads are placed in front of high-intent buyers during the crucial decision-making point. When relevant, like this banking ad shown in a small business discussion, they can be highly influential. Source: Website Builder Expert

Reddit also explains that “there is an opportunity for brands to get outsized returns by converting users on Reddit to brand advocates.” While it stands to reason that paid sponsorships with Reddit users could be lucrative for businesses, the rise of Reddit influencers could quickly detach the platform from its reputation of being a valued source of unmotivated advice.

It’s clear that consumers are seeking trustworthy, conversational content when making purchasing decisions. In light of this, it’s a good idea to explore adding more user generated content – including Reddit conversations about your products – to your social and reviews pages.

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Annie Angus Writer

Annie Angus is a Writer for Website Builder Expert with a passion for shaping jargon-heavy research into digestible content. She has previously researched and written about industries ranging from tech to fashion, and now, after testing our top website builders such as Wix and Squarespace, she is enthusiastic to share her findings with our readers. With first-hand experience in utilizing social media and online marketplaces to grow a small handmade clothing business, Annie understands the priorities and concerns held by SME owners, and knows precisely what they look for in a website builder. She combines this unique perspective with her knowledge of website builders to produce engaging content spanning all areas of the small business journey, from creating a strong website to growing and maintaining an audience.