Reddit 2018 Report Shows 1.4 Billion Native Video Views Per Month

As much as I am obsessed with marketing and learning how to be a better leader...I’m just as interested in all things Real Housewives/Bravo TV.

So much so, Andy Cohen, Bravo Executive Producer, was my favorite part of INBOUND 2017. (Aside from all the learning of course…)

I turn to Reddit on the daily to get the scoop on all the trash TV shows I love via my favorite sub-Reddit, r/BravoRealHousewives.

It’s not often my guilty pleasure and my day job collide (again, thank you, HubSpot for Andy’s presence at INBOUND), but in reading Search Engine Land’s story about how Reddit now has 1.4 billion native video views per month, something clicked for me.

The Power of Reddit Video

So, I've actually never posted a single thing on Reddit; I just creep and read/watch things I enjoy.

Why is this? Well, for one, I’m too embarrassed by my level of Bravo fandom to put myself out there and fully engage in conversations about Tamra from Real Housewives of Orange County (ugh!) -- but I’m also slightly scared.

A lot of marketers tend to have the same fear about Reddit - what if I post something and upset other users? They can be ruthless and you can get banned.

However, when you think about it, Reddit is all about uniting communities and having authentic conversations about topics you love.

Sounds eerily similar to inbound, right?

With video, this commonality becomes even more undeniable. 

Reddit only introduced native video in 2017, which means that 1.4 billion views happened in just over a year.

That’s insane growth that you’re missing out on if you aren’t having authentic interactions in a sub-Reddit that aligns with your brand/content sweet spot.

When I say, “brand,” I mean real people within your company. Think personal thought leadership over company brand awareness.

Redditers will see right through a brand campaign, but if it’s real people genuinely trying to help, Redditers embrace it.

Video is an excellent way to educate and help those with questions about your subject matter expertise.

Reddit's layout that makes it easy to connect to the right people + video supporting awareness and thought leadership is a recipe for inbound success.

How so? Let's check out some examples.

How Inbound Marketers Can Use Reddit Video

Whether you're a B2B or B2C business, there are several use cases to test out native Reddit video. For example:

• r/SkincareAddiction has 796,000+ members that address questions and concerns around, you guessed it, skincare. If you are involved in the beauty industry like some of our clients, this is a great community to engage in and help by answering questions via native video or posting tutorials.

• r/sales has 55,000+ members that discuss sales best practices, tools, etc. If you offer sales technology or coaching, this is the place to be on Reddit to offer up your expertise and support. Your prospects are on Reddit asking questions, so use video as a way to put a face to a name and answer their questions.

• Even for us, r/videography has 52,000+ members, in which tips and critiques are shared. I’m sure our resident video experts could engage in that community without pushing services to build more of their subject matter authority.

There are thousands of sub-Reddits that could potentially align with your content focus. With video engagement so strong on the platform, it just may be what your audience is looking for.