Why Learning, Openness, & Humanity Are the Keys to Brand Growth in the Wild West of the Internet
Let’s be honest: many marketers today may not be using Reddit to its full potential. A MAGNA Global Media Trials study, created in partnership with Reddit, Inc. looks at how advertisers can leverage Reddit to connect more effectively with the communities they want to reach.
It isn’t just a social platform. It’s a living, breathing organism built on learning, openness, and ruthless honesty. Redditors aren’t there to be sold to. They’re there to learn (63%), hear diverse perspectives (59%), and weigh different options before making decisions (59%). That’s a lean-forward audience—a dream if you know what to do with it, and a lost opportunity if you don’t.
Here’s where Fame & Flow kicks in
We talk a lot about mental availability in Fame & Flow—being top-of-mind when the purchase moment hits. Reddit is where that mental availability is forged in fire. It's not about reach; it’s about resonance. If you show up here with generic content or a canned corporate tone, you’ll get chewed up and downvoted into oblivion. But offer good information, entertainment, and value? You get 54% more ad engagement. And showing up with transparency, consistency and regular engagement are the Top 3 ways to build trust and authenticity. That’s Flow in motion—content that moves people.
Let’s talk Fame for a second. Real Fame—the kind that makes your brand a topic of conversation—demands distinction and depth. Reddit delivers both. When brands are perceived as authentic, 64% of Redditors say they’re more likely to buy from those brands over competitors. That’s the Fame Quotient rising—hard-earned through human connection, not paid impressions.
Humanity First, Brand Second
Brands that thrive on Reddit don’t show up polished; they show up real. They listen, comment, ask questions, and admit mistakes. They lean into imperfection. The MAGNA study shows that 75% of Redditors are more likely to give brands another chance if they own up to mistakes. That’s Fervor—one of the F-Factors that drives real growth, not just clicks.
Want Flow? It’s right there in the behavior:
70% research a product after seeing an ad on Reddit.
52% make a purchase.
These aren’t vanity metrics. This is high-intent, high-impact behavior—exactly the kind of downstream performance most digital media tries to generate.
AMAs: The Most Underrated Tool in Brand Building
Ask Me Anything (AMA) sessions are high-leverage Fame-builders. Brands that host AMAs are seen as more authentic (63%), more respectable (77%), and more favorable (58%). Why? Because they show up, take questions, handle heat, and earn trust in real time. That’s not just engagement—it’s Following, another F-Factor that builds long-term relationships.
But don’t mistake Reddit’s openness for anything-goes. The study also shows 68% of Redditors think swearing or edgy brand behavior is inappropriate. Keep it real, not reckless. Authenticity without respect is just noise—and noise doesn’t build Fame or Flow.
So, what’s the real play here?
Reddit is not your standard ad platform. It’s about earning your place in conversations. That means showing up to learn and listen, not just to pitch and launch. Engaging with critics as well as fans—because 72% of Redditors say they’re more receptive to information from brands that talk to detractors. That’s exactly what Fame & Flow demands from modern brands.
Reddit isn’t a channel—it’s a cultural territory. A place where brand growth isn’t bought, it’s earned. A space where Familiarity, Favorability, Fervor, and Following aren’t theoretical, they’re visible, trackable, and alive in every thread, comment, and AMA. If you lean into Reddit’s learning mindset, if you show up open, human, and ready to build trust, you don’t just get Flow. You get Fame that lasts.
“Reddit for Real” isn’t just a research project. It’s a wake-up call. A blueprint. A challenge to stop hiding behind polished campaigns and start showing up where it counts—with something to say.
Source: Reddit for Real: Unlocking the True Potential of Reddit for Brands