The digital marketing playbook is being fundamentally rewritten by artificial intelligence.
Large language models (LLMs) are the new information gatekeepers, synthesizing vast web content into chat summaries. At the same time, people spend less time interacting with each other on social media, and more time scrolling an endless algorithmic video feed.
This has exacerbated a long-running existential problem for brands, who want to stay visible and reach the right people.
At Reddit, our 20-year-old corpus sits at the heart of these shifts. People and brands are flocking to Reddit because it’s one of the last places for authentic, unfiltered human conversation on the internet. So it’s no surprise Reddit has become the most-cited source across all major AI platforms, according to Profound.
Brands have caught on and started engaging on our platform, but that doesn’t guarantee it’ll be captured by the LLMs. The search ecosystem is still under construction, and while we don’t have all the answers yet, what we know so far is that showing up on Reddit does correlate with an increase in LLM mentions.
So, what does being on Reddit look like? Here’s how we think about it:
Show up where you add value
Reddit’s content is trusted and influential because it’s real word-of-mouth. Content is posted, moderated, and voted on by real people who are committed to maintaining quality conversations.
This human-validated content shows up in LLM queries because it’s distinctive from the owned, transactional nature of traditional channels. On Reddit, you’re not going to be the center of attention, so you need to focus on where you’re showing up across the platform and how you’re adding value.
LLMs prioritize helpfulness
LLMs optimize for semiotic cues of “helpfulness,” specifically: question and response formats, balanced perspectives, and conversational language, according to research from Profound.
To leverage this on Reddit, focus your activity on creating meaningful dialogue, because organic conversations are what the LLMs are indexing. Position your brand as a source of unique expertise – whether you’re providing exclusive details on a product launch or hosting an expert-led “Ask Me Anything” (AMA).
By prioritizing helpfulness, your brand moves beyond attention-based marketing to become a trusted, human presence that listens to feedback and actively meets people’s needs.
Engagement triggers LLMs
Redditors want the curtain pulled back on how things are made and how they work: they come to the platform to engage deeply with the topics they care about. By showing up and sharing information with them, you’ll spark the kinds of interactions LLMs are looking for.
