Reddit and Social Commerce: When Users Take Back Control

From my personal experience, even though I’ve fully gotten used to using AI for many things in my daily life, Reddit is still one of my go-to platforms when I’m looking for an answer that feels genuinely human. Something lived, experienced, or simply shared by others.

Sometimes I do not want a neatly packaged answer or a perfectly ranked list. I just want to know what other people think. It could be a passing question while I am scrolling on the bus, like: “Who is actually watching the Tour de France this year, and why?” Or something more specific before I click “buy”: “Does this Logitech mouse actually hold up or does it disconnect randomly like some people say?”

That is when I turn to Reddit. Because I know I will find real conversations, personal insights, frustrations and practical advice. Not sales copy or influencer videos. Just people sharing what they have experienced. And more often than not, that is all I need to feel confident in my decision.

Reddit is not a conventional social platform. There are no followers, no influencers, no filters. What it offers instead are deeply engaged communities (subreddits), detailed discussions and, most importantly, search results based on real language and shared experience.

Every day, millions of people enter queries like:

• “Best wireless mouse for Mac reddit”
• “Laptop for video editing reddit”
• “Worth it skincare reddit 2025”

And it makes sense. In 2025, Reddit reached around 1.36 billion monthly active users, marking an 11% increase over 2024. Reddit is no longer just a niche forum. It has become a global space where experiences and recommendations are exchanged at scale.

They do this because they trust they will find honest feedback from actual users. Not scripted videos or affiliate content. This is social proof in its most authentic form. When someone takes the time to write a long, thoughtful post simply to help others, it carries more weight than any branded campaign.

Reddit has become the place where purchasing decisions begin to take shape. It is the stage where questions form and doubts begin to dissolve.

Reddit’s revenue has more than doubled between early 2023 and early 2025, showing strong and steady growth over the last eight quarters.

Reddit is changing. Ads are appearing more often, formats are becoming more refined and brands are beginning to engage. But its essence remains the same. Conversations come first, marketing comes later.

People do not visit Reddit to follow brands. They come to talk to each other. That means brands cannot dominate. They need to earn the right to be heard, and that begins with listening.

This shift mirrors broader consumer behaviour. People no longer want polished promises. They want honesty, nuance and transparency. Reddit is one of the few places where those values are still the norm.

Is Reddit the dark horse of Social Commerce?

Everyone talks about TikTok, Instagram, or Pinterest when it comes to social commerce. But what if the real game-changer has been Reddit all along? With highly active communities and a focus on authenticity, Reddit is quietly becoming a serious player in the e-commerce world.

Why are more brands paying attention? What makes Reddit stand out from mainstream platforms?

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In traditional social commerce, the flow is simple. A brand posts content, a user engages and a purchase follows.

On Reddit, it is the opposite. The user takes the first step. They ask questions, look for comparisons and seek reassurance. The community responds, shares lists, highlights concerns and offers their own preferences.

This is commerce shaped by conversation, not conversions. For brands that listen, it is a goldmine of insight.

• What is stopping people from buying
• Which features truly matter
• What minor frustrations could turn people away
• What trends are forming before they become mainstream

Yes, brands can have a presence. But only if they respect Reddit’s culture. That means staying humble, relevant and honest.

Join in transparently

Some brands create verified accounts and take part in discussions or AMAs (Ask Me Anything). For example, Audi organized an AMA session with its engineers, gathering over 2,000 comments and strengthening community engagement. This helped build trust while also increasing the product’s visibility. It works well when done sincerely.

Use Reddit to listen, not just speak

Reddit is unmatched for qualitative insight. People write with detail and context, often sharing both positive and negative experiences. This content is ideal for improving product pages, refining tone of voice or rethinking messaging.

Explore Reddit Ads, but carefully

Reddit Ads allow targeting by interest or subreddit. A brand in sports nutrition can appear in r/Running or r/Fitness without interrupting the flow. These formats work particularly well for awareness and retargeting. For example: a campaign by the Ad Council generated over 71,000 website visits, simply by targeting specific subreddits aligned with their audience. This proves that Reddit can deliver quality traffic when approached with the right tone and strategy.

Co-create with your audience

Some companies use Reddit to test ideas, preview features or gather honest opinions. The feedback is raw and sometimes blunt, but always valuable.

Reddit is not trying to replace Amazon or eBay or your brand’s own site. It sits further upstream in the buying journey.

Buyers today do not follow a straight path. They bounce between apps and tabs, influenced by friends, reviews, algorithms and gut feeling. Reddit plays a role in that web of decisions. It is where people weigh up options, voice hesitations and search for real reassurance.

For ecommerce brands, this means:

• Watching what is said in relevant subreddits
• Bringing insights from Reddit into product descriptions and FAQs
• Pre-empting objections seen in discussions
• Adapting tone to reflect how people actually talk about the product
• To explore Reddit Ads as a complementary channel by targeting relevant communities without disrupting the natural flow of conversation.

Reddit does not follow the usual rules of online commerce. And maybe that is exactly why it works.
Here, people do not sell. They tell stories, ask questions, share experiences. And it is these exchanges – often spontaneous, sometimes imperfect, that end up influencing decisions.

For brands, Reddit is neither a miracle channel nor a conquered territory. It is a space to listen before trying to speak. A place where you learn more than you convert. And that is precisely what makes it valuable.