Reddit has quietly been a bit of a secret weapon in the paid media mix at Sonar for a while now.
Strong targeting. Cost-effective. A nice supporting channel. Maybe a little fringe, but it feels fringe no longer.
Reddit is fast becoming a critical platform alongside the established big tech players. Not just because it’s growing, but because it now sits in the middle of how people discover brands, and how AI understands them too. It consistently shows up high in Google for intent-driven, problem-based searches. And unlike most platforms, visibility on Reddit is earned through relevance, credibility, and contribution (not paid reach).
Why Reddit Now Sits Inside the Decision Funnel
You can see the shift most clearly in search.
Reddit threads routinely rank on the first page of Google for high-intent queries, especially those driven by comparison, validation, and recommendations. Searches like:
- best software for small business Australia
- is this brand worth it
- real reviews for financial services
These often surface Reddit discussions above brand sites, affiliate content, and major publishers. Google’s emphasis on first-hand experience and depth has worked heavily in Reddit’s favour. If your category is being discussed on Reddit, those conversations are influencing buyer decisions well before conversion.
Reddit’s Expanding Role in AI-Driven Discovery
It doesn’t stop at search.
Large language models rely on public discussion to understand how products and services are actually perceived. Reddit provides the nuance and real-world context that AI systems value and marketing copy often avoids. So, AI-generated recommendations increasingly reflect Reddit consensus, even when Reddit isn’t cited directly. For Australian businesses, that introduces a new layer of reputational exposure.
So, in this way, community sentiment is now part of the input shaping AI-driven discovery and brand framing.
What This Means for Australian Digital Marketers
For Australian marketers, this changes where influence is built. SEO is no longer largely limited to owned content as public conversation now shape organic visibility. Brand positioning is no longer defined solely by messaging, but reinforced, or challenged, by community.
Local subreddits in finance, technology, property, and careers play an outsized role here, and these discussions often rank in search for years, compounding visibility and trust in ways traditional social content simply can’t. This isn’t a typical channel strategy, the implications for Reddit impact multiple areas. It’s functioning as a discovery engine, a trust signal, and in many ways, a public record of brand sentiment.
How Australian Marketers Should Respond
Like with any platform, it is prudent to start with listening first. Using Reddit as a live research layer to understand: language, objections, expectations. These insights will inform SEO, content, and product strategy. Over time, some brands are choosing to empower subject matter experts to engage transparently, prioritising usefulness over visibility.
While the media buying portion is still relevant and important. A ‘test and learn’ approach here is helpful. In all cases, the brands seeing the most benefit from Reddit aren’t treating it as a promotional platform, the mindset is the same: influence through usefulness, as opposed to sales and attribution.
Conclusion
Reddit is becoming an increasingly important channel for driving awareness and trust for Australian brands. It’s not a straightforward paid media, PR, or SEO/AEO play.
It’s a blend of all, supported by strong community understanding and careful participation.
Brands that learn how to operate in this environment now will be better positioned as Reddit continues to grow in influence across the digital marketing mix.
