The research, created in partnership with WPP, examined how people on the platform gain insights into brands and make buying decisions.

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“Sociable” is the latest commentary on important social media developments and trends from industry expert Andrew Hutchinson of Social Media Today.

Reddit published a new study, created in conjunction with WPP, which examined how prospective buyers use Reddit insights to inform their purchase decisions. The research also looked at how Reddit communities help shape the consideration process.

The data, based on combined surveys of more than 13,000 Reddit users, highlighted the evolving path to purchase online. It also examined how Reddit’s growing audience is influenced within that process.

Reddit said that influence is often in contrast to traditional marketing approaches.

As per Reddit: “Most marketing frameworks still center on awareness and influence. They’re structured to get ideas in front of people and generate buzz, but that’s not always where decisions happen. There’s usually a pause before people commit, a moment where they investigate a little further to sense-check what they’ve seen.”

This is where Reddit stands out, according to the research. Response data showed:

• Seventy-seven percent of Redditors said they visited two or more communities to validate a purchase decision.
• Sixty-three percent of Redditors said they’re more confident in decisions made based on Reddit community interactions when directly compared to other social platforms.
• Fifty-eight percent of Redditors agreed that seeing a brand respond directly to a customer question in a thread increased their trust in that brand.

The results suggested that Reddit users often come to the platform with specific intent, with the platform’s 493 million weekly visitors seeking out specific insights to inform their shopping journey. This data could inform marketing approaches in the app.

Reddit said its users seek out conversations to glean insight into purchase decisions, as opposed to validating a pre-determined answer.

“Across thousands of communities, people search and navigate real conversations, which often surface different sides of a decision as people work through it in real time,” Reddit said.

That means that marketers need to focus on consideration and comparison, and how they can play a part in meeting potential customers within this process, as opposed to traditional brand awareness and placement options.

Indeed, Reddit said that ads placed inside contextually relevant communities have driven up to 16 times higher purchase intent compared to keyword-based targeting alone. Reddit users are also 30% more likely to engage with ads that appear in relevant subreddits compared to elsewhere.

The message here is that people come to Reddit to learn, not just be sold to. Brands need to understand this process in order to maximize placement and connect with consumers.

With more people coming to Reddit via artificial intelligence chatbot links or referrals from Google Search, that could be a valuable consideration for marketers.