The state of social media today can be best described as “healthy”. Not only are networks such as Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn enormously popular (sorry, Myspace!), but there are some other channels also available that cater to different levels of involvement and interest.
If you are involved in a small business in some capacity, or perhaps in business for yourself as a contractor or freelancer, then you should be using as many of the different social media platforms as you can, within reason. The point is to not only get your name out there but to have that name linked to the word “expert”. After all, experts inspire confidence in customers and clients, and that translates into more business for you.
So now, we will focus on how you can use Reddit to make yourself into an authority to whom people will turn.
What The Heck Is Reddit?
First thing’s first; let’s take a look at what Reddit is. Put simply, Reddit is a social networking site where members post links, media, and stories to the site and members vote and comment on the posts. The more votes a post gets, the higher it rises in visibility, even to the point of being seen on the public home page.
Reddit is further broken down into subreddits, individual communities devoted to its own particular subject, such as food, gaming, news, health, whatever. Each community has its own users and moderators.
Here’s another way of looking at it. Have you ever found yourself reading an article that you enjoyed so much that you turned to whoever you were with and said “Hey, check this out!”? That’s what you’re doing with Reddit, but with a bigger audience.
Using Reddit To Boost Your Credentials
To be recognized as an expert in a particular field, it helps to show people that you’ve been exposed to good ideas and sound knowledge related to the field in question. Translating this to Reddit, you would do well to join subreddits that cover subjects related to your particular occupation, business focus, and areas of expertise.
Once you join the right subreddits, you need to start posting articles and links that show that you are well-versed on the subject. If you find good, substantial articles from reliable sources and post them, you’re telling Reddit users “Hey, my expertise derives from solid facts and ideas like the ones I’m presenting here!”
After all, an expert is someone who knows what they’re talking about, and that’s how you show it. Of course, it cuts both ways. If you’re posting articles and links that contain inaccurate, unreliable information, you’ll get tarred with the same brush. That’s why you have to be choosy in what you post.
Ask Me Anything
There’s a subreddit called Ask Me Anything, which is talked about in the article “How Publishers Can Use Reddit”. Moderators can schedule an AMA wherein a featured person of particular interest does a question and answer session. This sort of thing is great for getting publicity and establishing one’s expertise in their chosen field.
Every new social media site that comes along is another opportunity for professionals to get themselves known by the rest of the word. Consider checking out Reddit and, when you’re done, look for other networks to keep spreading the word!