More brands than ever before are asking us about Reddit. They know it is influencing AI search, but many are still very nervous about getting involved.
That hesitation is very understandable. Reddit communities can be fiercely protective, and users are quick to spot brands that arrive with a sales message. Staying away also means missing the conversations shaping how customers and AI platforms see your brand.
Our advice is simple. Be open, honest and helpful. Listen before contributing, answer the question being asked and share expertise people can use.
Reddit is already shaping AI-generated answers
Reddit contains millions of detailed conversations about products, services and brands. People explain what they bought, why they chose it, what went wrong and whether they would recommend it.
This is exactly the type of information AI platforms use when answering questions such as the following:
- Which provider is best?
- Is this product worth buying?
- What problems do customers have with this brand?
- Which company would people recommend?
- How does one product compare with another?
A 2026 Semrush study analysed 126 million prompts across ChatGPT, Gemini and Microsoft Copilot. Between January and April 2026, Reddit was mentioned in AI-generated answers 25.8 million times and cited as a source more than 77 million times.
Reddit also appeared 12 times more frequently than the next closest brand in news and media-related prompts. (Inc.)
Brand teams need to understand where Reddit is influencing AI answers, what is being said and how those conversations compare with the brand story appearing across owned content and media coverage.
Reddit has the greatest influence during consideration
A Textbroker webinar featuring Cody Christensen, Katarina De Almeida and Jules de Bruin shared findings from an analysis of 30,000 AI citations.
The research found that 56% of Reddit citations appeared in consideration-stage prompts, compared with 23% in informational prompts and 21% in transactional prompts. Reddit has the greatest influence when people are comparing providers and deciding which brands to choose.
A small, specific Reddit discussion can influence AI recommendations long after the original conversation has slowed down. Brands need to understand which threads are being cited and how those conversations shape the way they are described.
What Reddit can tell AI about your brand
Reddit users tend to be very specific. They discuss pricing, product features, customer service experiences, common problems and the reasons behind their buying decisions.
A positive media article may show that a brand has expertise. Reddit conversations add customer experiences, product opinions and direct comparisons. Together, these sources help AI platforms build a broader picture of the brand.
Repeated complaints can also create a strong signal. If several threads mention the same problem, AI platforms have a body of evidence they can draw on when describing the company.
When a brand has no presence in the conversations linked to its category, customers, former customers and competitors are left to shape its reputation.
Two different approaches to Reddit
Adidas used an AMA in r/RunningShoeGeeks to connect Simon Lockett, its Global Category Director of Running Footwear, directly with a highly relevant community.
Simon answered questions about the Adizero EVO SL, including its cushioning, durability, stability, laces, design choices and future product plans. He also discussed how feedback from Reddit and other online communities feeds into the product development process.
Adidas has used a similar approach with professional athletes, including David Njoku, combining product expertise with the perspective of people who use the products at the highest level.
The format worked because Adidas gave the community direct access to people with genuine experience. The answers were open, useful and specific, including responses to criticism and technical product questions.
For brands that feel nervous about participating on Reddit, this is a strong example to follow. Put the right expert in the right community, let people ask what they want and give them clear answers. That openness builds trust and creates useful conversations that may also shape how the brand is understood and recommended across AI search.
How Fortune used exclusive access to drive Reddit traffic
Fortune shared a news story directly in r/finance, giving users a useful summary before encouraging them to read the full article on its website.
The usual paywall was removed for Reddit users through a dedicated UTM link. This gave the community free access to the reporting and gave Fortune a clear way to track visits coming from Reddit.
It is a simple incentive for users to leave the platform. Fortune contributed relevant information to the discussion, then gave Redditors something extra in return for clicking through.
For publishers and brands, the lesson is clear: give people a genuine reason to visit your website. Exclusive access, useful resources or more detailed data can turn Reddit activity into measurable referral traffic while respecting the community.
How brands can use Reddit AMAs
Ask Me Anything threads give brands a chance to put their experts directly in front of a relevant Reddit community.
An AMA could feature a product lead, founder, technical specialist, researcher or brand ambassador. The right person will depend on the questions the community wants answered and the expertise the brand can genuinely share.
Preparation is important, but answers should still feel open and natural. Reddit users may ask about product decisions, future plans, pricing, performance or previous criticism. Brands need a spokesperson who knows the subject well and feels comfortable answering direct questions.
As above, adidas used this approach in r/RunningShoeGeeks, where Simon Lockett, its Global Category Director of Running Footwear, answered detailed questions about cushioning, durability, stability, design choices and future launches.
The AMA gave runners access to someone involved in creating the products they use. It also gave adidas first-hand insight into the questions, concerns and product details its target audience cared about.
Brands considering an AMA should:
- Choose a community closely connected to the topic.
- Put forward someone with genuine knowledge and authority.
- Speak to moderators before planning the session.
- Prepare for positive, technical and critical questions.
- Give clear answers without turning every response into a sales message.
- Review the discussion afterwards for audience insights and future content ideas.
A useful AMA can create a detailed, searchable conversation around the brand and its expertise. Those answers may continue helping Reddit users and influencing the information available to AI platforms long after the live session has finished.
Start with listening
A common mistake is opening a Reddit account and immediately publishing brand posts.
Reddit users tend to respond badly when a company arrives with a promotional message and little understanding of the community.
Brand teams should review the communities, threads and questions connected to priority products and services. This can uncover:
- Recurring customer complaints.
- Questions that remain unanswered.
- Inaccurate claims about the brand.
- Competitor strengths mentioned by users.
- Topics where the brand has useful expertise.
- The language people use when discussing buying decisions.
- Threads and communities appearing in AI-generated answers.
These insights can shape what the brand contributes, where it participates and which reputation issues need attention first.
At JBH, we combine AI visibility data with Reddit social listening to understand the conversations shaping AI answers.
This gives our clients audience-led insights to guide their Reddit strategy, identify reputation risks and work towards more positive brand recommendations across AI and LLM-generated responses.
Our five-stage Reddit framework
We use a five-stage process to connect Reddit activity with AI visibility.
1. Measure
We review the prompts, AI-generated answers and Reddit citations connected to the brand.
This gives us a baseline showing where Reddit is already influencing visibility, which competitors are being recommended and which sources AI platforms use.
2. Listen
We analyse relevant Reddit communities, conversations, sentiment and audience language.
This helps us understand the context behind the data and the reasons certain brands are praised, criticised or recommended.
3. Prioritise
We focus on the communities, reputation issues and recommendation gaps most closely connected to the client’s commercial priorities and AI visibility.
4. Participate
Brands can then contribute useful information based on genuine expertise and community needs.
The contribution needs to fit the discussion. Answering a specific question clearly will usually be more useful than publishing a polished brand message.
5. Prove
We monitor citation frequency, share of presence and changes in AI-generated recommendations.
This shows whether the brand is gaining visibility and whether the conversations influencing AI answers are changing over time.
How brands can get started
- Begin by searching Reddit for your company name, products, services and senior experts. Repeat the process for your main competitors.
- Review the questions where competitors are recommended and record the reasons users give. Look for repeated complaints and check whether inaccurate information has been left unanswered.
- Then compare those conversations with the sources appearing in AI-generated answers.
More brands are recognising that Reddit needs a place within their digital PR and AI visibility strategy. Many still feel nervous about participating and are missing an opportunity to understand their audience, manage reputation risks and contribute to the conversations influencing recommendations.
Be open, honest and helpful. Learn how each community works, answer the question being asked and share expertise that people can genuinely use.
If you’d like a Reddit audit for your brand, email hello@jbh.co.uk with your website and the competitors you want us to review.