{"id":3320,"date":"2020-09-01T10:33:20","date_gmt":"2020-09-01T05:03:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/razorpay.com\/learn\/?p=3320"},"modified":"2024-06-28T13:54:08","modified_gmt":"2024-06-28T08:24:08","slug":"discussion-forums-quora-reddit-for-business","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/razorpay.com\/learn\/discussion-forums-quora-reddit-for-business\/","title":{"rendered":"Social Media Marketing for Businesses: Decoding Discussion Forums"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">While looking for suitable smartphone brands for my next purchase, I went to the current users or experts for feedback and suggestions. Some of these people were my known, present on the WhatsApp group with my friends. I found the others in a sub-Reddit of tech enthusiasts and on a Quora page discussing the new range of X brand mobiles. Discussion forums host some of the most direct conversations about brands, more than any other social media network.<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_80 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-transparent ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-69d68a12e27f0\" class=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-label\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/label><input type=\"checkbox\"  id=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-69d68a12e27f0\"  aria-label=\"Toggle\" \/><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/razorpay.com\/learn\/discussion-forums-quora-reddit-for-business\/#What-is-social-media-marketing\" >What is social media marketing?\u00a0<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/razorpay.com\/learn\/discussion-forums-quora-reddit-for-business\/#What-is-the-best-social-media-platform-for-your-business\" >What is the best social media platform for your business?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/razorpay.com\/learn\/discussion-forums-quora-reddit-for-business\/#Discussion-forums-Building-reliable-communities\" >Discussion forums: Building reliable communities\u00a0<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/razorpay.com\/learn\/discussion-forums-quora-reddit-for-business\/#Understanding-discussion-forums-Quora\" >Understanding discussion forums: Quora<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/razorpay.com\/learn\/discussion-forums-quora-reddit-for-business\/#Understanding-discussion-forums-Reddit\" >Understanding discussion forums: Reddit<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/razorpay.com\/learn\/discussion-forums-quora-reddit-for-business\/#The-perfect-discussion-forum-for-you\" >The perfect discussion forum for you<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/razorpay.com\/learn\/discussion-forums-quora-reddit-for-business\/#Managing-discussion-forums\" >Managing discussion forums<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What-is-social-media-marketing\"><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">What is social media marketing?\u00a0<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When an enterprise uses social media platforms to communicate their activities, propositions and culture, with the hope of improving specific metrics, it is called social media marketing.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The statistics below show how rapidly businesses are taking to social media.<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Coschedule.com noted that 97% of marketers use social media for marketing purposes.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">78% of salespersons are using social media to move ahead of their peers.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Oberlo noted that 73% of marketers said that social media marketing had given them results lying between \u201csomewhat effective\u201d to \u201cvery effective\u201d.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The essence here is that businesses are slowly realising the power of social media. They want to tap into the infinite opportunities that it holds. However, these opportunities will give the best results only when your content is in sync with your social media.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What-is-the-best-social-media-platform-for-your-business\"><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">What is the best social media platform for your business?<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The biggest myth of social media marketing is that your reach is as high as the number of platforms you are on. Not every platform is suited to every business. Similarly, not all content formats can be used on all platforms. The social media platform(s) for your business should be selected after reviewing multiple factors, which we will discuss further. Every platform brings with it various pros and cons, list of suitable content formats and some defining characteristics. Based on these features, they are divided into three categories:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><b><a href=\"https:\/\/razorpay.com\/learn\/social-networking-platforms-businesses\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Social Networking Platforms<\/a>: <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter<\/span><\/b><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 19px; font-weight: bold;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/razorpay.com\/learn\/media-sharing-platform-for-your-business-instagram-youtube\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Media Sharing Platforms<\/a>: <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Instagram, YouTube<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 19px; font-weight: bold;\">Discussion Forums: <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Quora, Reddit<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">At some places, the differentiating factors between these platforms might get blurred. However, their core functionality is what makes them stand apart from each other.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Discussion-forums-Building-reliable-communities\"><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Discussion forums: Building reliable communities\u00a0<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Discussion forums are platforms which facilitate conversations among like-minded people, around topics which interest all members on the forum. These are known as community-building platforms because the ultimate goal for these forums is to create close-knit communities. These communities can then influence their members positively with respect to brands, products and services. The content strategy for discussion forums isn\u2019t that direct and format-driven, which we will see further.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Including discussion forums in your social media strategy helps you achieve the following goals.<\/span><\/p>\n<h4><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Honest customer feedback<\/span><\/h4>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Discussion forums allow consumers to express their honest views about products, competitors and performance. Since forums feel like a \u201csafe space\u201d, members often discuss what a product lacked and what they thought could be better. This allows brands to make a note of the suggestions and implement them effectively.<\/span><\/p>\n<h4><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Lead generation by referrals<\/span><\/h4>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Many people, including me, rely on discussion forums for honest reviews and recommendations. Since members in these groups are enthusiasts or experts of the subject matter, they are heard. Strong referrals coming from discussion forums can influence prospects into considering and even, buying your products.<\/span><\/p>\n<h4><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Market research<\/span><\/h4>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For many marketers, discussion forums are like an open FGD where participants are their most real self. Discussions include everything, ranging from industry and brands to influencers and general interests. This can be particularly helpful in designing content and communication suited to your target audience\u2019s lingo and tastes.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Community building<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">One of the most effective brand-building activities is to form a community around your product or service. Discussion forums can help mobilize lovers of a brand to create a community which becomes an open space for discussions, events and tips. For example, Spotify has multiple subreddits to share playlists, learn interesting hacks and share user experiences.<\/span><\/p>\n<h4><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Building brand trust<\/span><\/h4>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Quite often consumers have doubts and complaints which they don\u2019t necessarily take up with the brand\u2019s customer support. Discussion forums are excellent platforms to clear doubts, reinforce positive attributes and solve complaints targeted to customers.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Let\u2019s try to understand the two major discussion forums &#8211; Quora and Reddit &#8211; in detail.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Understanding-discussion-forums-Quora\"><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Understanding discussion forums: Quora<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Quora is a game-changer in community building platforms. It is a community-led site where people can engage via a question-answer setup and help each other on all things, big and small. The most helpful answers are up-voted by readers which increases the validity of both the solution as well as the respondent.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Here are some statistics which prove Quora can be vital for your business.<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Quora has 300 million monthly active users.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">22.2% of Quora\u2019s user base comes from India.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Quora is an educated platform, as 65% of users have a college degree, and more than 37% of users are expected to be holding managerial positions.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>[bctt tweet=&#8221;Quora is an educated platform, as 65% of users have a college degree, and more than 37% of users are expected to be holding managerial positions.&#8221; username=&#8221;Razorpay&#8221;]<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Adults spend 2x the time on Quora than they do on LinkedIn.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Optimal content strategies for Quora<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Quora is the go-to platform to engage in direct marketing without directly marketing your product or service. The trick lies in answering questions tactfully on Quora and following some basic strategies. This can help you build your brand image, enter the consideration set of prospective customers and directly contact people who can benefit from your product.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h4><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Getting your brand on Quora<\/span><\/h4>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Quora is not as direct as other social networking sites when it comes to establishing your brand. You cannot per se make a page, or a profile for your brand like you can do on Facebook and Instagram. However, you can create a Topic. A Topic is a page that displays the questions people are asking about your brand.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">To get your brand to enter answers on Quora, you need people &#8211; employees, users and top management &#8211; to talk about your brand. For example, when someone on Quora has questions about Razorpay, our team answers them by citing relevant resources and their own experiences. Make sure the people representing your brand mention their credentials and positions clearly on their profile.<\/span><\/p>\n<h4><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Answering the right questions<\/span><\/h4>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">To succeed on Quora, you have to do what the platform is primarily made for &#8211; answer questions. What you have to master is which questions to answer.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Follow topics related to your company and industry to keep getting real-time notifications. Quora often suggests related topics which can widen the avenues where you can be present. For example, if you want to follow Design and search for it on Quora, the \u2018Topics\u2019 tab on Quora will suggest other popular Design related topics which you can choose to follow.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\" wp-image-3324 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/razorpay.com\/learn-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/Screenshot-2020-08-31-at-6.08.28-PM-e1598877595469-300x208.png\" alt=\"discussion_forum_quora\" width=\"498\" height=\"345\" srcset=\"https:\/\/d6xcmfyh68wv8.cloudfront.net\/learn-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/Screenshot-2020-08-31-at-6.08.28-PM-e1598877595469-300x208.png 300w, https:\/\/d6xcmfyh68wv8.cloudfront.net\/learn-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/Screenshot-2020-08-31-at-6.08.28-PM-e1598877595469-768x532.png 768w, https:\/\/d6xcmfyh68wv8.cloudfront.net\/learn-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/Screenshot-2020-08-31-at-6.08.28-PM-e1598877595469-1024x709.png 1024w, https:\/\/d6xcmfyh68wv8.cloudfront.net\/learn-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/Screenshot-2020-08-31-at-6.08.28-PM-e1598877595469.png 1382w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 498px) 100vw, 498px\" \/><\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Answer questions which are directly related to your area of expertise or experience. Don\u2019t try to force-fit your business into unrelated areas, even if they might seem popular.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Choose threads with a lot of upvotes. When you answer questions on upvoted threads, you have higher chances of being seen and clicked.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you have written a blog or a paper on a particular topic, say Taxation in India, then you should target questions relating to the same issue. This is because while answering such questions, you can leave references and links to your articles which increases your credibility with the readers.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h4><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Becoming an industry leader<\/span><\/h4>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Quora is not a platform of customers but of communities. People aren\u2019t coming on Quora to be bombarded with direct marketing messages but to discover useful information. In such a scenario, the best way to make sure that millions of people read your words is by becoming a reliable industry leader.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This can happen in the following ways:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Make your profile reliable. Add where you currently work, your designation, your areas of expertise and your interests. Adding information like schools, college, and previous companies also helps a lot.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When you answer questions, Quora displays a 50 character tagline beneath your name. Make sure to include your brand name in that tagline.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\" wp-image-3325 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/razorpay.com\/learn-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/Ernest-Adams-1024x371-e1598877735900-300x59.png\" alt=\"Quora_Profile\" width=\"681\" height=\"134\" srcset=\"https:\/\/d6xcmfyh68wv8.cloudfront.net\/learn-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/Ernest-Adams-1024x371-e1598877735900-300x59.png 300w, https:\/\/d6xcmfyh68wv8.cloudfront.net\/learn-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/Ernest-Adams-1024x371-e1598877735900-768x150.png 768w, https:\/\/d6xcmfyh68wv8.cloudfront.net\/learn-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/Ernest-Adams-1024x371-e1598877735900.png 985w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 681px) 100vw, 681px\" \/><\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Many sources, including The Crazy Egg Blog, note that a good Quora answer is one which draws somewhat from personal experience and is backed by statistics and references. Thus, your answers should reflect knowledge and expertise to be considered at the level of an industry leader.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Answer often. This does not mean that you answer the same questions worded differently. Scout for different kinds of problems related to your area of expertise which allows the readers to see what a good grasp you have of the topic. For example, if you are a tech junkie, answer questions about mobiles, video games, gaming laptops and tablets which show your holistic experiences.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h4><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Correct, formatted content<\/span><\/h4>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Consider it snobby but answers which are grammatically incorrect or have spelling mistakes are a big turn-off for many readers on Quora. Always make sure that your answers are proper in all aspects.<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Format your answers by including bullets and paragraphs.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Bold the headings and subheadings for easy reading.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Use apps like Grammarly to point out any grammatical and spelling errors.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Add links wherever necessary to give your answer authority and authenticity.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">Also read: <a href=\"https:\/\/razorpay.com\/learn\/social-networking-platforms-businesses\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Social Media Marketing for Businesses: Decoding Social Network Platforms<\/a><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Understanding-discussion-forums-Reddit\"><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Understanding discussion forums: Reddit<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Launched in 2005, Reddit is different from any other social media platform. Driven by users, it is a platform for community building which operates heavily on the algorithm of downvotes and upvotes. Reddit becomes a difficult space for brands to crack since Redditors don\u2019t support branding and content creation on the platform.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">However, marketers and entrepreneurs have realised that Reddit is a goldmine for consumer research, targeted engagement and conversions. Using Reddit for business might be tricky, but if done correctly, it can bear amazing results.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Here are some statistics which indicate why you should consider Reddit for social media marketing.<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Reddit has around 430 million active users and gets about 47 million searches daily.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The platform has more than 130,000 active communities where users are free to discuss and dissect any topic.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">According to the Reddit Blog, 82% of GenZ depend on Reddit for learning more about products and brands.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>[bctt tweet=&#8221;According to the Reddit Blog, 82% of GenZ depend on Reddit for learning more about products and brands.&#8221; username=&#8221;Razorpay&#8221;]<\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Optimal content strategies for Reddit<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Redditors take their guidelines very seriously. This means that if you outright try to force-fit into a community by bending the rules, they might downvote you till you\u2019re out of the picture. As a business, you have to realise that Reddit loves and values authentic contributions. This is what your brand should try to do &#8211; learn and engage with communities.<\/span><\/p>\n<h4><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Make your brand\u2019s Reddit account<\/span><\/h4>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This basic step is specially mentioned here for a reason. If you are new to the world of Reddit, the subreddits &#8211; which are communities dedicated to a single topic or issue &#8211; are depicted as r\/. However, users &#8211; anyone who makes an account on Reddit &#8211; are represented by u\/.<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Subreddits are not brand pages &#8211; like Facebook page or Twitter account &#8211; but are pure discussion forums. You will not be able to drive conversation or ensure engagement with users just by making r\/\u201dyourbrand\u201d.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The best way for businesses to start their Reddit journey is by making a user account for your business. This account will help you become part of valuable communities. You can also be a silent spectator to the numerous conversations your target groups are having.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h4><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Being present in subreddits<\/span><\/h4>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This is possibly the only step which will form the basis of any engagement you plan to do on Reddit. It is imperative to find and be present in all subreddits related to your product, brand(if there is such a Reddit) and users.<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">One way of finding subreddits is to type what topic you are looking for, and Reddit will show a list of all related topics.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">There is a subreddit called r\/findareddit where you can ask what you are looking for and kind Redditors help you with viable results.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Do note that being present in subreddits does not mean being active in them. Many times, brands just eavesdrop on the conversations to learn about consumers, product perception and business opportunities. Also, being too active might make you seem promotional, which in turn can lead to you being downvoted.<\/span><\/p>\n<h4><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Engagement for organic traffic<\/span><\/h4>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">To drive organic traffic on Reddit, you need to be an active contributor to the Reddit community. <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">To do this, you need to earn <\/span><b>Karma points. <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">These points are like a scorecard for Redditors which they earn by commenting, sharing links and getting downvoted or upvoted. To engage efficiently:<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\" wp-image-3326 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/razorpay.com\/learn-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/qqkyq90wguf51-300x197.jpg\" alt=\"karma_point_reddit\" width=\"432\" height=\"284\" srcset=\"https:\/\/d6xcmfyh68wv8.cloudfront.net\/learn-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/qqkyq90wguf51-300x197.jpg 300w, https:\/\/d6xcmfyh68wv8.cloudfront.net\/learn-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/qqkyq90wguf51.jpg 566w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 432px) 100vw, 432px\" \/><\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Observe conversations around your brand and give honest comments without sounding promotional. For example, imagine you are a mobile service provider and a subreddit called r\/India is posting about low connectivity in India. As a brand, you can be honest with them about why India has low bandwidths and the problems your brand encounters.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">AMA or Ask Me Anything, is a fantastic format which brings effective traffic to threads. Many brands get their employees or management to host an AMA where Redditors are free to ask anything. The person is expected to respond with full honesty. Stadia, a gaming service by Google, has hosted multiple AMAs in the past. They get their developers to conduct these sessions and gamers all over Reddit tune in to ask the most intriguing questions.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-3327 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/razorpay.com\/learn-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/stadiaama-300x210.png\" alt=\"reddit_ama\" width=\"548\" height=\"384\" srcset=\"https:\/\/d6xcmfyh68wv8.cloudfront.net\/learn-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/stadiaama-300x210.png 300w, https:\/\/d6xcmfyh68wv8.cloudfront.net\/learn-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/stadiaama-768x537.png 768w, https:\/\/d6xcmfyh68wv8.cloudfront.net\/learn-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/stadiaama.png 800w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 548px) 100vw, 548px\" \/><\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As a brand, you can start your own discussion threads but keep in mind that they should look as non-promotional as possible. Some skin care brands like to post about the maintenance of products and makeup hacks. Some gaming companies start threads on cheat codes and gaming hacks. For example, if you are a food delivery business, you can start a thread inviting weird delivery stories from customers.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Both upcoming and established brands can post their content on suitable subreddits. For example, Netflix posts the teasers of its upcoming shows on r\/trailers. Similarly, a tech company launching a new cloud software can post the same on r\/tech or r\/TechNewsToday.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h4><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\" wp-image-3328 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/razorpay.com\/learn-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/Screenshot-2020-08-31-at-6.26.37-PM-e1598936832915-300x211.png\" alt=\"netflix_on_reddit\" width=\"542\" height=\"381\" srcset=\"https:\/\/d6xcmfyh68wv8.cloudfront.net\/learn-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/Screenshot-2020-08-31-at-6.26.37-PM-e1598936832915-300x211.png 300w, https:\/\/d6xcmfyh68wv8.cloudfront.net\/learn-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/Screenshot-2020-08-31-at-6.26.37-PM-e1598936832915-768x539.png 768w, https:\/\/d6xcmfyh68wv8.cloudfront.net\/learn-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/Screenshot-2020-08-31-at-6.26.37-PM-e1598936832915-1024x719.png 1024w, https:\/\/d6xcmfyh68wv8.cloudfront.net\/learn-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/Screenshot-2020-08-31-at-6.26.37-PM-e1598936832915.png 1257w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 542px) 100vw, 542px\" \/>Promoted Ads<\/span><\/h4>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Reddit paid ads are not as developed and polished as other social media platforms. Still, the promoted content helps brands in getting views, reach and clicks. Video ads work wonderfully on Reddit, so brands often try to promote similar content.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">While promoting ads, make sure you match your content to the subreddit. For example, Hubspot correctly pointed out that Toyota understood the platform well while advertising. When Toyota promoted a video on the Formula One subreddit, they made sure the video was about racing and sports cars. The brand was mindful that the ad was not some fancy Toyota promotional video, which would have been unrelated to the subreddit.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"The-perfect-discussion-forum-for-you\"><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The perfect discussion forum for you<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When it comes to discussion forums, Quora and Reddit are the best in business. They are different in terms of content, audience interests and success formulas. So we are here to help you decide whether you should be on Quora, on Reddit or on both.<\/span><\/p>\n<h4><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\" wp-image-3219 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/razorpay.com\/learn-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/Frame-2-300x290.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"386\" height=\"373\" srcset=\"https:\/\/d6xcmfyh68wv8.cloudfront.net\/learn-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/Frame-2-300x290.jpg 300w, https:\/\/d6xcmfyh68wv8.cloudfront.net\/learn-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/Frame-2.jpg 525w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 386px) 100vw, 386px\" \/>Goals<\/span><\/h4>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Before deciding on a discussion forum, a business must be clear about its marketing objectives. The table discusses common goals and which discussion forum can help achieve them.<\/span><\/p>\n<table>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Goals<\/span><\/td>\n<td><b>Quora<\/b><\/td>\n<td><b>Reddit<\/b><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><a href=\"https:\/\/razorpay.com\/learn\/what-is-market-research\/\"><b>Market Research<\/b><\/a><\/td>\n<td style=\"text-align: left;\">Maybe<\/td>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Yes<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><b>Customer Support<\/b><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Yes<\/span><\/td>\n<td>No<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><b>Resource Sharing<\/b><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Yes<\/span><\/td>\n<td>Maybe<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><b>Community Building<\/b><\/td>\n<td>Maybe<\/td>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Yes<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><b>Lead Generation<\/b><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Yes<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Yes<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><b>Resolving Queries<\/b><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Yes<\/span><\/td>\n<td>No<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><b>Effective Paid Ads<\/b><\/td>\n<td>Maybe<\/td>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Yes<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><b>Brand Engagement<\/b><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Yes<\/span><\/td>\n<td><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Yes<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<h4><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Audience<\/span><\/h4>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">All our community-building efforts are meaningless if the audiences are not aligned. Before you choose any forum, you must analyse the demographic, behavioural and psychographic tendencies of the audience.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For example, suppose your aim is to see the behaviour of 20 to 30-year-old gaming enthusiasts. In that case, Reddit is a better platform since it has close-knit communities and a younger demographic in its user base. However, if you want to see honest customer feedback and queries about your product &#8211; demographic no bar &#8211; then Quora should be your choice.<\/span><\/p>\n<h4><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Capabilities<\/span><\/h4>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It is vital to judge your in-house capabilities and budget limitations before selecting a discussion forum and content format. It is true that discussion forums are not as demanding as other social media platforms in terms of content requirements. Yet, a business must evaluate things like time limitations, topical knowledge and fluency in the written word before choosing any of them.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The forum you choose should be at the confluence of the three factors mentioned above. As a thumb rule: <\/span><b><i>\u201cThe platform where my target audience is the most active and thus, allows me to achieve my marketing goals within my budget and capabilities is the platform I should go for.\u201d<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Managing-discussion-forums\"><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Managing discussion forums<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Once your profile is active and you start regularly engaging with users on Quora or Reddit, you must keep a close eye on some parameters. This helps you decide how well you are doing in terms of engagement and reception. Do keep in mind that qualitative and subjective analysis is more critical on discussion forums as compared to quantitative and numerical data.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You should consider the given metrics while evaluating your performance on the two discussion forums.<\/span><\/p>\n<h4><b>Quora<\/b><\/h4>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Upvotes and shares on your answer, answers to your questions, views and clicks on paid ads, sentiment analysis of questions about your brand, counting positive and negative reviews<\/span><\/p>\n<h4><b>Reddit<\/b><\/h4>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Upvotes and downvotes, shares, number of posts on your subreddit, engagement on your replies and threads, karma points, followers, metrics to track paid ads<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Community building platforms are spaces where your brand can build a sense of pride and authenticity. These forums also help humanise the brand with the kind of candid conversations and banter you choose to participate in. There is no single success mantra which can guarantee you a successful marketing strategy. You will have to experiment and engage with your content time and again. Soon enough, you will find the sweet spot between brand and consumer where \u201cthe real connection\u201d exists.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Discussion forums like Quora and Reddit have untapped marketing potential. Learn how to use these platforms to promote your business and build a community.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":151156475,"featured_media":3333,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1383],"tags":[1574,3463,1573],"class_list":{"0":"post-3320","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-business","8":"tag-content-marketing","9":"tag-marketing-strategy","10":"tag-social-media"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/learn.razorpay.in\/learn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3320","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/learn.razorpay.in\/learn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/learn.razorpay.in\/learn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/learn.razorpay.in\/learn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/151156475"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/learn.razorpay.in\/learn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3320"}],"version-history":[{"count":15,"href":"https:\/\/learn.razorpay.in\/learn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3320\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":11303,"href":"https:\/\/learn.razorpay.in\/learn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3320\/revisions\/11303"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/learn.razorpay.in\/learn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3333"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/learn.razorpay.in\/learn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3320"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/learn.razorpay.in\/learn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3320"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/learn.razorpay.in\/learn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3320"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}