Reddit was announced today it’s launching a suite of tools, called Reddit Pro, to help businesses develop an organic presence on the platform. The release comes as Reddit prepares for its initial public offering (IPO). With this new suite of free tools, Reddit is likely looking to add more brands to its platform and possibly convert them into paying advertisers. The launch marks the first time Reddit has offered free tools to help businesses with their social strategy.
Reddit Pro is currently in beta testing and gives businesses access to an interface with a few different tools. The suite of tools features AI-powered insights that highlight trending topics and conversations related to specific brands, allowing brands to see when they’ve been mentioned in a subreddit. The purpose of the information is to help businesses engage in conversations to connect with new and existing audiences. The information will also help brands update how they appear on Reddit.
The suite also gives businesses access to publishing tools to help them compose and schedule their public posts. The company says the tools will give brands simple steps to start contributing to communities. In addition, the suite has performance analytics that can help businesses analyze the performance of their organic posts in order to make better decisions about their strategy. Businesses will be able to track their overall engagement and monthly progress on the Pro dashboard.
In addition to these tools, businesses can extend the reach of their posts by turning them into paid ads without having to leave the platform, the company says. To do this, businesses must click the “promote” button on one of their posts.
Reddit says more than 200 businesses have started using Reddit Pro, including Taco Bell, Wendy’s, NFL, The Wall Street Journal, Kate Somerville and Atlas Headrest. In early testing, Reddit found that brands using Reddit Pro generated 11 more posts and comments per month and saw a +35% increase in monthly upvotes for their organic content, on average.
“Through Reddit Pro, we’re connecting companies with communities in a mutually valuable way: unparalleled insights and tools to improve engagement from businesses, organic and paid, which then delivers more relevant and valuable experiences for our users,” said its chief marketing officer Reddit and Consumer Experience Officer Roxy Young at the company announcement Position.
Reddit Pro is available to businesses and organizations on a first-come, first-served basis. The company plans to release additional Reddit Pro features this year, but didn’t share details about what they might look like.