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In March this year, social media platform Reddit unveiled new content moderation and analytics tools in an attempt to boost user engagement.
The new tools are aimed at simplifying content moderation and enhancing user engagement within its communities. One of the key features includes "post check," which allows users to verify whether their content aligns with a community's rules before posting. This helps prevent accidental rule violations, reducing the likelihood of post removals.
Additionally, if a post is removed, users will now receive a prompt suggesting alternative subreddits where they can repost their content, encouraging continued participation. Reddit is also implementing clearer community information which displays a community’s posting requirements, such as account age, prior to submission. This clarity aims to minimize confusion and increase the success rate of posts.
Together, these changes are designed to make Reddit more accessible for both new and experienced users, fostering a more engaging and responsible environment for discussions.
The changes also signal a potential new platform for brands to explore when it comes to communication and marketing efforts. While Reddit has rolled out many measures in the past such as an integration of a brand safety and suitability measurement with IAS in January this year, many still perceive Reddit to be risky because of its diverse and sometimes controversial content.
So these updates could mean that more brands and communicators will want to play on the platform.
According to Nichole Provatas, international head of integrated marketing at We, Reddit’s rebrand and moderation updates signal an effort to balance free expression with safer, more structured conversations.
"Given the growing distrust in big tech, users are more sceptical than ever of platforms that either let misinformation run wild or over-police content in ways that feel corporate and inauthentic. By strengthening moderation tools while maintaining its community-driven nature, Reddit is positioning itself as a more credible space for discussions," said Provatas.
She added that for PR teams, this means Reddit could become a more reliable space for brand engagement - if these changes work as intended. "People might feel safer participating in discussions, making it easier for brands to have meaningful interactions. However, the effectiveness of these updates remains to be seen, so strategies should stay adaptable, keeping a close eye on how these updates impact real conversations,"
Provatas went on to explain that unlike traditional social media, Reddit thrives on deep, interest-based communities rather than broad, algorithm-driven content feeds. This is why PR teams should approach the platform with a community-first mindset, focusing on value-driven contributions rather than promotional content.
"Effective engagement strategies could include participating in discussions organically rather than pushing brand narratives and leveraging AMA (Ask Me Anything) sessions with company reps or industry experts. Trust on Reddit is earned, not bought—so brands must be transparent, informative, and responsive rather than overtly promotional. So always go back to the core values of PR," she said.
Adding to her point, Ian Tang, senior manager, strategy at Golin Singapore noted that Reddit's community structure provides unparalleled access to self-selected, interest-based audience clusters—people already engaged with an industry or topic, enabling more meaningful interactions than through traditional media's broad demographic targeting. This is why it is so important that it has doubled down on its content moderation efforts.
Tang added that success on Reddit begins with identifying relevant subreddits, but hinges on communication style.
"Users reject corporate language and overly-promotional tactics, instead rewarding brands that communicate transparently and respond authentically to all feedback—positive and negative. Effective engagement means adapting to each community's tone while maintaining authenticity, participating as humans rather than corporations, and demonstrating genuine interest in community concerns before promoting brand messages," he said.
However, Tang cautioned that Reddit's "heart of the internet" positioning requires community-first messaging, which means understanding each subreddit's unique culture before participating, providing value before seeking attention, transparently identifying brand affiliations, and engaging constructively with all feedback—especially criticism.
"Teams must be prepared to adapt quickly based on community signals and recognize that Reddit requires brands to earn their place through genuine contribution rather than paid placement," Tang said.
"Although Reddit is not given as much attention as Instagram or TikTok, it is one of the few social media platforms where there’s plenty of value in organic engagement."
True enough, according to the 2025 Digital Report by media intelligence firm Meltwater, active Reddit users in Singapore (on Android phones) open the Reddit App 116.9 times each month, the highest worldwide. Active Reddit users in Singapore (on Android phones) also spend an average of 3h 56min per month on the app.
"This is an opportunity for PR professionals looking to understand what audiences really think about their brands. Communication professionals do not need to trawl manually, as the more popular social listening platforms such as Meltwater and Brandwatch have Reddit API partnerships. This means users of such social listening platforms can readily analyse sentiments and trending themes in genuine conversations on Reddit," she said.
Saying that, Tan cautioned that Reddit is probably the most "cynical" and "PR-intolerant" audience you could choose to disseminate your message to.
"Redditors do not like prepared statements, boilerplates, or having products or services promoted to them. This goes against the ethos of Reddit communities–so much so that there is a specific subreddit, r/HailCorporate, to call out such attempts. If PR teams are looking for additional avenues to self-promote, this might not be the right place to do it. A good rule of thumb is to reflect on your objective: is it to publish, or is it to participate?"
That said, if there is a community that exists around your brand, having an official Reddit subreddit or having official accounts interacting with content in existing subreddit communities, are great ways to increase engagement and drive conversations around the brand, she said. "Being informal, authentic while value-adding to the communities are generally best practices to align with the community-driven ethos," she added.
Agreeing with her, Patrick Steen, director of Purpose Union said that despite its millions of users, Reddit still retains a tight-knit, almost “closed community” feel that many are keen to protect.
"This is why my advice to PR professionals is to meet communities on their own terms. That means doing the groundwork: identifying the subreddits most relevant to your brand and spending time lurking to understand how each one operates. You need to show up as a real person, not a polished brand voice, and take part in the culture rather than trying to shape it," he said, adding that Reddit has been part of his social media mix professionals ever sine he started overseeing digital community platforms in 2008.
"For example, during my time at Which?, I often saw discussions in r/unitedkingdom and r/britishproblems about consumer problems - exactly the kind of territory we work in. Instead of jumping in to promote our content, we listened," Steen said. "In one case, when users were discussing poor practices by a major UK retailer, we issued a legal warning to that retailer, and I returned to the thread to update the community. It was a way to be genuinely helpful. Our brand also got to engage in ‘British banter’ that’s characteristic of those subreddits. That’s the difference: you need to enjoy being part of the community and let them get to know you, just like any other member."
"So the question shouldn’t be, “What can Reddit do for PR professionals?” but rather, “What can you do for Reddit users?” If you’re authentic, immersed in the culture, and genuinely helpful, you can build a lot of goodwill - and your campaigns can gain organic traction without a huge spend," Steen added.
Steen also noted that success on Reddit looks very different from success on platforms. It’s not about reach or follower count - it’s about how your contribution is received by the community.
"High upvote ratios, thoughtful responses, and posts that remain visible in a subreddit (rather than being removed or downvoted) are all strong indicators," Steen explained. "Sentiment is crucial too: do people respond positively? Do they engage with follow-up questions or share your content elsewhere? One of the best signs that you’re doing well is when Redditors start promoting your message for you. So don’t just track what you post - track how it travels."
The new tools are aimed at simplifying content moderation and enhancing user engagement within its communities. One of the key features includes "post check," which allows users to verify whether their content aligns with a community's rules before posting. This helps prevent accidental rule violations, reducing the likelihood of post removals.
Additionally, if a post is removed, users will now receive a prompt suggesting alternative subreddits where they can repost their content, encouraging continued participation. Reddit is also implementing clearer community information which displays a community’s posting requirements, such as account age, prior to submission. This clarity aims to minimize confusion and increase the success rate of posts.
Together, these changes are designed to make Reddit more accessible for both new and experienced users, fostering a more engaging and responsible environment for discussions.
The changes also signal a potential new platform for brands to explore when it comes to communication and marketing efforts. While Reddit has rolled out many measures in the past such as an integration of a brand safety and suitability measurement with IAS in January this year, many still perceive Reddit to be risky because of its diverse and sometimes controversial content.
So these updates could mean that more brands and communicators will want to play on the platform.
According to Nichole Provatas, international head of integrated marketing at We, Reddit’s rebrand and moderation updates signal an effort to balance free expression with safer, more structured conversations.
"Given the growing distrust in big tech, users are more sceptical than ever of platforms that either let misinformation run wild or over-police content in ways that feel corporate and inauthentic. By strengthening moderation tools while maintaining its community-driven nature, Reddit is positioning itself as a more credible space for discussions," said Provatas.
She added that for PR teams, this means Reddit could become a more reliable space for brand engagement - if these changes work as intended. "People might feel safer participating in discussions, making it easier for brands to have meaningful interactions. However, the effectiveness of these updates remains to be seen, so strategies should stay adaptable, keeping a close eye on how these updates impact real conversations,"
Provatas went on to explain that unlike traditional social media, Reddit thrives on deep, interest-based communities rather than broad, algorithm-driven content feeds. This is why PR teams should approach the platform with a community-first mindset, focusing on value-driven contributions rather than promotional content.
"Effective engagement strategies could include participating in discussions organically rather than pushing brand narratives and leveraging AMA (Ask Me Anything) sessions with company reps or industry experts. Trust on Reddit is earned, not bought—so brands must be transparent, informative, and responsive rather than overtly promotional. So always go back to the core values of PR," she said.
Adding to her point, Ian Tang, senior manager, strategy at Golin Singapore noted that Reddit's community structure provides unparalleled access to self-selected, interest-based audience clusters—people already engaged with an industry or topic, enabling more meaningful interactions than through traditional media's broad demographic targeting. This is why it is so important that it has doubled down on its content moderation efforts.
Tang added that success on Reddit begins with identifying relevant subreddits, but hinges on communication style.
"Users reject corporate language and overly-promotional tactics, instead rewarding brands that communicate transparently and respond authentically to all feedback—positive and negative. Effective engagement means adapting to each community's tone while maintaining authenticity, participating as humans rather than corporations, and demonstrating genuine interest in community concerns before promoting brand messages," he said.
However, Tang cautioned that Reddit's "heart of the internet" positioning requires community-first messaging, which means understanding each subreddit's unique culture before participating, providing value before seeking attention, transparently identifying brand affiliations, and engaging constructively with all feedback—especially criticism.
"Teams must be prepared to adapt quickly based on community signals and recognize that Reddit requires brands to earn their place through genuine contribution rather than paid placement," Tang said.
Will Reddit Manage To Change Brand Safety Perceptions?
Ultimately, according to experts PRovoke Media spoke to, it’s hard to categorically say that Reddit’s recent content moderation efforts will contribute to its perception as a more trustworthy platform.
"Reddit has historically used a decentralised and hybrid approach to content moderation, meaning that while the company has a set of overarching content policies regarding acceptable content that are high-level and prohibit illegal content, the majority of content moderation falls on users who volunteer to moderate content on a particular subreddit," said Shannen Tan, manager at Mutant.
These users, called moderators, have significant editorial discretion on moderating content according to the subreddit’s own criteria. This criteria can be more or less strict, but not break Reddit’s overarching rules for content, she said.
She added that the new content moderation efforts seem to be more focused on helping users comply with specific subreddit rules through a ‘rules check’ feature, rather than a bulwark against harmful or offensive content.
Saying that, Tan noted that Reddit is a "veritable gold mine" of consumer intelligence, with about 140,000 highly engaged communities tightly focused on every niche topic imaginable."Reddit has historically used a decentralised and hybrid approach to content moderation, meaning that while the company has a set of overarching content policies regarding acceptable content that are high-level and prohibit illegal content, the majority of content moderation falls on users who volunteer to moderate content on a particular subreddit," said Shannen Tan, manager at Mutant.
These users, called moderators, have significant editorial discretion on moderating content according to the subreddit’s own criteria. This criteria can be more or less strict, but not break Reddit’s overarching rules for content, she said.
She added that the new content moderation efforts seem to be more focused on helping users comply with specific subreddit rules through a ‘rules check’ feature, rather than a bulwark against harmful or offensive content.
"Although Reddit is not given as much attention as Instagram or TikTok, it is one of the few social media platforms where there’s plenty of value in organic engagement."
True enough, according to the 2025 Digital Report by media intelligence firm Meltwater, active Reddit users in Singapore (on Android phones) open the Reddit App 116.9 times each month, the highest worldwide. Active Reddit users in Singapore (on Android phones) also spend an average of 3h 56min per month on the app.
"This is an opportunity for PR professionals looking to understand what audiences really think about their brands. Communication professionals do not need to trawl manually, as the more popular social listening platforms such as Meltwater and Brandwatch have Reddit API partnerships. This means users of such social listening platforms can readily analyse sentiments and trending themes in genuine conversations on Reddit," she said.
Saying that, Tan cautioned that Reddit is probably the most "cynical" and "PR-intolerant" audience you could choose to disseminate your message to.
"Redditors do not like prepared statements, boilerplates, or having products or services promoted to them. This goes against the ethos of Reddit communities–so much so that there is a specific subreddit, r/HailCorporate, to call out such attempts. If PR teams are looking for additional avenues to self-promote, this might not be the right place to do it. A good rule of thumb is to reflect on your objective: is it to publish, or is it to participate?"
That said, if there is a community that exists around your brand, having an official Reddit subreddit or having official accounts interacting with content in existing subreddit communities, are great ways to increase engagement and drive conversations around the brand, she said. "Being informal, authentic while value-adding to the communities are generally best practices to align with the community-driven ethos," she added.
Agreeing with her, Patrick Steen, director of Purpose Union said that despite its millions of users, Reddit still retains a tight-knit, almost “closed community” feel that many are keen to protect.
"This is why my advice to PR professionals is to meet communities on their own terms. That means doing the groundwork: identifying the subreddits most relevant to your brand and spending time lurking to understand how each one operates. You need to show up as a real person, not a polished brand voice, and take part in the culture rather than trying to shape it," he said, adding that Reddit has been part of his social media mix professionals ever sine he started overseeing digital community platforms in 2008.
"For example, during my time at Which?, I often saw discussions in r/unitedkingdom and r/britishproblems about consumer problems - exactly the kind of territory we work in. Instead of jumping in to promote our content, we listened," Steen said. "In one case, when users were discussing poor practices by a major UK retailer, we issued a legal warning to that retailer, and I returned to the thread to update the community. It was a way to be genuinely helpful. Our brand also got to engage in ‘British banter’ that’s characteristic of those subreddits. That’s the difference: you need to enjoy being part of the community and let them get to know you, just like any other member."
"So the question shouldn’t be, “What can Reddit do for PR professionals?” but rather, “What can you do for Reddit users?” If you’re authentic, immersed in the culture, and genuinely helpful, you can build a lot of goodwill - and your campaigns can gain organic traction without a huge spend," Steen added.
Steen also noted that success on Reddit looks very different from success on platforms. It’s not about reach or follower count - it’s about how your contribution is received by the community.
"High upvote ratios, thoughtful responses, and posts that remain visible in a subreddit (rather than being removed or downvoted) are all strong indicators," Steen explained. "Sentiment is crucial too: do people respond positively? Do they engage with follow-up questions or share your content elsewhere? One of the best signs that you’re doing well is when Redditors start promoting your message for you. So don’t just track what you post - track how it travels."
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