During a recent company meeting, we talked about the tools we use to perform research and identify industry topics worth covering.
Talking to suppliers and industry professionals is the backbone of our research efforts at Encore360. However, these subject matter experts (SMEs) are busy, and don’t always have the time for a quick chat—even if it’s only for 10 minutes.
When you’re backed into a corner and left to your own devices, where do you look for inspiration first? Most content marketers turn to Google, ChatGPT, and other search engines/AI platforms.
But the most underestimated and valuable research tool writers use is Reddit.
Why Reddit Works for B2B
No matter how niche your interest is, you can undoubtedly find a community (subreddit) dedicated to that topic specifically. People who share your interest can post in the subreddit to ask questions, vent, or compare products and services—and do so anonymously.
While many use the platform for entertainment in their free time, Reddit also serves a business purpose in B2B markets. Rather than reading through corporate jargon and marketing copy, industry professionals can gain real, unfiltered insight from their peers.
This makes Reddit a goldmine for industry research. Use it correctly, and you don’t have to rely on polished survey answers, vendor-approved testimonials, or heavily-edited executive interviews. You can get unfiltered feedback about products, operational frustrations, and budget realities from people on the frontlines.
These are the topics your audience actually wants to read about. Infuse your content with real industry insights, and your articles and blog posts will inevitably reach the right readers.
Here’s the case for Reddit.
Follow the Right Subreddits
You’re targeting communities that business professionals are especially active in. In most cases, the smaller the community, the deeper the conversation is. So while one subreddit might seem too niche at first glance, it’s probably just what you’re looking for.
In our company meeting, we looked at the water industry specifically. You can start with a broad outlook, but it’s fairly easy to narrow down your audience. By shortening a word or adding onto it, you can eliminate tens of thousands of visitors. Here’s just one example:
- r/Water: 100,000 weekly visitors
- r/Wastewater: 13,000 weekly visitors
After scouring the r/Wastewater subreddit, I got a clearer picture of the industry segment I’m covering. I now know that infections under fingernails are common for wastewater operators, it’s common to drop your phone in the wastewater tank (so use a notepad to take notes), and it’s encouraged to wear neck gaiters to protect your neck from sunburn.
These insights are clearly coming from people who work at the wastewater treatment plant every day.
Read the Top Posts of the Last Year
Popular posts garner attention for a reason. Since they’ve gotten consistent engagement and views over the course of a year, these posts highlight recurring pain points, tensions in the field, and hot debates.
Like any form of media, the posts that get the most attention are driven by emotional intensity. They encompass industry frustrations, burnout, relief, or competitive resentment. As a marketer, you should shape your content around these industry realities instead of corporate optimism.
The most popular posts in a subreddit often expose industry myths and points of contention. Take a look through the comments section, and it becomes clear where “redditors” fall on a certain issue. Common debates in the wastewater industry often cover tech adoption, innovation, and the benefits of small vs. large operations.
Not only will these discussions help you choose a topic for your next article, but they will also help you take a meaningful angle.
Observe Before Engaging
Spend a few weeks reading posts in the subreddit and monitoring comment sections before chiming in yourself. Take note of who posts consistently, which posts get the most engagement (upvotes), and what the overall tone of the community is like.
Spend a few weeks reading posts in the subreddit and monitoring comment sections before chiming in yourself. Take note of who posts consistently, which posts get the most engagement (upvotes), and what the overall tone of the community is like.
Not only does this prevent you from making a seemingly uninformed post, but it also keeps you from posting the same thing someone else did a few weeks ago. Being unaware suggests that you didn’t do your due diligence, and the community will probably remember that.
Even if you make a post chock full of insights and important questions, it could easily get overlooked if you don’t post in the right tone. While some subreddits reward humor and sarcasm, others are looking for straightforward, technical answers specifically. Read the room before you post.
Use Multiple Subreddits
No matter how niche and relevant it is, one subreddit doesn’t define your entire industry. If you rely on just one community for content inspiration, you’re bound to have a few blind spots.
Just because one subreddit feels confident about one side of an issue, it doesn’t mean that the entire industry shares their feelings. After all, some communities are tailored specifically to researchers, operators, and vendors—their opinions are bound to vary in some shape or form.
By being a part of multiple subreddits, you’ll also be able to determine which issues affect different parts of the industry. But if one topic is consistently talked about in each community, you’re probably on the brink of a significant B2B story.
Following one subreddit gives you a window into an active segment of the industry you’re writing for. Following multiple gives you a broader perspective and makes sure your content appeals to the right people.
B2B markets are flooded with polished messaging and press releases that have been edited to perfection. But the most valuable content comes from the rawest conversations, and Reddit is full of them.