Ross Simmonds (Founder of Foundation and Distribution.ai) joined Josh Spilker from AirOps to unpack how Reddit and review sites are changing B2B buyer decisions and pipeline generation.

It shows why Reddit has become a critical channel for high-intent searches and how marketers can build authentic presence on the AI search platforms.

Top 5 Takeaways

1. Reddit is now a critical channel for buyer influence. It's overtaken most review sites for high-intent searches and LLM citations, making it a must-watch platform for marketers.
2. Prioritize research and distribution beyond traditional content. Winning in search requires deep research and multi-channel distribution, not just more blog posts.
3. Good Reddit engagement demands value, transparency, and the right account structure. Brands need to show up with helpful, transparent engagement using both branded and personified user accounts.
4. LLMs favor Reddit and YouTube. AI search engines cite them more than ever, so brands must plan for these sources.
5. Measuring success on Reddit requires new metrics and a research-first mindset. Track share of voice, LLM citations, and referral traffic. Always start with research to justify your investment.

Best Practices and Key Learnings

Here's what you need to know to stay ahead of the curve.

Recognize Reddit's emerging influence in B2B search

Reddit has become a powerful source for bottom-funnel, high-intent buyer queries, often outperforming traditional review sites in search results. Marketers can't afford to ignore Reddit B2B buyer influence.

The platform's authentic discussions and community-driven answers now shape purchase decisions across industries. Start by:

• Monitoring which platforms appear for your core transactional keywords and LLM citations
• Re-evaluating spend allocation between review sites and Reddit
• Using research tools to identify which subreddits and threads influence your buyers' decisions

"Reddit has surpassed nearly all review sites in bottom-of-funnel transactional queries, but most brands still continue to sleep on the fact that Reddit is this channel worth investing in, right?" — Ross Simmonds

Shift to a research-driven, distribution-first marketing approach

Success now depends on  across multiple platforms—not just publishing volume. AI tools make this research process faster and more effective than ever before.

• Use AI to analyze where your audience spends time and which sources LLMs cite most frequently
• Prioritize channels (Reddit, YouTube, LinkedIn) where influence is proven through data, not just assumed
• Create systems to repurpose high-performing content across multiple formats and platforms for maximum reach

"You as a marketer, you as a creator can now, at your fingertips, do research that would have taken weeks or days at a time to complete in a matter of minutes." — Ross Simmonds

Build authentic Reddit presence with the right account structure

Winning on Reddit requires a thoughtful approach. Brands need both visibility and trust. Start with the right foundation by creating a strategic account structure.

Set up three key account types to maximize your Reddit presence. Ross talked more about this in his last AirOps webinar.

• A branded subreddit that serves as your owned community hub
• A branded user account for official communications and updates
• A personified brand representative account for more personal engagement

Focus on providing educational, engaging content instead of self-promotion, and warm up new accounts by delivering value consistently for at least 30 days before asking for anything in return.

New metrics for Reddit and LLM influence

Traditional metrics don't capture Reddit's full impact on your business. Adopt a research-first approach to demonstrate real value and secure leadership buy-in for your Reddit strategy.

The metrics that matter most for Reddit success include:

• Share of voice tracking across relevant subreddits and threads
• Referral traffic patterns and conversion rates from Reddit sources
• Positive LLM citations that reference your brand or content

Always validate Reddit's relevance to your specific buyers before scaling investment, and work to tie Reddit activity to pipeline impact where possible.

Prepare for the future of AI search

LLMs and AI search are automating more of the buyer journey, pulling from Reddit and other community platforms at unprecedented rates. Marketers must adapt their strategies or risk losing influence in this new landscape.

The key to future success lies in:

• Investing in research-driven, high-value content that directly answers real buyer questions
• Distributing content on the channels most likely to be cited by LLMs and surfaced in search
• Continuously monitoring which sources and threads influence your audience's discovery process

How to put these insights into practice

The shift to Reddit and AI-powered discovery is fundamentally changing how B2B buyers find and trust information. Companies still focused solely on traditional review sites and legacy content strategies will fall behind as buyer behavior evolves.

To capitalize on these changes:

1. Map your audience's actual discovery journey across platforms, identifying which Reddit communities and threads influence decisions in your space
2. Build a strategic Reddit presence with both branded and personified accounts, focusing on value before promotion
3. Use AI tools to accelerate your research process and content distribution
4. Track new metrics like share of voice and LLM citations to demonstrate impact
5. Create content specifically designed to be cited by AI systems and shared in communities where your buyers actually spend time

The winners in this new landscape will be those who focus resources where buyers are actually making decisions—not where marketers assume they are.

The new B2B influence story: Reddit, research, and AI discovery

The marketers who win will combine deep audience research, authentic Reddit engagement, and strategic content distribution across the platforms that actually shape buying decisions.

Book a strategy session to learn how to take advantage of Reddit with AirOps.

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