When the U.S. Department of Justice brought its antitrust case against Google, the tech world held its breath. Could this have become the beginning – of the end – for the company’s search dominance? Would the revelations shift power towards other platforms?
Instead, just when our kids arrived back in school and pumpkin spice landed everywhere in the past two weeks… something unexpected happened: Google’s stock shot up.
The case may have laid bare how deeply Google has embedded itself into the internet’s infrastructure.
And rather than shaking investor confidence, it reinforced just how dominant the brand promise remains. Google isn’t just running the world’s leading search engine. It continues confidently to influence and shape how audiences interact with the internet… seeking information on Building Product Brands.
The Power of Mobile
Like many other products, prospects and influencers evaluate construction solutions beginning with the device in their hands. Mobile is no longer the “second screen.”
In fact, some 60% of Emarketing is viewed on mobile devices.
Critically important for marketers, will be designing seamless user-experiences. Easy navigation. Simple calls to action. As well as bite-sized videos. And of course, compelling visuals that celebrate a small screen.
Google’s Expanding Role in Search
Yes, Google remains the gatekeeper. Nearly all online journeys will continue to start with a “search”– and increasingly, those queries don’t just pull from websites – but from social platforms and community-driven discussions.
And there… often they’ll find a sea of automated content.
Half-active accounts.
And engagement numbers that don’t reflect real human behavior.
Recent studies back this up: significant (and growing) Facebook traffic is driven by bots. That’s not authentic reach… it’s noise.
By contrast, Reddit has emerged as one of the most “authentic” platforms on the internet. Audiences gather in topic-specific communities – subreddits – to discuss, share and troubleshoot for new construction and repair/remodel analysis.
Google has noticed.
Just last year, Reddit struck a deal with Google to give the search giant access to its massive library of user-generated content.
And shortly after, OpenAI announced a partnership with Reddit… enabling that platform’s content to appear within ChatGPT responses.
The takeaway? The conversations happening don’t stay on Reddit. They’re becoming the raw material for Google results – AI-driven answers – and the broader online discovery process.
Whether a specifier or contractor is searching for product recommendations, installation advice or real-world reviews… it’s critically important to help shape the answers they see first.
How Brands Can Market on Reddit
Unlike traditional platforms, Reddit doesn’t welcome heavy-handed marketing. Consider these four effective strategies to leverage this important audience funnel:
Monitoring brand mentions – while leveraging proven social listening tools – helps to identify and track discussions about products. As well as competitors. So, engage on threads to clarify information. And offer help. Most importantly, thank loyal advocates for sharing their experiences.
Launch a dedicated company subreddit. Create a destination where customers, specifiers and influencers can interact directly with a brand’s sales and customer service team. Share resources. Answer questions. And showcase real-world applications.
Engage in relevant discussions. Join conversations. Provide expertise and product insights. Caution: interactions mustn’t be sales pitches.
Paid campaigns allow targeting industry-specific communities… ensuring brand promises appear exactly where audiences are already engaged.
Added Benefits of Reddit Engagement
Reddit isn’t just about visibility, it’s about insight. With engagement, brands can:
Humanize brands. By engaging with a personal, authentic voice… trust can be cultivated in ways that align with integrated sales and marketing campaigns.
Uncover unfiltered customer feedback. To learn how professionals and building owners actually “talk” about construction products.
Discover user-generated content. By tapping into project profiles – testimonials and case studies – that are more elusive to find elsewhere.
Provide real-time support. To help audiences troubleshoot… and inspiring purchasing decisions in the moment.
The Risks of Getting It Wrong
Inauthentic engagement can backfire. Communities will quickly call out “corporate speak”. And shallow attempts to push products.
Success depends on time and commitment with personalized, consistent responses. So, consider best practice experience. Rather than a one-size-fits-all strategy.
Remember, negative interactions are public. Open and permanent.
Like navigating a rip current at the beach… this channel is not for an inexperienced “early career” team member. Partnering with a challenger brand agency like K&A can help optimize content for mobile – and build authentic community engagement – to leverage platforms which Google prioritizes.
Ensure your brand isn’t merely showing up. But standing out.
Because in today’s digital world, marketing where customers and prospects already congregate isn’t optional.
It’s essential.
