Reddit for Brands:
More Than Cats and Karma
with Flynn Zaiger
About Flynn
As CEO of Online Optimism, Flynn Zaiger spends his day keeping his employees happy, his clients happier, and the office pups happiest.
Flynn graduated from Tulane University in the Spring of 2012, before getting a job in the corporate world. He spent six months there before deciding that he should try to create a better place to work and help business.
With the many resources available to entrepreneurs in New Orleans, on October 8th, 2012 he created Online Optimism LLC, performing much-needed Internet marketing assistance to the many businesses of Louisiana. Over the years, that client base expanded and the team grew far beyond himself. In 2024, he moved with his wife Christine to New York City, running a hybrid agency that remains headquartered in New Orleans.
In addition to running Online Optimism, Flynn is actively involved in the community. He has spoken across the country on topics including digital marketing, analytics, and entrepreneurship. His expertise has led to being featured on Forbes.com, Inc.com, Entrepreneur.com, CIO.com, Social Media Today and the Washington Post for his leadership of our agency, though his proudest accomplishment is that one time he got Yahoo Finance to cite him in a piece on Taylor Swift.
He’s most likely to be found with his dog Pimms while in the office, getting climbed on by his cats Bea and Jama when working from home, or in the few hours he is not growing Online Optimism, playing chess with his family.
I’ll admit it. I was late for this conversation with Flynn Zaiger because I fell down a Reddit rabbit hole. It started with a few interesting subreddits and before I knew it, I was knee-deep in conversations about everything from marketing hacks to cat memes. That’s the magic of Reddit. It pulls you in. But if you’re a marketer, the real question is: how do you harness that energy for your brand?
That’s exactly what Flynn and I talked about. As CEO of Online Optimism, he spends his days balancing happy clients, happy employees, and yes, happy office cats. Together, we explored how brands can make Reddit less intimidating and more impactful.
Key Insights from the Conversation
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People talk to people, not logos. A personal account often earns more trust than a brand profile, especially for solopreneurs and small teams.
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Don’t just sit in your empty subreddit waiting for guests. Invite people in, cross-post, and spark conversations that go beyond self-promotion.
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You can (and should) set the rules. From approving posts to restricting video, subreddits give you more control than most platforms.
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Love it or not, Reddit is showing up in Google results and AI training data. If you’re not part of the conversation, someone else is shaping your story for you.
Actionable Takeaways
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Create both a brand account and a representative account. Use one to host your subreddit and the other to build community.
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Start your subreddit party with engaging questions and discussions, not just marketing messages.
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Cross-post your content into larger subreddits to expand your reach beyond your inner circle.
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Search your brand on Reddit. You may be surprised at what customers are already saying.
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Don’t ignore Reddit’s growing role in search and AI. Positive content you post now could influence how you’re found tomorrow.
At the end of the day, Reddit isn’t just another channel to check off your list. It’s a conversation hub. And when you show up with curiosity, honesty, and maybe a cat story or two, you’ll find that people are more than ready to talk back.
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