Are these social platforms the next big thing in social media or just more digital noise?

If you’ve spent any time in marketing circles lately, you’ve probably heard people calling Reddit and Quora the “next goldmines” for brands. And honestly, there’s some truth to that. Both platforms have something most social networks lost years ago and that is “real conversations”. But like any trend, the hype comes with its fair share of misconceptions.

Let’s start with what’s real. Reddit and Quora are two of the few places where audiences actually think before they talk. It’s not about filters or aesthetics. It’s about ideas, opinions, and honest discussions. Reddit thrives on communities built around shared interests from skincare and finance to coding and startups. Quora, on the other hand, is driven by curiosity. People go there to ask, answer, and learn. For brands that genuinely want to build authority, these platforms are gold. When a brand joins the right subreddits or contributes helpful insights on Quora threads, it’s not “marketing.” It’s participation. That’s where authenticity wins.

But here’s where the hype goes wrong. Many brands enter these spaces like they do Instagram or LinkedIn, posting promotional content or forcing engagement. That doesn’t work. Reddit users can spot an ad from a mile away. Quora readers scroll past self-promotion instantly. These are not platforms for broadcasting; they’re for belonging. The key is to add value first content and share real experiences, answer questions honestly and build trust before ever talking about your product.

At The Social Lions- a community building agency, we’ve seen this shift firsthand. For some of our tech and SaaS clients, Reddit and Quora have become powerful sources of organic traffic and community-led brand discovery. Threads that start as genuine conversations often evolve into word-of-mouth marketing at scale. But this only works when brands respect the culture of the platform when they listen more than they speak.

So, are Reddit and Quora the next social media goldmines? Not by default. They’re tools and like any tool, their impact depends on how you use them. For brands that crave authenticity, relevance, and peer-driven trust, they’re worth every minute. For those chasing quick wins, they’ll just be noise.