Liam Walsh
Liam is a Co-Director at Intelligency and heads up the agency's Digital Intelligence & Paid Social activity. Over the last decade, he has worked with brands from the world of sports such as Premier League clubs to entertainment such as Channel 4 and Disney.
Reddit has surpassed X to become the fifth most popular social media platform in the UK, according to the latest report from Ofcom, the country’s communications regulator. The platform attracted 22.9 million UK adult visitors in May 2024, compared to X’s 22.1 million, representing a 47% year-on-year increase in Reddit’s user base. This rapid growth also allowed Reddit to overtake LinkedIn, solidifying its position as one of the UK’s top social media platforms. At the same time, YouTube climbed to the top of the rankings, replacing Facebook, with over 44 million UK adult users.
Factors Behind Reddit’s Rapid Growth
Reddit’s rise in popularity could be due to several important factors. The recent core updates to Google’s search engine have made Reddit more visible which would naturally bring more visitors to its community-driven discussion boards. Furthermore, changes to Reddit’s policies, which limited third-party apps and directed users to the site itself has also, potentially contributed to its growth. Finally, Reddit was listed on the stock market back in March and consequently this would have increased the platform’s profile. Finally, Reddit’s loyal user base, known as “Redditors,” has helped maintain its growth by creating a lively and active community.
Challenges and Decline of X
While Reddit has grown, X has seen its UK reach fall by 8% compared to May 2023. Since its acquisition by Elon Musk in 2022, X has faced widespread criticism for its content moderation policies, which many users feel have deteriorated under his leadership. These concerns may have prompted some users to seek alternative platforms. Furthermore, X has faced intensified competition, particularly from Meta’s Threads and Bluesky, rivals launched in the last 18 months that have positioned themselves as a more moderated and user-friendly alternative. This combination of internal challenges and external competition has contributed to X’s decline in popularity, allowing platforms like Reddit to capture a larger share of the social media audience.
