Reddit started in 2005, adding the self-serve Reddit advertising platform in 2009. While Reddit isn’t at the top of most marketers’ strategies due to its recreational nature, perhaps it should be. Not only is Reddit nearly in the top 5 most-visited websites in the U.S. (6th at the time of publication), but due to the structure of its content, it routinely ranks organically for first-page search engine results. When targeted correctly, advertising with Reddit lets you reach a prequalified and engaged audience.
PROs of Using Reddit Advertising
- Lots of traffic means lots of eyes (52 million daily users).
- Subreddits are focused communities of users with a shared interest. Finding the right ones means your audience is pre-qualified.
- Independent research shows Reddit users are 2x more likely to purchase a product or service seen on the platform compared to other social sites.
CONs of Using Reddit Advertising
- Some audiences are still hard to reach or not allowed to be targeted directly.
- Due to the niche nature of subreddits, some topics will get low impressions until you branch out from your initial target audience.
- Higher-than-average cost per click.
How Reddit Advertising Stands Up to Our Four Questions:
When deciding whether a digital advertising platform is right for your business, there are four questions you should ask yourself.
WHAT IS YOUR GOAL? – Advertising on Reddit allows for both awareness and conversion campaigns. If you’re trying to introduce yourself to a new group and create loyalty or sell them on your product or service directly, Reddit can do both.
WHO IS YOUR AUDIENCE? – This is the biggest advantage Reddit advertising has. If there are targetable subreddits for your business, we’re already a step ahead, because those users have joined a group focused on that topic of their own free will. As we find connections to that group, we may discover other users who may be interested but haven’t joined your main subreddit targets yet.
WHAT ASSETS DO YOU HAVE? – Like most other platforms, we’ll need a place to point your ad. That URL may be your site, a landing page, or even a subreddit for your business where you can connect with a new potential audience.
Reddit ads can use images or videos and currently prefer a horizontal layout using the popular 1.91:1 ratio. Images act mostly as thumbnails so we’ll be relying on catchy headlines to get that first click.
WHAT IS YOUR BUDGET? – Similar to LinkedIn, Reddit has a minimum daily spend of $5/day. For most clients, this should not be an issue, but variant-heavy campaigns can add up quickly. Reddit also seems to have a higher cost-per-click average than other platforms, but this doesn’t concern me as much. Due to the prequalified nature of the audience, those clicks should convert more often than tire-kickers on other platforms.
A Final Note About Advertising with Reddit
Reddit Advertising is a bit of an untapped resource in marketing. If you have a niche product or service, there are few platforms that do as well at getting in front of a specialty audience. Reddit is currently gaining organic reach as well, meaning a search through Google or Microsoft might lead your customer to a subreddit where your ads are showing. If you think Reddit can help your business, or you want our professional opinion reach out to the marketing experts at Mediaura to find out for sure.
