Reddit continues to be one of the most lucrative, yet misunderstood advertising platforms for marketing. Advertising on Reddit offers far more value for money and a higher potential ceiling than other social media sites when used properly.

So how do Reddit ads work? Reddit ads are targeted to users based on their location and their interests (based on subreddits they visit). This community based targeting ability is what makes Reddit advertising special. After creating an ad, you set a budget and bid for each click or thousand impressions that your ad will receive.

In this constantly updated guide, we will explain all of the basics of getting started with advertising on Reddit. We will also explain what separates a good campaign from a bad one. By the end of the guide, you will be familiar with all of the facets of the advertising options and be ready to launch your winning campaign.

We will show how to get the most out of your marketing budget to maximise clicks, impressions, and conversions. Our guide is optimized for 2019 and takes into account the recent updates that have been implemented into Reddit ad platform.

Our easy contents page makes this guide easy to navigate. Remember to check back, since Reddit are known for rolling out updates to their advertising platform.

Contents:

1. Why use Reddit?

2. Getting Started

3. Audience Guide

4. Measuring Conversions

5. Budgeting Guide

6. Content Guide

7. Recent Updates

8. Top Tips For Optimizing an Advertising Campaign

9. FAQs About Advertising

10. Conclusion

1. Why Use Reddit?

Reddit offers a unique social media platform that cannot be compared to Instagram and Facebook. There is no other platform that gives access to a highly targeted audience in the same way that Reddit does. There is a reason that Reddit is known as “the front page of the internet.” This is a reputation it has garnered and maintained throughout its decade and a half of existence. It can be more difficult to effectively navigate, and it can seem to be more confusing than other social media platforms. However, once these basics are learnt, it can become an unmeasurably powerful tool in your marketing strategy. Below we explain the specific benefits of using the Reddit ad platform.

Audience Size – 6% of all United States internet users accessed Reddit in the time period of February 2018 – October 2018. On a global scale, 1.6 billion unique users had visited the website during this time period. This shows the immense audience size that visits Reddit. It may not be as regular as other social media platforms. However, there is a considerable audience size that is not going to disappear anytime soon.

The top 3 countries to access Reddit were the USA, Canada, and the UK. These are all highly targetable market bases for most industries and niches. The average user spends around 16 minutes on Reddit per day. This is a long enough time period for your Reddit ad to sufficiently capture their attention.

Find out more about the best time to post on Reddit.

Targeting Options – One way where Reddit comes out ahead is through their targeting options. Instagram and Facebook have similar options, but these are limited to vague interests.

Reddit works through ‘subreddits‘ which are micro-communities interested in one topic. Regular users are usually very passionate about their community and will have an avid interest in the topic that is being discussed. You can specifically target a community from any subreddit that fits within your product or service.

This can be a far more efficient way to target as subreddits are more concrete forms of confirmed interest targeting. The ability to target specific topics makes Reddit a highly powerful tool for advertising.

To find out more about marketing on Reddit, don’t forget to check out our Reddit Resources.

Pros & Cons of Advertising on Reddit

If you are still on the fence about whether paid advertising could work for your company, we have compiled an easy pros and cons list. This should help you make a decision as to whether it would be beneficial for your company to choose Reddit for advertising as well as understanding what separates it from other social media networks in terms of advertising.

Pros:

Large Targeted Traffic

Marketing is all about reaching the right people. In 2019, Reddit offers a huge range of active users to target. It has an enormous amount of organic daily visitors every day. The Reddit community is one of the largest digital communities in existence, and it is still growing. Most of the community are tech savvy and generally fairly young. The opportunities afforded by Reddit are vast because the traffic can be so segmented, as the use of ‘subreddits’ can allow you to find a new marketing opportunity that your competition may have missed.

Specific Industry Targeting

The way Reddit is built is accustomed to niche targeted marketing. As we explained above, Reddit uses customized subreddits that are tailored towards specific interests making interest targeting very easy. This leads to targeted groups that are passionate about a topic. If your product is niche, then it may better to advertise on Reddit rather than on Instagram where advertising dollars can be wasted trying to market to people who aren’t interested in your product/service.

Demographic Research

Another benefit of using advertising is that it allows you to get a closer look at your target demographic. You can follow their habits and keep up with the latest trends while researching specific subreddits. No other digital communities or social media networks allow you to have such a close look at how a target audience behaves. They only allow a general look, whereas Reddit offers a more specific and tailored view of your key target market. It can be valuable to join a Reddit community and learn about how they think and what they expect. This can be the perfect way to plan and set up a Reddit advertising strategy. You can plan on Facebook and Instagram too, but on those social media networks, there is much more trial and error involved since there is no way of gauging what works and what doesn’t until the strategy has begun. Reddit at least provides a clearer idea of what the community is already responding to and the type of content they wouldn’t be receptive to.

Cons:

Tricky Community

There is a downside to the niche specific nature of Reddit. The consumers are far more informed and passionate about their topic. This makes it harder to convince them about your product. It makes that cheap tactics will not fly. The same mindset applied to other social media networks cannot be used for Reddit. The audience on Reddit is far savvier and increasingly more wary of blatant advertising efforts. The people on subreddits may even be more informed than you about the industry you wish to advertise in. The communities are self-regulated which means they control what can and what cannot be published. Outsiders are not treated kindly. The rewards can be great, but there is a great deal of extra effort required to deliver a successful Reddit marketing campaign.

Reputation is on the line

Reddit is a huge community, and together they also have an immense amount of power to influence opinions. The benefit is that a positive reception to your product can be exponential and increase brand awareness. However, the downside is that a poor marketing campaign can ruin the reputation of your entire brand. Reddit is famous for bringing large amounts of attention to things, and it is easy for a bad marketing campaign to bring in unwanted negative attention which can be hard to recover from. The use of shady tactics can harm your brand, and some of these you may not have even been aware of. The use of ads on Reddit brings your company to a spotlight in a far more concerted manner, when compared to Instagram or Facebook.

Beginners May Struggle

This guide is written for complete beginners. However, Reddit is more ideal for those who already have some marketing experience. Instagram and Facebook are generally more friendly to those who are starting advertising efforts for the first time. As mentioned above, Reddit advertising has the potential for disastrous consequences when used incorrectly. The community is fairly difficult to target, and it takes serious dedication and research to pull off a successful marketing campaign. This is, of course, made easier when you already have some marketing experience under your belt.

2. Getting Started With Paid Advertising on Reddit

Now that you’re ready to advertise on Reddit, as well as the risks, you will be eager to learn how to get started with Reddit advertising. We will explain how the Reddit dashboard works and the best ways to utilize it to your advantage. In general it is easy to use; however, we have explained each step to make it simple for complete beginners to navigate.

To navigate to the ads platform, you should go to ads.reddit.com. This will prompt you to log in to your Reddit account. If you do not have one you can click on the “sign up” and follow the very easy instructions to create one. It will only require a username and an email address. If you are logged on, you will see a dashboard like the one below. It is important to turn off any ad blockers for this page, as they can interfere with the ads dashboard.

This dashboard has a very clean layout, and the features are well presented. You will have the option to name your campaign. The left side of the dashboard will have various ad-options that are unlocked once you name your campaign. The main options allow you to select specific objectives for your advertising campaign. There are five different objectives to choose from, and we will explain them in depth.

Brand Awareness and Reach

This option is ideal for those who are looking to expand upon their overall brand awareness and reach.

It suits a brand that is looking to branch out rather than to specifically target. It is optimized to reach a large audience and has a bid per 1k impressions. This is the best type of objective for newer businesses who want to build up a reputation or established businesses that went to spread their name in more communities.

If you are unsure of which objective suits you, then this is the best general type of objective as it increases reach.

Traffic

The second objective is traffic.

This is directly aimed at increasing clicks to your website. This is ideal if you have a landing page that you need consumers to see. It can be effective for getting a targeted audience to click on your link so that they can see the information available on your website. It is important to have a target web page in mind that users are transferred to after they click the link. You enter this link directly on the dashboard. This campaign is based upon ‘bid per link’ which we will explain in detail later on in the article.

You can either select a link post or a video post for the advertisement. Below, we explain how the dashboard looks like when making your decision.

Conversions

The third option is more sophisticated than traffic as it specifically focused on conversions rather than just attaining visitors.

There will be a specific call to the action in the headline that will inform customers of the product or service that you are offering. There may be an exclusive deal or discount that gains their attention. Conversions work similar to traffic, and they are both based on ‘bid per click’ which means you directly pay for clicks that come through.

Reddit has a number of ‘call to actions’ available which makes it easy to select a relevant one for your campaign.

Video Views

This campaign is effective for those who solely want an increase in video views. It works through bid per view which you means you pay for everyone who watches the video. This campaign is a good option for those who have already seen success with their video targeting, and it can prove to be more engaging than the other options. A video can attract the attention of potential visitors.

The dashboard makes it easy to set up the video, and there is a drag and drop button which allows you to upload. The features for a video views campaign are fairly simple to understand and use.

The below image shows the interface for managing the video campaign and the instructions are easy to follow. All file types are generally accepted for video upload.

From this image, you can see that the dashboard includes all the details needed for video upload. You can enter the destination URL in the corresponding box. There is also the option to add a call to action.

App Installs

The final type of campaign is app installs.

This is perfect if you want to increase engagement in your iOS or Android application. These campaigns only run on users who are viewing Reddit through smartphones or tablets which means money isn’t wasted on desktop users. The advert will have a direct link to your application in the chosen app store, and it will be easy for the user to download.

The dashboard makes it easy to find your application and to choose the various targeting options. It also makes it easy to track and keep up with application installs. We explain some of the features below.

There is the option of adding a click tracker. This can be a useful tool depending on your marketing strategy. There is a box to add the headline for your app. The main part of this dashboard includes the link. It requests a direct link to the App Store URL. The application must either belong to the Apple or Android store. Additionally, there is a display URL option.

The dashboard allows you to target your application to a specific mobile device. This can be helpful if your application is only available on iOs or Android. It means that money will not be wasted on users who are unable to download your application.

3. Reddit Ad Audience Guide>

One of the key Reddit features is the ability to create niche specific custom audiences. The audience that Reddit offers tends to be far more powerful than the ones made on other social media network sites. Reddit is a website built upon niche communities, and Reddit advertising allows you to target these communities directly. There are some important tips to follow in order to optimize your perfect audience.

The first option that you have in defining your audience is the location filter. You can target your campaign to specific locations, and you can also exclude locations. This is an important consideration if your product is only relevant to a specific state or country. Reddit makes it easy to choose your locale in an efficient manner which means that only people in your target location will ever need to see your advert.

As you can see the location targeting is very specific and precise. It allows you to include or exclude entire countries, as well as specific cities.

This means that Reddit advertising is ideal for global brands, countrywide brands and also brands that only run in a particular city.

You can also tailor an audience by their interests (interest targeting). There is a wide range of interests covered, and you should be able to find the specific area that suits your brand. This covers users who have recently interacted with the type of interest. It means that users will generally be highly interested in that specific field. This type of targeting is ideal for companies where there is overlap throughout a number of different subreddits. It allows specific targeting, but it allows more spread out coverage.

After you click on the initial interests, you will see various sub-interests open up that are within this broad subject. You can choose to target whichever one of these sub-interests appeals the most to your specific product. These sub-interests are fairly niche which means you can cover an audience that is likely to have an interest in your advert.

The next option for targeting is focused on particular subreddits. This allows your ad to be focused on specific Reddit communities. This can be highly effective if your ad copy is tailored to the community. There is also an option to exclude certain subreddits which may be hostile to your product or otherwise disinterested.

Subreddit targeting allows you to speak to an audience directly. It means you can be absolutely sure where your ad copy will end up and the users of the community that it will reach out to. It is the most specific form of audience targeting that Reddit offers. It can be a powerful tool to create your optimal audience.

Once you enter a term, the dashboard will show related results. The intuitive search results also include the audience size next to the subreddit. This will give you an idea of the scope of the subreddit that you target to. Reddit makes it easy to combine multiple subreddits to make the reach larger. You should keep in mind that some subreddits have heavy overlap and will be inextricably related.

For example, the search results show ‘soccer,’ ‘soccercirclejerk’ and ‘ussocer.’ All three of these communities are distinct, but they have different sizes of user bases and are highly likely to have a significant overlap. You can choose to focus on one or two subreddits or combine a few that have interest overlaps.

Targeting specific communities is recommended if you have done your research on the specific subreddits and understood the specific nature of the community and the type of content that they respond to.

Additionally, Reddit allows you to target a specific device type. You can choose for your ad to be shown on both desktop and mobile devices or restrict it to one of these choices. It is important to install the Reddit application so you have an idea of how users would interact with your ad on both devices.

For some products it can be better to have desktop only; this is especially true if you are advertising a link that has been optimized for desktop view. Alternatively, mobile targeting is recommended for app installs. In general, most ads will benefit from targeting to both devices so long as your website is optimized for mobile and desktop traffic.

The top right of the dashboard will show the estimated number of daily impressions for the audience that you have selected. This updates as you change the audience options and begin making it more specific. It provides a general gauge of the size of your audience and gives you a hint as to whether it is too small to be effective.

4. Measuring Conversions

Reddit allows you to measure conversions accurately. This can be done in a simple way. The advantage of measuring and tracking conversions is that you can better optimize your campaigns and spend marketing dollars more efficiently.

Reddit has a conversion pixel which allows you to measure your campaign and accurately track your campaign. Conversion tracking uses this pixel as a way of measuring a call to action after it has been clicked. Once the Reddit tracking pixel has been installed, it will be available to view in the dashboard.

The separate conversion events will be easy to view and follow through the dashboard. If you have previous ad marketing experience, you will be aware of the various forms of conversion tracking. However, if you are new, then a few examples of conversion tracking are ‘thank you pages,’ ‘success page,’ or ‘sign up completed’ page. The nature of this page will depend on your product and company.

But, essentially it is a confirmation. Thes use of this confirmation allows you to directly track your conversions and optimizing your campaign.

But, essentially it is a confirmation. Thes use of this confirmation allows you to directly track your conversions and optimizing your campaign.

Installation of the Reddit pixel is fairly straightforward. Firstly, you must log in to the Reddit dashboard. You should then click on the conversion pixel option.

This will open up the following image. It will display the specific code that is unique for your account. You should copy this code completely, without changing any aspect of it. It should then be pasted into the <head> of your websites conversion pages. Upon completion, your dashboard will start showing conversions.

Attribution

The conversion pixel offered by Reddit is fairly sophisticated. It allows a high level of flexibility that can be tailored to your specific goals.

The attribution settings will show the following page. You can choose your attribution type from click-through conversion, view through conversion or a combination of both. This allows you to specify the exact goal of your campaign which leads to more accurate tracking.

You can also select a specific attribution window from either 1 day, a week or a month. This will have an impact on how the data is portrayed on your account dashboard.

Additional Event Tracking

Reddit also offers additional event tracking as you can see in the above image. This is incredibly useful as it allows you to track specific conversion types. You can see from above that this list is pretty lengthy and therefore there is a good chance you will find the conversion type that correlates with your campaign aims.

Reddit’s conversion tracking started off fairly basic, but it has improved markedly which has put it amongst the top of the competition in terms of ad marketing.

5. Budgeting Guide For Reddit

The budget is one of the key considerations of any marketing campaign. We will show you how to efficiently spend your budget to get the most returns. Reddit can be tricky, and it is easy to waste marketing dollars. However, the dashboard makes it easy to understand the bids process and to maximize the money that is being spent on ads.

The bidding process on Reddit works through an auction mechanism. It utilizes a ‘generalized second price auction.’ This process works through assigning ads in a hierarchical order for bidders. There are certain amounts of ‘slots’ available, and the highest bidder will get the first slot, the second highest will get the second slot. The highest bidder pays the price bid by the second-highest bidder and so and so forth.

In practice, this means the Reddit will always attempt to pace your budget in the most efficient manner. However, the delivery of your campaign will be dependent on the demand of other advertisers. An increase in budget usually leads to improvements in increasing your reach. However, you can also expand your audience to achieve this.

Brand Awareness & Reach

The above image shows the bidding dashboard for brand awareness and reach. It is generally simple to understand and change.

The first key aspect is the budget. Reddit offers you a choice between a daily budget and a total budget. A daily budget runs continuously until stopped, whereas a total budget will stop when it has been completely spent. You can select a ‘lifetime’ budget through specific dates. The minimum budget is $5 a day. The bid amount is shown below the budget. This is the price you bid per 100 impressions. It is the maximum price number, and you will generally end up paying less than this figure.

The accepted values range from $5-$100.

Traffic & Conversions & App Installs

The traffic, conversions & app install objectives works on a bid per click system. This means that you pay for clicks instead of impressions. The minimum daily budget is $5. The daily budget and lifetime budget work in the same manner for all objectives. The bid price is the maximum you are willing to pay per click. Although, generally you will pay less than this amount.

The acceptable values range from $0.25-$100.

Video Views

Video Views and App Installs also work on a bid per view system. The acceptable ranges are $0.01 to $1.00 per view. This is maximum you are willing to pay per video view/app install, although it will usually be less. The daily budget works in the same way to the other objectives.

6. Content Guide

The content of your ad will play an enormous role in the eventual success of your campaign. Content is important for any advertising campaign, but even more so for Reddit. This is a social network built for content, and it thrives on the consumption of good content. We will outline the best strategies for planning the content of your ad.

Reddit users are genuinely inquisitive and are on the website to learn new information. They want things that are relevant to their interests (interest targeting) and useful to them. You should, therefore, describe your product in an informational yet straightforward manner.

Below, we list some of the things you should consider when formulating your ad copy.

Link vs. Text

The first consideration for your ad copy will be whether it is a link post or a text post. There are certain advantages and disadvantages to both of these options. The specifics of your ad copy will be influenced by the option you pick.





These images detail what the dashboard will show as you select the content type. A link post will directly send users that click on the text to the link of your choice. Link ads are great if the primary aim is to get traffic. It also helps to have a catchy headline that draws the attention of the user. If you don’t need to add more information, then a link ad can be an effective option. The dashboard allows you to select a headline which is limited to 300 characters. You can then enter the chosen link.

Additionally, there is the choice of adding a card image and a thumbnail image. Reddit is different when viewed on platforms such as smartphones and desktops. These pictures can make your advert more enticing. It is easy to select the images for these, and the recommended sizes are shown above on the dashboard. However, the text is the most important part since it will be viewed on every device and will need to convince a user to click through.

A text post, on the other hand, will not have the options for images. However, the advantage of a text post is the 4000 characters that you have to attempt to sell your brand. When a user clicks the headline of a text post, they will be directed to the text that you choose to write.

On average, text ads receive three times as much comments and generally get more engagement from the user base. Text ads allow you to place multiple links within the text, rather than being limited to a single page. It allows you to flesh out an ad copy and truly engage with the particular audience that you target.

The dashboard makes it simple to post. There is a headline box for the headline which is limited to 300 words. The text box is available to write your ad copy, and there is a handy formatting guide available to keep your ad copy clean and tidy. It is important to break up your text and avoid the use of lengthy paragraphs.

Make it Personal

Reddit offers you a chance to be personal and really speak to your community. Your ad copy should be engaging and send out a unique message. There is so much content on Reddit, which means your copy can easily be ignored amongst the crowd.

If you are targeting a particular subreddit; you can direct the copy at them. For example, you can write; “Hey, r/soccer,… we are…”. You can follow it up by stating your company name. Even if you are targeting your copy more broadly, you are still able to introduce your company in this fashion. Your headline should be an invitation to further conversation.

It shouldn’t be a blatant marketing gimmick, but it also shouldn’t be a soulless piece of text. The best ad copy headline is concise and engaging. The most important thing is to show Redditors that you are a real human, rather than a mundane corporation.

Appeal Emotionally to Your Audience

Advertising is all about emotion. You have to appeal to your audience. What is it about your product that will spark an emotional response? It is crucial to bridge a connection between your service/product and the potential consumer. You have to force them to care about your product or at least pay attention to it for a minute or two.

Grab their attention by speaking to their tribal instincts. For example, if you are trying to promote sports jerseys to a /soccer subreddit, you may write something similar to “Our jerseys are a must-have for any diehard soccer fans.” This speaks directly to the base, and it forces them to act on an assumption. It works better than simply stating, “Hey Reddit, we have released new jerseys, and we want to share them with you.” This does not build the same type of connection.

You should either appeal directly to someone’s identity, emotions or desires. Your product should either enhance their life in some manner or solve an aching problem.

The Reddit community is fueled by conversation. The content is merely the placeholder to spark intense discussions. Your ad should not be closed to starting to a new conversation. Instead, it should directly offer a chance for users to weigh in and give their opinions.

Some advertisers tend to be scared of what the user base may say, and even go as far as blocking all comments. This is a bad tactic to employ on Reddit, simply because of how integral the commenting system is. If there’s one thing Reddit users love, it’s voicing their opinions.

Reddit is all about having fun through the connections it allows strangers to make. Your ad can be the conversation starter for these users. You can keep this in mind when designing your ad to plan which type of discussion you would want them to have.

Keep out Buzzwords & Superlatives from your Copy.

In advertising, there is a natural tendency to exaggerate. There is no point making any bogus claims. Reddit users are extremely savvy and are able to detect spam copy from a mile away. It takes effort to impress the Reddit crowd. You should avoid cheesy lines for your headline such as “Best in the world” or “#1 rated”.

Cheap marketing gimmicks do not work on Reddit.

They only lead to slander and leave a bad stain on your company. The Reddit community welcomes sincerity and a genuine attempt to connect with them. You have to offer them this through an engaging headline that captures their interest without being wholly exaggerated.

Use a Text Ad to Create Valuable Content

Redditors are generally more inclined to read than the average internet user. After all, Reddit is mainly composed of text and links to articles. The high word count of a text ad lets you completely express yourself and your product. A text ad allows you to give valuable information to your audience which goes far beyond the limited headline. Text ads can be formatted in a number of ways depending on the target audience.

Ultimately, the goal is to have something that is worth reading for the user. There are many unique ways of delivering an effective text ad. Some successful ideas include giveaways, market research, contests, and many other innovative ones. Ultimately, your text ad will reflect upon the campaign strategy and goal. It may be to spread awareness, or it may be to build brand loyalty.

Alternatively, you can even produce a text ad in the form of a Question & Answer format with common questions. This requires researching the community to formulate questions that they would have.

Offer a Reddit ‘Exclusive’ Deal

Redditors have a strong sense of community. They identify themselves strongly with the website, and there is a common comradery. This is not present in other social networking websites such as Facebook or Instagram. You can take advantage of this aspect by offering a special deal only available to Redditors.

The word ‘Reddit’ instantly makes you more personable, and by offering an exclusive discount, it makes the community feel special and valued. It allows your company to be seen as less of a corporate shill and more of a friendly face that wants to genuinely help the community.

Make Use of a Thumbnail

Reddit offers the choice of a thumbnail to supplement your post. The majority of people are visually oriented. A snappy image can stand out against a wall of text. In general, ads with thumbnails tend to perform better and amass more engagement overall. Reddit allows a thumbnail of 400x300px (500kb).

You should make sure that your thumbnail is clear and crisp. It should be a high-quality image that is easily visible. Portraits of people tend to perform well as thumbnails. You should avoid any blurry thumbnails or ones with unreadable text. Thumbnails can work well as a visual supplement to your main text ad copy.

Start a Conversation

The commenting system on Reddit works through ‘threads.’ This is where one user starts a thread, and other people weigh in with replies. You can make use of this by adding an initial comment in your a ad copy post. This will instantly invite conversation and allows potential consumers to ask you questions. A simple comment could be “Hi I am the developer of this product. I am happy to answer any questions you may have”.

Redditors are genuinely curious and inquisitive. The opportunity to talk in a casual manner to someone who represents the company is one that they often take advantage of. You can take advantage of this by making it easy for the conversation to flow.

7. Recent Updates

In this past month, Reddit has made some significant changes to their advertising platform. These 2019 updates have resulted in one of the largest shifts in recent years for advertising on Reddit. We will explain all of these changes and how they will affect your campaigns. We will also delve into some of the user reactions and how Reddit is addressing some of the issues that have arisen as a result of these changes.

Cost-per-click bidding

Reddit has changed the way in which cost-per-click bidding works. Traffic and conversion objectives will now require a cost-per-click bid. To see how this change has affected your campaigns, you should go to ads that have [CPC] written in the front. This will allow you to enter a cost per click bid which will re-enable your ads campaign. Cost per click now has a $0.25 minimum bid.

App Install campaign objective

Reddit has introduced the new campaign objective of mobile application installs. These also require a cost-per-click bid. We have explained the app install campaign in more detail above.

Brand Awareness & Reach bid

The Ad groups which are associated with Brand Awareness & Reach campaigns will now require a minimum bid of $5.00. You will need to log-in to your account to see how this change has affected your specific campaigns. There will be yellow boxes with an increase bid note written on them. You will be required to update the bid per 1k impressions. This will re-enable a campaign that may have been paused.

There are a few reasons why Reddit has decided to raise the minimum bid to this amount. They have based this total on what is required to maximize a unique reach. Reddit has responded by stating that they sell guaranteed inventory to a number of large advertisers at higher rates of CPM. These are given priority of those who buy auction bids. Therefore, Reddit has a limited inventory for this group. Reddit has stated that their internal data has concluded that $5 is the minimum to maximize reach. At the moment, there are no plans to change this minimum bid. However, they may change in the future. We will keep you posted if any new changes to the system are announced.

Click Tracking Discrepancies

Users have been complaining about differences in Reddit’s click tracking when compared to other analytics tools. Reddit has issued an official response alongside their updates. They have listed a number of unique attributes that separate Reddit users from other social network users. In general, Reddit users tend to use some form of ad-blocking software. Many of these tools have Reddit whitelisted, which means thet ads are not hidden. However, these tools can interfere with tracking tools such as Google analytics. Third-party trackers may show different results than the Reddit dashboard because of the adblock interfering with third-party tracking tools. Reddit abides by the measurement guidelines, which you can read in more detail here. The nature of Reddit means they will never show exactly the same data as third-party trackers and discrepancy will always be natural.

Please check your campaigns and see how these new updates have affected your bids and delivery. For more information on these updates, please check r/RedditAds.

8. Top Tips for Optimizing a Reddit Advertising Campaign

Now that you have a grasp of the key information and essentials; we will list some of the best tips for making the most out of a 2019 Reddit Ad Campaign.

This will ensure that every marketing dollar is spent efficiently to optimize the promotion of your brand.

Research your Audience

We have already stated just how crucial it is to have a keen awareness of the audience you are targeting. The average Redditor is increasingly savvy and cannot easily be deceived. It is vital to conduct thorough research about the habits of your target audience. This is easier to perform on Reddit due to the availability of subject-specific, “subreddits.” It can even be worth trying to become a member of the subreddit of the company you represent. This will help you understand your audience better, and also give you a presence within the community. You have to speak the language of your community, and this can only be done through spending time learning about it.

Have a Look at Well Performing Posts

Furthermore, a subreddit provides a valuable opportunity to have a glance at well-performing posts. You can filter by top posts and sort by the best posts of the month or year. This will give a fantastic idea of the type of posts that are well received by the community. It will also show which posts tend to get the most activity. You can emulate or influence your ad using the knowledge you gain from browsing these posts. In general, ads that look like well performing organic posts tend to be far more well-received than obvious adverts that would seem odd on a subreddit. The key is to present your advert like a typical post rather than a typical ad. The Reddit community are not too fond of blatant advertising. This is why Reddit is such a tough nut to crack, but also why it presents huge potential when done right.

Conduct a Subreddit Assessment

You will have heard, “subreddit” many times in this guide now. But, that is because it is crucial to understanding the way that Reddit works. In many cases, your ad won’t need to be limited to only one subreddit. Therefore, it is essential to create a list of subreddits that seem appealing to target towards. You can create a list of possible subreddits, and note down their average active users and their content. If your product is particularly niche, then finding a smaller subreddit can pay great dividends. These communities tend to be extremely passionate about the specific topic. Reddit also has a “multireddit” feature where you can subscribe to the subreddits of your choice and create a feed. This will allow you to easily keep track of any new content that may be related to your industry.

Understand The Karma System

Other social media networks are based on likes. These show how popular something is and how other users are reacting to it. Reddit works on a system of “Karma” which is essentially an upvote and downvote system. Users have the power to upvote something they agree with or something they see as useful. They can also downvote something they dislike. All accounts have karma levels based upon these totals. The Karama points also determine which content remains at the front page of a subreddit. If you create an advert with a high karma account, it can increase your reputation amongst users who view it. They will be more likely to accept an advert from someone who already has some history in a community rather than a new account with low karma.

Allow Comments

Reddit gives users the choice of whether they want to include or disable comments for their advertised post. Most advertisers think that blocking comments will be useful. After all, it can help to deter any unwanted abuse or negativity. However, it can have the opposite of the desired effect. Reddit users will be curious as to why commenting has been disabled. They will see at something to hide. Allowing free commentary will let the users freely discuss your product and service. It will make you seem more authentic and more open to criticism. Also, you are able to respond to comments in a fair and positive manner. This will increase the reputation of your brand. You will need to have a sense of humour and also be ready for some negativity. Success on Reddit requires a thick skin and a positive mentality at all times.

Always be Transparent

Your advert show detail exactly what your company offers. There should be no gimmicks or obviously false claims. Reddit is not a system that can be “gamed” with cheap tricks or loopholes. Redditors live and breathe the internet. They have already seen every trick in the book. You can’t con them with cheap scams or lazy clickbait. Be straightforward and honest with them at all times.

Transparency is the only way to crack Reddit advertising.

Offer Excellent Content

Content is king everywhere. But even more so for Reddit. This is a community that lives and feeds off valuable and excellent content. Mediocre and lazy content just won’t fly.

However, if you can provide real value to a community; they will reward you with engagement and loyalty. If your product solves a genuine problem, then the community may even start promoting your product for you through referrals and discussions within the Reddit community.

Stick to an Audience

It can take some initial experimenting to find your optimal audience. However, once you have an audience that works, it is important to stick with it. You should keep an eye on how this audience is progressing and whether there have been any developments in the specific subreddits. One way that advertisers waste marketing dollars is by constantly changing their audience. Once you have found your audience, you should stay with them throughout your marketing campaign.

Don’t use Link Shorteners.

You should always include a real link for all adverts. Reddit users are very suspicious of link shorteners because of their tendency to lead to scams and malware.

It is far better to use your real link.

Don’t Create Forced Memes

There is nothing more cringe than a company trying too hard to fit in. Memes may fly on Instagram and Facebook, but on Reddit, they will generally result in ridicule. Reddit users know when a company is trying too hard to fit in. There is no value in forcing memes to promote your business. It is far better to be openly straightforward about what your business can provide for users.

9. Reddit Advertising FAQs

There are many common questions that typically pop up about Reddit Advertising. Here we address some common concerns and queries. If you still have a question, feel free to contact us or to leave a comment below. We will try our utmost to answer your question in the best way possible.

Why Was My Ad Not Approved?

There are a number of reasons why your ad didn’t get approved. It may have broken one of or more of the Reddit guidelines. Reddit usually sends an email with specific explanations as to why your ad did not receive approval.

Why Isn’t This Subreddit Available to Advertise On?

Although the majority of subreddits can be targeted towards, there are some that Reddit does not allow. This can change quickly, and it is down to the discretion of the Reddit staff. In general, Reddit only allows the top 5k most active subs to be targeted towards. This does cover the majority of subreddits, but for smaller ones, you may need to wait until the community becomes larger.

Here is a complete list of Subreddits that you can advertise on.

Can I Advertise Adult-related Products?

Reddit does allow Adult products to be advertised. However, these can only be targeted towards 18+ subreddits. These are subreddits that include NSFW warnings and are catered towards an adult. Therefore, the right type of audience will be found within these subreddits, and you should stay away from any subreddits that do not have the age restriction.

Does Reddit Allow Affiliate Marketing Links?

Reddit doesn’t as yet have a clear policy on affiliate marketing links. However, in general, affiliate marketing links will not be approved. If you need marketing ads for affiliate links, then it would best to use another platform.

How Long Do Ad Reviews Take?

Reddit usually takes around one business day to review ads. However, the length of time can be shorter or longer depending on a range of factors. All ads submitted on the weekend do not get reviewed until the following Monday.

Why Do My Ads Keep Getting Rejected?

Firstly, it is important to properly read and understand the Reddit guidelines. These guidelines make it clear as to what is allowed and what types of ads aren’t allowed. Reddit will usually email you after a rejection. They state clearly why your ad has been rejected and provide simple steps to make it acceptable for Reddit standards. If you did not receive an email, or if you had further questions about a specific rejection; you can reach out directly to Reddit.

Why Isn’t My Dashboard Showing Impressions?

The first step is to check that your ad campaigns are properly running. It is important to check that they haven’t been paused or stopped by one of your team members. If your ad is shown as “running,” you should note that the Reddit dashboard can take up to 5 hours to show the updated data. If 24 hours have passed since your ad started running and there are still no impressions, you should contact Reddit directly.

Does Reddit Provide Invoices of Billing Activity?

Many companies require specific invoices to cover Reddit’s billing activity. Reddit easily allows you to request invoices for all billing activity. This can be accessed through your dashboard. The official guide has more information on generating invoices.

Does Reddit Have a Managed Sales Team?

Reddit does have a direct sales team which offers partnerships for your advertising campaign. You can get in touch with them through this form. However, only campaigns with a budget of over $50,000 are eligible to work with the direct sales team.

10. TL;DR

Reddit offers a huge target base that can be highly specific to your brand/company. It offers an immeasurable marketing opportunity.

However, this opportunity is one that can only be taken with people who know and understand the mechanics behind Reddit. This guide has shown you all the basics, and you should now feel far more familiar with Reddit advertising. However, you still need to be diligent in your research and begin to properly understand your audience, so that you can craft the perfect Reddit marketing campaign.

The challenges will be tough, but the potential rewards can be immense.

Reddit can be the perfect hub to build up a sustainable, passionate and engaged fanbase.