Reddit Ads: Complete Advertising Guide for 2025

Key Takeaways

• Reddit has 500M+ monthly active users with high engagement
• CPMs are $2-5, significantly lower than Meta/Google
• Subreddit targeting reaches passionate, niche communities
• Authentic, non-salesy content performs best
• Conversation Ads drive highest engagement

Why Advertise on Reddit?

Reddit is unlike any other platform. Users actively participate in communities around specific interests, making targeting incredibly precise. While other platforms interrupt scrolling, Reddit ads can join genuine conversations.

Reddit Audience Stats

Reddit Ad Formats

1. Promoted Posts

Standard feed ads that look like regular Reddit posts.

Specs:

• Headline: Up to 300 characters
• Image: 1200x628px recommended
• Video: Up to 15 minutes
• Link to any URL

Best for:

• Brand awareness
• Content promotion
• Product launches

2. Conversation Ads (AMA Style)

Ads that appear in comment threads, enabling two-way conversation.

Best for:

• Engagement
• Community building
• Product feedback
• Brand personality

3. Carousel Ads

Multiple images/cards users can swipe through.

Specs:

• 2-6 cards
• 1200x628px per card
• Individual headlines per card

Best for:

• Product catalogs
• Feature highlights
• Storytelling

4. Video Ads

Auto-play video in feed.

Specs:

• Aspect ratio: 16:9, 4:5, or 1:1
• Max 15 minutes (15-30 seconds recommended)
• MP4 or MOV format
• Max 1GB file size

Best for:

• Brand storytelling
• Product demos
• Tutorial content

5. Free Form Ads

Full creative control with custom layouts.

Best for:

• Interactive experiences
• Rich media
• Complex messaging

Reddit Targeting Options

Community (Subreddit) Targeting

The most powerful Reddit targeting - reach users in specific communities.

Examples:

• r/gaming → Gamers
• r/personalfinance → Finance-interested
• r/fitness → Health enthusiasts
• r/technology → Tech early adopters

Best practices:

• Target 10-20 relevant subreddits
• Group similar communities
• Exclude off-topic ones
• Test broad vs narrow

Interest Targeting

Based on Reddit's interest taxonomy:

• Gaming
• Technology
• Sports
• Entertainment
• Finance
• And 15+ more categories

Device/Platform Targeting

• iOS
• Android
• Desktop
• Mobile web

Location Targeting

• Country
• Region
• Metro area (US only)

Custom Audiences

• Email lists
• Website visitors (Pixel)
• Lookalike audiences

Reddit Ads Costs

Pricing Model

Reddit uses auction-based CPM/CPC/CPV pricing.

Minimum Budgets

• Daily minimum: $5
• Lifetime minimum: $50
• No minimum spend overall

Cost Comparison

Setting Up Reddit Ads

Step 1: Create Ads Account

Go to ads.reddit.com

Sign up or log in

Enter business details

Set up billing

Step 2: Install Reddit Pixel

Step 3: Choose Campaign Objective

• Brand Awareness: Maximize impressions
• Traffic: Drive clicks
• Conversions: Track actions
• Video Views: Maximize views
• App Installs: Drive downloads

Step 4: Set Targeting

Select subreddit communities

Add interest targeting

Set device preferences

Choose locations

Define audience expansion

Step 5: Create Ads

• Write headline (conversation-starting)
• Upload creative (native-looking)
• Add CTA
• Set destination URL

Step 6: Set Budget & Bid

• Daily or lifetime budget
• Set bid (auto or manual)
• Schedule start/end dates

Reddit Ads Best Practices

Creative Guidelines

DO:

• Be authentic and transparent
• Use humor appropriately
• Provide value first
• Engage in comments
• Use native-looking creative

DON'T:

• Be overly salesy
• Ignore negative comments
• Use clickbait
• Fake being a community member
• Over-brand creative

Headline Formulas That Work

Question format: "What's your go-to [product category]?"

Value-first: "[Benefit] without [pain point]"

Community-focused: "Fellow [interest] lovers..."

Reddit-native: "TIL about [product/feature]..."

Image Best Practices

• Avoid stock photos (Redditors hate them)
• Use product in action
• Include text overlay sparingly
• Match subreddit aesthetic
• Test user-generated content

Comment Strategy

Reddit ads with comments have 2x higher engagement.

How to engage:

Answer questions quickly

Be helpful, not defensive

Provide additional value

Use Reddit-appropriate tone

Upvote positive comments

Advanced Reddit Strategies

1. Subreddit Deep Dive

Before targeting:

Browse target subreddits

Understand community norms

Note common discussions

Identify pain points

Adapt creative to match

2. AMA Campaigns

Host an Ask Me Anything style ad:

• Schedule specific time
• Announce in ad
• Have team ready to respond
• Provide genuine value
• Follow up on threads

3. Sequential Targeting

Stage 1: Brand awareness to cold audience

Stage 2: Product education to engagers

Stage 3: Conversion offer to warm audience

4. Seasonal Community Targeting

• r/GiftIdeas → Holidays
• r/superbowl → Big game
• r/taxes → Tax season
• r/backtoschool → Fall shopping

Measuring Reddit Success

Key Metrics

Attribution Considerations

• Reddit users often research before converting
• Use longer attribution windows (7-14 days)
• Track assists, not just last-click
• Monitor branded search lift

Reddit Ads Challenges

1. Negative Comments

Reddit users are vocal. Handle with:

• Quick, honest responses
• Acknowledgment of issues
• Never deleting criticism
• Learning from feedback

2. Authenticity Expectations

Redditors spot inauthenticity immediately:

• Don't fake native content
• Disclose you're advertising
• Provide genuine value
• Match community tone

3. Niche Audiences

Some subreddits are small:

• Aggregate related communities
• Use interest targeting backup
• Accept higher CPMs for precision

Reddit vs Other Platforms

Conclusion

Reddit advertising offers unique access to passionate, engaged communities at competitive prices. Success requires understanding Reddit culture and creating authentic, valuable content.

Getting started:

Browse target subreddits first

Create native-looking creative

Start with 5-10 community targets

Monitor and respond to comments

Test, learn, optimize

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