Reddit and Paid Search: What Marketers Need to Know

Reddit offers immense potential for marketers thanks to its vast user base and a seemingly endless number of niche communities. Here’s how to determine whether it’s right for you.

Looking for proof a trend has taken off? Check TikTok.

That’s where you’ll find a short video with more than 800,000 views (and counting) where a user mentions adding “Reddit” to the end of every hyper-specific Google search.

Reddit is a social media-meets-message board-type website where hundreds of millions of users (aka Redditors) discuss various topics under respective subforums, aka “subreddits.”

And Google? They’ve noticed the trend too. In early 2024, Reddit struck a multi-million dollar AI content licensing deal with Google, shortly before becoming a publicly traded company. Months later, Reddit launched dynamic product ads and lead generation ads.

Since then, multiple industry publications have speculated it’s only a matter of time before the mega-popular platform goes full-speed ahead on paid search ad opportunities.

In short, it’s wise for digital marketing pros to pay attention to Reddit. To learn about why, we tapped experienced digital marketer Dylan Furr to tell us his first-hand experience when it comes to Reddit and advertising.

(Image: Brett Jordan/Unsplash)

Why Reddit ads matter to Google – and digital marketing

Experienced marketers know that Google Ads reign supreme when it comes to paid search or PPC.

However, in the ever-evolving landscape of digital marketing, staying ahead means always being open to exploring new avenues to engage audiences and amplify your brand’s online presence.

Google’s focus has always been to deliver people relevant info that corresponds to their search query. In some ways, between billions of webpages and the rise in AI, that task is as complicated as ever.

Users have felt that too, with many bemoaning being inundated with irrelevant ads or being served SEO content in organic search results written solely for the search engines and not human beings.

The fact is, advertising will continue to take up real estate in these spaces, from Meta’s Facebook Ads and Amazon paid search campaigns to LinkedIn, podcasts, and everywhere in between.

The rise in AI brings exciting possibilities when it comes to online search and digital marketing. The trick lies in leveraging these tools properly, strategically, and responsibly.

“AI has been [putting] a big emphasis on answering questions for users since this is a primary use of engines like Google,” says Furr. “The platform being much more user friendly in design than competitor sites makes it easier to digest and more user friendly.”

Plus, he adds, Google’s recent partnership with Reddit didn’t hurt their interest in driving more traffic there.

Search Engine Land recently reported that Reddit had prohibited (aka blocked) Microsoft search engine Bing and some other search engines from crawling its site.

“This may not be long-lasting, but with Google and Bing being direct competitors, it’s not very surprising,” says Furr.

“The API data from Reddit being shared with Google means Google benefits most from the traffic to Reddit in user data, and if Google sees that platform as valuable as they seem to, based on this exclusive partnership, then cutting their competitor out wherever they can is just making sure they keep those listings on Google so more people use their platform.”

The benefits of marketing on Reddit

“Reddit has an amazing bank of crowdsourced knowledge, opinions, insights, professionals, and everyday users of products,” Furr explains. “And, not to mention, an extremely niche reach that is harder to come by in the privacy-first days that we’re in.”

Here are just a few reasons why adding Reddit to your marketing plan could benefit your business:

• Reach: There are more than 500 million Reddit accounts, meaning the potential for connecting with your target audience on the platform is huge.
• Hyper-targeting options: With more than 2 million subreddits on the platform, the ability to leverage highly targeted audiences is nearly unprecedented.
• Engagement: A large number of Reddit users are highly active and dedicated to their respective subreddit communities, giving you the opportunity to have meaningful connections with your audience members.

5 tips for businesses leveraging Reddit marketing

To leverage Reddit effectively, you need a marketing strategy that aligns with the platform’s unique set and user base. Here are some ways you can approach marketing on Reddit:

1. Identify your audience

To start, identify the subreddits that align with your brand or industry. Use Reddit’s search function and tools like RedditList or Subreddit Stats to find communities with high engagement and relevance to your target audience.

2. Explore Reddit’s ad options

Reddit offers several ad formats, including promoted posts, dynamic product ads for ecommerce brands, display ads, lead gen, and video ads. Targeting options allow you to reach specific subreddits or demographics, helping your message reach the right audience.

3. Prioritize authenticity

Reddit users value genuine interactions. Avoid empty self-promotion and instead focus on contributing valuable insights or answering questions related to your industry. Building a reputation as a helpful and knowledgeable member can pave the way for more subtle promotional efforts.

4. Test, monitor, analyze, and optimize

As with all digital marketing campaigns from PPC to paid social, it’s important to A/B test, monitor performance metrics, and analyze results so you can make optimizations accordingly. This advice applies to any platform you’re leveraging, but especially one that’s more nascent or new to you. Be open to adjusting your bid strategy, targeting, and other aspects as necessary.

5. Expect a learning curve

More than other major social media platforms, Reddit users are known to pull no punches. As such, it’s natural for users to be wary of advertising. If you anticipate some pushback, you can be better prepared to respond to criticisms in a thoughtful, professional way.

Pro tip: Avoid launching one of those ad campaigns that go viral for all the wrong reasons. (I won’t name names, but I bet you can think of at least one.) While it can be tempting to hop on the latest online trend or use the latest lingo in your ad, that can come off as inauthentic and quickly backfire as a result. Rather, stay true to your brand’s voice and tone, which will come off as much more genuine.

(Image: Monster Ztudio/Adobe Stock)

Reddit ads best practices: More advice from the experts

The HawkSEM team has spent a significant amount of time studying what works and what doesn’t when it comes to Reddit advertising. Here are some key takeaways to maximize your success:

Prioritize mobile

Most people access Reddit via their smartphones. As such, the content you create should be poised for sound-off mobile viewing (that includes captions for accessibility) and follow the proper aspect ratio guidelines for best results.

Be upfront about advertising

One surefire way to ruin your credibility with Redditors is by trying to conceal the fact that you’re a brand and your content is advertising. We recommend having clear branding on all of your assets and focusing on providing value through your copy rather than trying to trick users.

Get familiar with the platform

It won’t benefit you to throw an old campaign up onto Reddit and assume it’ll perform well. In the long run, it’ll benefit you more to spend some time exploring this unique platform, understanding how people use it, and getting familiar with the lingo and abbreviations used.

Partnering with an agency for Reddit ads: Questions to ask

Whether your in-house team is at capacity or you’re simply ready to explore partnering with an SEM freelancer, agency, or marketing consultant, here are some questions to ask to determine the right fit for your business:

• How familiar are you with our industry and with Reddit ads?
• What relevant marketing certifications do you and/or your team have, if any?
• Do you think you can work within my budget and still reach our goals?
• Can you share some case studies that offer proof points and results of your work?
• What platforms do you leverage for digital advertising (Google Analytics, CRMs, etc.)?
• Which metrics do you pay the most attention to (CPA, CTR, etc.)?
• What’s your preferred communication style and frequency?

The takeaway

Whether or not you find out that it makes sense for your time and ad spend budget to advertise on Reddit, the consensus seems to be that the platform is at least worth exploring.

“I’ve seen CPMs and CPCs be very favorable on the platform,” says Furr. “From an awareness position, I think it’s a great resource to add. For driving hard conversions, it’s worth testing but can call for specifically tailored creative in certain situations.” If a client has a niche product or service, he adds, it’s definitely worth exploring.

“You don’t need a huge budget to try Reddit,” he adds. “A little can go a long way and targeting is unlike any other platform at this point, which makes it a great resource to test out.”

Need help getting your Reddit ads strategy off the ground? We’d love to help.