Reddit You Are Doing That Too Mjuch Try Again in 6 Minutes
This is a guest post on Reddit Ads by Alex Berman of Experiment 27 . We worked with Alex to test out Reddit's ad platform. Below are the results of that test.
*Updated September 2019
Table OF CONTENTS
- What Are Reddit Ads?
- The First Test: Experiment 27 ($50)
- The Second Test: Ladder + Experiment 27 ($200)
- The Posts
- Takeaway
- How Reddit Ads Compare to Organic Posts
- Advertizement Platform Tech
- Reddit Users Don't trust Advertisers
- Reddit Advertising May Never Piece of work
- Is Reddit Advertising Worth Information technology?
- Ads on Reddit: Your Ultimate Marketing FAQ Guide
- Why Does Reddit Take Ads?
- When Did Reddit go Ads?
- How Practise Reddit Ads Piece of work?
- Are Reddit Ads Targeted?
- How Long Does Information technology Take For Reddit Ads to be Canonical?
- How Much Exercise Ads Cost on Reddit?
- Are Reddit Ads Worth It?
Online advertising is constantly changing.
As marketers, we have to put our coin on the best pick. We already know Facebook and Twitter piece of work when washed correct.
But we weren't quite sure how to advertise on Reddit, the world'south biggest social forum.
A lot of marketers nosotros know are asking the same question, and Reddit has struggled with it themselves. A new article pops up every week about how Reddit is having advertizing acquirement issues. You'll find complaints most conversion, low ROI for businesses, and full general opinions that Reddit Ads are the worst thought.
Then Reddit is having clear and present problems with driving advertisers, agencies, and businesses to buy ads.
As a distinct platform with its ain norms, standards, and subcommunities for every topic you could possibly imagine, Reddit should be a puddle of leads. It's the dream platform for every marketer: a highly self-selected, targeted audition for any interest.
Simply put: with Reddit advertising, the targeting work is already done for you and the opportunity to accomplish new and active audiences is there.
But it merely doesn't work out that fashion, and our Reddit Ads experiment shows why:
What are Reddit Ads?
For those who are not familiar with the term, a Reddit Ad can look a lot like regular Reddit post except for the words "promoted postal service" indicating that it'south actually a paid slice of content.
This blazon of Reddit post appears on the tiptop of every subcommunity forum, or subreddit. Sometimes they are posts, and sometimes they're an advertisement for companies – it depends on what your intent is with the ad. You can buy them on the Reddit dashboard.
What Reddit promises on their Advertising page is this: "reach more than than 234 million engaged and passionate users through a flexible programmatic platform!"
And so I was hyped to try it and aware that the Reddit customs is growing. If we could get it correct, we'd be able to tap into some of the best targeting and 1 of the most active communities in the globe.
Only immediately, I came beyond a slew of ruddy flags. When you scroll downwardly the Reddit Ads landing page, y'all see this:
Businesses are still experimenting with Reddit advertising and information technology'south correct in that location in the testimonials. Not as well convincing for new advertisers, and clearly non a good tactic when it comes to the UX of the platform, simply I continued.
Next up, the "ads they're really proud of"… Really? Proud of a promoted post with a full of 395 votes and 650 comments? Y'all're the biggest forum alive. That should be more like the minimum exposure someone gets for advert on Reddit.
Despite all this, I even so wanted to attempt Reddit advertizing, if only because Reddit is 1 of the highest ranked websites in the world and I like Reddit every bit a community.
Information technology looked like a not bad place to examination out ads that might drive ROI for businesses: yous can target subreddits, track operation easily, and bulldoze clicks on this part social network, role media platform for a relatively cheap price ($1.50 CPM).
If we could get Reddit ads to piece of work, information technology would be very profitable.
So did information technology work?
The Beginning Test – Experiment 27 ($50)
Then initially, I did some testing on my own for $50 with guidance from this huge Ladder Growth Strategies blog post. Using that article we wrote four unlike Reddit Ads for my company, Experiment 27, an outsourced CMO for digital agencies.
I submitted the four ads and waited for approval. (Blessing on a Reddit Advertizing usually takes nearly ii hours.)
half-dozen days into the seven-day experiment, one postal service had half dozen comments. But that's about information technology. None of the ads were getting much traction.
Since the campaigns started I talked to one lead who couldn't remember where he found us — said it might have been Twitter, simply my analytics showed that was unlikely, and so it might have been from Reddit. Non the strongest conclusion either way.
Otherwise, Zip leads for $fifty spent on Reddit advertisement — not exactly worth it, particularly if you consider the traffic from all 4 ads totaled at around 900 clicks.
The nigh popular Ad by far in this test was the i titled "Agencies that are active on Dribbble typically encounter 10-xiv qualified leads per month from that channel. Discover out how nosotros tin help you grow your Dribbble account." This one got 2 upvotes on Reddit and no comments, but information technology did receive $94.35 of CPM for only $12. And then we were driving good traffic for a low cost, but not much was resulting from information technology.
The almost commented ad was the click-baity one "Simply 8 spots left – we work with some of the top digital agencies in the world to grow their leads. Will you exist left behind?"
Reddit hated this one. I was given a very hard time by Reddit users when I asked for feedback on this ad.
So that was information technology for the beginning Reddit Ads Experiment. At this point Reddit advertising did non seem like it was driving adept ROI.
All in all, it was a decent way to spend $50 to confirm what others were saying – Reddit is in problem and their advertising option is extremely weak.
The 2nd Test: Ladder + Experiment 27 ($200)
Back in the lab and this time teaming up with the folks at Ladder, the plan was to spend $200 on Reddit advertising, just this time to button traffic to their site, and more than specifically their blog posts.
We worked together to choose 4 unlike pages from the Ladder weblog + landing page armory to create a serial of Reddit Ads, spending $50 dollars on each page and running each ad for vii days.
The Posts
The first Reddit Ads experiment was all about pushing visitors to the Experiment 27 homepage. There was no specific content, and we saw zero conversions.
This time, with Ladder.io we took a slightly different approach and tested sending people to specific content. So we chose:
- Step-By-Footstep Keyword Tactics for Effective Google AdWords Campaigns
- x Become-To B2B Tactics Guaranteed to Increment ROI
- How To Go a Marketing Job (at Ladder)
- Ladder.io Homepage
Working with Ladder's Caput of Content, Stefan, we wrote five-7 headlines for every one of these pages. They each took a different approach, from commodity titles to click-baity headlines and more, and then I converted them into Reddit Ads.
With these, I targeted the frontpage, some specific subreddits, and some groups of subreddits testing everything we could think of.
We created 27 Reddit Ads in total and 7 days afterward I circled dorsum to see how we did this time.
Stefan from Ladder passed us the analytics and hither's what we got for $200:
- 39 pageviews on the Ladder.io homepage.
- 141 pageviews on the different web log posts.
- thirty sessions on referral.
- A scattering of Ladder newsletter signups.
That brings the states to just under $one per click.
Allow's leap into the Reddit analytics and run into how we did on the actual Reddit Ads:
- 1 Advertizing (How to Get a Marketing Job – At Ladder) got 1 upvote and 0 comments.
- Most of the ads didn't get any upvotes at all.
Takeaway:
- Total spent on two Reddit Ads experiments – $250
- Leads: 0
- Traffic: Near two,000 sessions beyond 2 experiments.
Compare this with just posting organically on Reddit and you'll get my point.
How Reddit Ads Compare to Organic Posts
When someone posts one of our videos on Reddit, it will get around three,000 views. One of our videos even got 25,000 views when information technology hit the top of a subreddit.
That's 25,000 views for $0.
And this Reddit Ads experiment? $250 with very, very little to prove for it.
What'due south strange here is that some of Ladder'due south blog posts take been posted on Reddit before as standard, regular content. Those go on to go appointment, comments, and bulldoze traffic. Posting them as Reddit Ads got shut to nothing, despite Reddit's clear attempt to make ads every bit native and natural-looking as possible for their customs of users.
Advertizement Platform Tech
Running Reddit Ads concluded up being one of the worst user experiences y'all could imagine as an advertiser.
Getting ads set on the Reddit Ads platform is a mess. Things showtime simple enough:
All standard stuff – pop in your creative, write some copy, add together your URL, etc…
From at that place you see a preview of how things will expect, and you'll be able to start selecting your audience for the ad. Specifically, you lot'll be able to target subreddit groups, or specific subreddits.
The problems start here – the suggestions listed are entirely off from what the advertisement is actually going for – SaaS growth tools. Yet the suggestions given are unrelated and useless.
So you'd have to manually observe subreddits, or go for their collections.
But collections aren't necessarily upwards to par either.
Ok, some good options there for a lot of different types of businesses, but what should we choose? Technology? Perhaps… Just there's nix here for marketing.
So, discovery of subreddits and option of collections is lacking from Reddit advertising.
But that's still pretty uncomplicated.
Where advertising on Reddit really gets abrasive is when you really pay for ads.
You have to get into each individual advertising you create, hit pay, set up payment specifics, and run the advertisement.
Every single time.
Yeah, you'll exist able to save a credit menu, simply the manual process is only slightly shortened with that.
And we besides ran into problems with getting multiple ads through the payment arrangement. The system kept declining the credit card nosotros were using over and over, forcing us to give it fifteen minutes between setting up payment for each advertising. Fourth dimension-consuming and annoying.
At the time it seemed quite like Reddit's Ads platform doesn't like information technology when advertisers try to run multiple ads. Since A/B testing is key to marketing success, this seems similar another reason not to advertise on Reddit.
And that may also be because of the 2nd major problem with the platform.
Reddit Users Don't Trust Advertisers
There's no getting around this simple truth. Reddit's users are paranoid about ads.
That's correct: Redditors hate Reddit advertizing.
It makes some sense – Reddit used to exist entirely advertisement-free for a long time while juggernauts like Digg were still around and pop. But Digg killed itself with its own advertising strategy, effectively driving away its unabridged userbase.
A ton of Reddit's users were around for that time and flocked to the Reddit platform as a amend alternative. That'due south where the anti-advertizement attitude comes from initially, but even users who've never experienced the Digg are introduced to Reddit equally a identify hostile to ads.
Combine that with shady advertising practices where advertisers try to pretend they're normal users, or where they buy accounts to fake trustworthiness, and it'south likely advertising on Reddit will never exist seen with anything but distrust by its cadre audience.
Reddit Advertising May Never Piece of work
It's sorry that such an amazing, large, and high-quality community like Reddit volition never accept advertising.
At the terminate of the day, Reddit's growth depends on its ability to continue server costs paid for, go on building new features, make enough money to pay staff, and make investors happy. But it isn't working, and then they've had to resort to tip jar style premium memberships in Reddit Gilt to supplement ad acquirement.
Revenue growth is not up to their own expectations, and part of that is the Reddit Ads problem outlined to a higher place.
Simply that's not the end of the world. Reddit's big drive into advertising came as part of their leadership'south drive to go a venture-backed startup. It'due south an ambitious goal, but it'south not one that necessarily works well with how people currently perceive Reddit.
Considering the hostile nature of Reddit's userbase to ads, it'due south no surprise that ads don't make as much coin as they should with such a targeted audience.
Is Reddit Advertising Worth It?
Dorsum to the experiments:
We got a few clicks generated for $250 spent. They turned out to be expensive, and who knows how much we should spend for Reddit to include us in the "Ads nosotros're proud of" department.
On the other hand, earlier advertising on Reddit, nosotros tried reaching out to people organically. That actually worked.
Organic traffic brought usa far more clicks than paid traffic from Reddit Ads.
More so, we got a clear confirmation that the Reddit community is even so Advertising-proof and smells/ignores promoted posts. That is a huge problem not but for advertisers, only also for Reddit.
And with all that in listen, nosotros're calling it on this i for now: Reddit Ads are not part of a proficient advertizement strategy for now.
Reddit has a big trouble when information technology comes to their advertising option and it's very concerning for the futurity of the platform, at least when it comes to monetizing via ads. If they can find a way to create trust between advertisers and users, it might work in their favor. Their latest move allowing brands to sponsor users' posts might be the right answer, simply we've nonetheless to run into results from it.
Until then, Reddit Ads will take to stay on the backburner for our advertising strategy.
To anyone thinking virtually advertising on Reddit, it'south always good to try new things, but don't be surprised if your Reddit ads don't pan out.
Ads On Reddit • Your Ultimate Reddit Marketing FAQ Guide
Welcome to our very first Ultimate Marketing FAQ. Here we'll unravel the mysteries surrounding ads on Reddit, the social media platform every marketer wants to crack.
You're probably wondering, why the catch bag arroyo? Well from fourth dimension to time, Ladder likes to whisk called-for marketing questions about out of the ether and find the answers. For fun, and science.
Plus, when clients ask united states of america, we'll look super smart.
f(ಠ‿↼)z
On with unraveling FAQ!
Why does Reddit have ads?
Reddit is the 5th busiest website in the United states of america.
It has more monthly unique visitors than LinkedIn!
Yet "the front folio of the Internet" has struggled to make money.
This year, Reddit'due south annual revenue volition top $100 million for the first fourth dimension.
Still, LinkedIn earned $1.3 billion in Q2 alone!
And then clearly, in that location's more greenbacks to be had for Reddit, correct?
The site'south creators think putting new and unlike ads on Reddit will heave their revenue. They've (reluctantly) added advertising options over the years. And taken some abroad.
Let's have a look at the timeline.
When did Reddit go ads?
Now for every bit footling as $twenty, you lot can buy sponsored links on reddit: advert by redditors, for redditors!
—Reddit Announcement on November 12, 2009
The first ads on Reddit showed upwards in 2009 in the course of sponsored ad links.
In 2013, Reddit marketing introduced brandish advert with sidebar banners from Adzerk.
Then, In 2016, Reddit ditched sponsored ad links and launched sponsored ad posts — or Promoted Posts — in their identify. And in March 2018, Reddit brought those aforementioned sponsored ads to their mobile app.
Last July, Reddit added CTA buttons to their Promoted Posts.
Which brings us to the present day.
What are Reddit ads?
When people talk about ads on Reddit, they're referring to Promoted Posts . That'south Reddit's native advertising unit.
These sponsored advertising posts are just like regular Reddit posts, complete with upvotes, downvotes, comments — the works.
You can come across the full ad specs hither.
An example:
See? Virtually indistinguishable from a Reddit post.
Well, except for the big blue uppercase PROMOTED in the top left corner.
How do Reddit ads work?
Reddit has decided the best way for ads on Reddit to work is for the users themselves to post flattering content well-nigh brands — then have brands promote those posts . That's because Reddit has been openly hostile towards ads for years.
But if a Reddit user happens to have a expert brand feel and share it, that's… different. ?
(We'll run across how this plays out.)
Reddit user starfishjenga has a peachy summary of Promoted Posts:
- A redditor creates a post with brand-relevant content
- A brand notices the mail service and indicates to our sales team that they're interested in promoting the post
- Our sales team reaches out to the author of the post to get explicit permission to employ the post as function of a promoted user mail
- If permission is given, a promoted user post is created past copying over the content and votes of the original post into a new promoted user post. (The comments volition link to the same thread.)
- The original post will remain where it was originally uploaded. The promoted user post annotate section will link to the original comments section.
Nothing stops yous from posting content yous want to promote. Merely information technology'll exist obvious from how new your account is that you joined Reddit just to annunciate. Redditors will be wary of what you say, so be transparent.
Now, if yous're a "big-scale advertiser with at to the lowest degree a $50,000 quarterly spend," you tin fill out a class. Reddit'south sales squad works with y'all directly and life magically gets easier.
We think you shouldn't accept to spend $50K to get help or good results.
The question you should enquire: do ads on Reddit work at all ? Before y'all try them yourself, read 'The Reddit Ads Experiment: What We Learned for $250' higher up.
When you're set up, utilise Reddit'south self serve advert platform. Create an account, then go to the Reddit ads dashboard where you tin create your first bit of Reddit native advertising.
? Don't forget your Best Practices for ads on Reddit.
Are Reddit ads targeted?
Yes, ads on Reddit are targeted. You can define an audience based on several details:
- Location
- Interests
- Subreddits (1000s of topic-based communities)
- Device Blazon: Web, Mobile, or Both
- Fourth dimension of Day
There's a fundamental difference betwixt ads on Reddit and ads on Facebook or LinkedIn. Even though you may be targeting individuals, entire communities volition engage your posts (hopefully/peradventure).
Recall of yourself as a guest — fifty-fifty though you're forking over cash for Reddit's paid ads.
Check out our paid Reddit marketing experiment to run into how we leveraged targeting.
How long for Reddit ads to be canonical?
Reddit says to allow 24 hours for your ads to be canonical. We've heard ads don't get reviewed over the weekend — or it could be the weekend reviews are only slower. Hard to say either fashion.
Last time we tried Reddit paid ads, approval took 2 hours.
In any effect, if y'all want to get your ads on the Reddit marketing platform at a certain time, submit them well ahead.
If you lot're having trouble getting your ad approved, post in r/redditads and some kind soul (i.east. customer success rep) may help yous out.
If you lot want the party line on ad approvals from Reddit themselves — including what'll get your ad canned — head over to their Zendesk.
How much do ads on Reddit toll?
$v a day.
That'south the to the lowest degree y'all can spend on Reddit marketing PPC.
You buy ads on Reddit on a CPM-basis, bidding auction-fashion. And in that location's a $0.twenty CPM minimum bid.
And so your Reddit ads cost ultimately depends on who else is targeting the audience y'all want (among other opaque factors), and how much they're willing to pay.
Reddit'south paid ads tin can feel like a bit of a black hole when it comes to pricing, unfortunately.
To shed a little low-cal, hither'due south what happened when nosotros tried ads on Reddit:
- Total spent on two Reddit Ads experiments – $250
- Leads: 0
- Traffic: Near 2,000 sessions beyond 2 experiments.
As you tin can imagine, we were less than stoked. 🙁
Are Reddit ads worth it?
No.
Well, non for us.
We actually got meliorate results from organic posts than ads on Reddit.
So between Reddit ads not delivering for unknown reasons (the Reddit dashboard wasn't specific), hard-to-predict Reddit advertizement costs, and — y'know what, I'll let Alex Berman of Experiment 27 bring it habitation:
We got a clear confirmation that the Reddit community is notwithstanding advertizing-proof and smells/ignores promoted posts. That is a huge problem not simply for advertisers, but also for Reddit.
We're calling information technology on this one for at present: Reddit Ads are non part of a proficient advertising strategy for now.
—The Reddit Ads Experiment: What Nosotros Learned for $250
With Reddit hungry for more revenue, and new ad units rolling out, that may change in the time to come.
We'll let you know.
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Source: https://ladder.io/blog/reddit-ads