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Best practices from 24+ thousand Reddit ads

Using the wisdom of the Reddit community, I've drawn insights from an impressive collection of over 24,000 Reddit ads. This expansive case study by Undecided Agency delves deep into Reddit's advertising ecosystem, presenting practical recommendations for your upcoming marketing initiatives.


Table of Contents


Reddit Ads Case Study Overview

This extensive case study looked at all aspects of Reddit ads, their performance and their value. We looked at the following aspects:

  • Opening comments

  • Headline length

  • Demographics

  • Advertiser count

Based on these, we came up with useful recommendations for your Reddit ads. These include enabling comments on ads to build meaningful connections with your audience, use headlines with 30-160 characters to achieve optimal user engagement and more. Read on to find out how to optimise your Reddit ads and increase your conversion rate.


Reddit Ad Statistics

This extensive study based on over 24,000 Reddit ads:

Best practice for Reddit ad best headline lenght

70% of users are from the west while 30% are from the rest of the world

Top 10% of the advertisers create 54% of ads


Estimated per ad Reddit revenue

Reddit revenue by years 2018 - 2022

How opening comments on Reddit Ads boost audience engagement

My experiences as an advertiser diverge from the norm: I staunchly believe in the value of open comments. The reality for many advertisers includes the fear of negative comments and potential missteps when trying to integrate with Reddit's unique community.

While it's hard to quantify the direct influence of comment section interactions on brand perception, an exploration of the correlations between comments and upvotes can be insightful. The data across our pool of 24,000 ads indicates a noticeable trend.


The majority of posts demonstrate a correlation between comments and upvotes. This correlation appears even more pronounced in ads with fewer than 50 upvotes. However, some ads receive upvotes without comments, suggesting potential instances of upvote buying.

This data doesn't consider ad placement, targeting, ad copy, or budget. Still, trends are emerging with advertisers increasingly inviting comment interactions. It appears the Reddit user base is becoming more receptive to these engagements.

In conclusion, while unconstructive comments might deter some advertisers, my recommendation is to embrace the Reddit community. Active engagement in discussions can foster genuine connections and extend brand visibility beyond the ad.


The Impact of Headline Length on Reddit Ad Performance

Does headline length correlate with upvote numbers? This question led me to delve into the data from 28,000 ads. The investigation, excluding any ads with over 2000 upvotes, did not reveal a clear correlation.

However, a pattern emerges when looking at ads with 500 or fewer upvotes, suggesting brevity might be beneficial.

A similar trend is observable in ads with less than 50 upvotes, indicating a favorable range of 70 to 160 characters.


What is the optimal headline length to boost user engagement?

While upvotes indicate user sentiment, comments reflect user engagement. To examine if headline length impacts this engagement, I analyzed ads excluding those with high comment numbers. The analysis reveals a sweet spot for comments in the 50-200 character range, even in ads with fewer comments.



In summary, ads with headlines within the 30-160 character range see the most engagement, suggesting a relationship between upvotes, comments, and headline length.


How does location and language influence Reddit Ads?

Although Reddit's user base is global, approximately 70% are from Western countries. However, nearly 98% of ads in our study were in English.

This highlights the importance of language diversity in advertising and tailoring language use for specific demographics.


Demystifying the Advertiser Count on Reddit

Reddit's unique ad account structure requires each brand or company to maintain an individual account. Unlike Google or Meta ads, Reddit doesn't allow modifications to the "company name", emphasizing unique identity.

Our dataset of over 24,800 ads revealed around 5,707 unique advertiser accounts, averaging 4.34 ads per account. Interestingly, the top 10% of the advertisers were responsible for 54.4% of the ads.

With a 39% rise in ad revenue in 2022, reaching 424 million, the estimated average revenue per ad stands at about $17.10. As an industry expert, I see an opportunity for improvement by increasing the average ad expenditure and the median number of ads per account. Here's why:

  1. Ad copy testing: Every seasoned PPC specialist knows the importance of testing multiple ad copies. Especially on Reddit, where responsive solutions aren't readily available as on Google or Facebook, testing 2-3 different ad copies is vital.

  2. Creative testing: Personal biases can affect perceptions. The way you view an ad may not align with your audience's interpretation.

  3. Allocated ad budget: I recommend setting aside at least $20-50 for a creative before making substantial modifications. Results may not show until after 2-3 weeks, even if $10 may seem reasonable.

  4. Strategy diversification: Depending solely on a single ad or strategy can be risky. Diversifying your advertising approach is key to stable performance.

  5. Audience targeting: Reddit excels at subreddit targeting. By catering ads to specific audiences within a particular niche, you can enhance their relevance.

  6. A novel approach: Reddit ads have a unique charm, so recycling the same copy and creative from Facebook and Google may not produce the best results. Try being creative and observe your audience's response.

Our graph provides perspective on variations in the number of ads per account (indexed from 1 to the end). Here's a crucial reminder - each account represents a unique company or brand due to Reddit's policy against changing the "company name". This study indicates that more than 24,800 ads were generated from approximately 5,707 accounts, averaging 4.34 ads per account, but the median value was just 1 ad per account. Interestingly, the top 10% of advertisers were responsible for 54.4% of the total ads.

This case study uncovers intriguing insights into Reddit's advertising landscape and underlines the importance of a strategic approach to digital advertising on the platform. The path to advertising success on Reddit involves innovative ad copy, creative testing, and keen audience understanding.


Reddit Ad Recommendations

This extensive study based on over 24,000 Reddit ads offers the following recommendations:

  • Enable comments on ads to build meaningful connections with your audience.

    • Reply in friendly but Reddit

  • Achieve optimal user engagement with headlines within the range of 30-160 characters.

  • Embrace language diversity in advertising to cater to a global user base.

    • If possible - use target audience local language to make ads feel more unique

  • Experiment with multiple ad copies, creative strategies, and audience targeting to improve ad performance.

  • Allocate a reasonable budget for each ad and give it enough time to yield results.

  • Ensure the uniqueness and relevance of each ad to its respective audience.

    • Create Reddit specific ad creative and ad copy

    • Use Reddit specific language (TIL, AMA, PSA, etc.)

By implementing these insights into your Reddit advertising strategy, you will not only foster meaningful interactions with the Reddit community but also increase your brand visibility and engagement.

Remember, digital advertising on Reddit is not just about getting your message across. It's about creating conversations, engaging with the audience, and being a part of the community. Keep these insights in mind as you craft your next Reddit advertising campaign, and you will see significant improvements in your results.

Be authentic, be engaging, and most importantly, be a part of the community. That is the true essence of successful advertising on Reddit.


How to adopt Reddit ads into your digital marketing strategy

While this case study provides a comprehensive view of the current Reddit advertising landscape, the future is likely to bring even more opportunities for marketers on the platform. Reddit continues to grow its user base, and with it, the width and depth of its subreddits. This expansive ecosystem allows advertisers to reach niche audiences in a manner that's nearly impossible on other platforms.

Adopting Reddit into your digital marketing strategy doesn't necessarily mean abandoning other platforms. Instead, consider Reddit as a complementary channel to your existing marketing mix. Its unique community-driven environment offers a different, often more engaged, type of interaction with potential customers.

As Reddit continues to evolve, advertisers who understand the platform's unique aspects and community dynamics will be best positioned for success. Experimentation and testing will continue to be key strategies for unlocking Reddit's full potential as an advertising platform. We encourage marketers to continue testing different strategies, ad copies, and creative approaches while keeping their finger on the pulse of Reddit's unique culture and user behavior.

Finally, as an advocate of transparency, Reddit's ad ecosystem promises a two-way communication between brands and consumers, unlike traditional advertising platforms. With its commitment to preserving the uniqueness of every brand and advertiser, Reddit is poised to be an exciting platform for marketers and advertisers who embrace its authenticity, engagement, and community.


Parting Thoughts

As we draw the curtains on this case study, we hope that it has offered you some valuable insights into Reddit advertising and its potential for your marketing strategy. Remember that the best strategy combines understanding your audience, creating engaging content, and fostering an environment for authentic conversations.


I want to express my gratitude for taking the time to delve into this case study. I hope it will serve as a valuable resource for your future Reddit advertising endeavours. Feel free to share your experiences, thoughts, and ideas - after all, as we have seen, meaningful conversation is at the heart of Reddit.


If you need help with Reddit advertising or would like to learn more about our services, don't hesitate to contact me. I'm Davis from Undecided Agency, and I look forward to exploring the limitless possibilities of Reddit advertising with you.

Remember, each ad campaign is a learning experience. Don't fear the challenges; embrace them. Here's to successful Reddit advertising!


This case study was written by Davis from Undecided Agency. We offer personalized Reddit advertising services, so don't hesitate to reach out if you need assistance with your Reddit marketing strategy!

Don't forget to download my free Reddit marketing eBook, "Monetize the Unmonetizable," where I share my knowledge and experience with Reddit marketing. You can get it here.


Special thanks to two awesome marketing specialists - Marco Agas and Max Reva. Marco guided me in the right direction and proofread my case study. Max created first ever Reddit ad library (https://www.adlibro.com/) and provided me with raw Reddit Ad data.


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