A Guide to Reddit Advertising & Promotion
Not many websites could accurately call themselves “the front page of the internet” — but Reddit has managed to live up to that title.
The website was launched in 2005 as a community-focused platform where users engage in discussions across a vast array of topics within its numerous forums, known as ‘Subreddits.’ While the design, user experience, and moderation philosophy have undergone major shifts in the years since, Reddit’s popularity and importance to online conversations has only become more significant.
Users can post various content to topic-specific channels (or subreddits), pictures, videos, links, and text – once posted, other users can view and comment to continue the conversation.
The beauty of Reddit and the reason that the communities built there are so strong is that there’s no algorithm. Posts and comments are sorted through a voting system through upvotes and downvotes. What this means for the platform is that popular content will rise to the top of the page, and unpopular posts will be “downvoted to oblivion,” sinking towards the bottom — often hidden from the community.
For marketers, Reddit offers a unique opportunity to connect with highly engaged audiences, but it requires a nuanced approach to be effective. The potential to engage directly with your target audience and build lasting brand associations may seem like a safe bet, but there are serious challenges that need to be considered before making Reddit a part of your brand’s marketing strategy.
So, what opportunities are available to marketers looking to start experimenting with this platform? And what features make the most sense for the product or service your company provides? In this blog, we’ll unpack how your brand can capitalize on advertising and community engagement with Reddit.
Who is Currently Using Reddit?
Reddit’s claim to fame is its user-created community boards. Whatever category you work in, it’s very likely that there’s already one, if not more, pages dedicated to that topic on Reddit.
The platform boasts a diverse user base organized into over 100,000 active subreddits, each dedicated to various specific interests. The key difference to a traditional platform like Facebook or LinkedIn is that Redditors are given complete control over what kind of content they want to see — and conversations they want to be a part of.
This structure allows marketers to target niche communities that align closely with their brand or product. However, it’s crucial to recognize that Reddit users are typically skeptical of overt advertising and value authenticity and transparency.
Reddit’s User Demographics
While various controversies and a less-than-stellar online reputation might lead many to think the community is overrun by young male users, the demographic makeup of the site has been changing. At the end of 2024, there were over half a billion individual users on the platform, an increase of over 150 million since 2019.
Reddit’s user base, while still predominantly male, has seen a notable shift toward gender diversity over the past decade. In 2013, over 80% of users identified as male, but by 2025, that figure has decreased to 67%, with female users now making up 33% of the platform.
This steady shift in representation could be attributed to several factors, including the growth of diverse communities catering to women’s interests, increased mainstream adoption of the platform, and a broader shift in online engagement patterns.
The anonymous and meritocratic organization of conversation has positioned Reddit as a popular social media alternative for younger users, with nearly half between the ages of 18 and 29 years old.
Given the platform’s continued growth, influential figures and major companies have begun to use Reddit as a way to connect directly with their followers. As the site continues to evolve, its appeal to a wider audience reflects broader changes in online culture and social media use.
How Can Reddit Be Used for Marketing?
If you aren’t already using Reddit to inform your marketing strategy in some way, you’re behind. From community engagement to paid targeting, there’s a broad range of tactics and thinking that you can employ to get ahead on your next campaign or creative execution.
Social Listening and Conversation Tracking
Reddit has likely saved marketing teams millions of dollars in collecting user-generated content and market research surveys. If you know where to look, it serves as a veritable goldmine of testimonials, honest feedback, and customer requests. By surveying the pages associated with the industry or category you work in, you can get a live sense of how your audience feels.
Armed with the information gathered by scrolling through trending posts, popular comments, and overall audience sentiment, your marketing team can make decisions backed by real user data. Brands have successfully leveraged real Reddit comments into their own social media strategy, and even out-of-home marketing campaigns.
If you’re still skeptical about tapping the glass and launching a public-facing account for your brand on Reddit, the platform offers a low-investment, high-reward place to collect information that could help you launch successful content in the future.
Organic Community Management
Maybe you’ve already been lurking in the comment sections of posts that mention your product, or following what users say about your biggest competitors in the space on Reddit. If you’re ready to launch your own brand account and start showing up, there’s a lot to consider.
Unlike traditional social media platforms, Reddit values authenticity and community participation over direct promotion. For example, a wellness brand might engage in r/Fitness by providing expert advice on workout techniques rather than directly pushing their protein supplements.
Another example comes to life on the Sonos subreddit, with a dedicated community manager from within the company playing an active role on the page. When customer backlash was mounting after another unpopular software update, they hosted a live discussion with the CEO directly on the page to source feedback and address next steps the brand would be taking.
When managed strategically, brands can foster relationships, build credibility, and position themselves as valuable contributors to relevant conversations. Some brands choose to use an individual employee to represent the company, others prefer to position the account as a friendly alternative to customer support.
These are all valid strategies, and there are many kinds of posts you can create on Reddit to endear yourself to the community:
- Comment proactively in relevant communities to offer advice or ask questions that your audience could help solve. Avoid an overly-promotional tone or spamming people to try and drive sales.
- Consider educational content that shares industry insights, behind-the-scenes knowledge, or how-to guides that genuinely help the community. Create polls, engage in discussions, or ask for feedback to spark conversations.
- Host Ask Me Anything sessions (AMAs) to build brand authority and emphasize the human voice behind your organization. Make sure you’ve chosen the right spokesperson who can engage with authenticity and authority.
- Ensure that your content provides value, even if you have something to advertise. You can position your content as a recap of the quarter, or make the community feel like they’re participating in a group effort.
It may take some time to invest in this platform before you begin to feel welcomed and embraced by your audience. That’s okay! Success on Reddit requires playing the long game — brands that listen, engage thoughtfully, and prioritize value over self-promotion will build credibility and trust within communities.
When used strategically, Reddit can become a powerful platform for organic brand advocacy and deep audience connection. You may even consider building your own subreddit that is operated by your brand and brings in new customers. Organic marketing tactics on Reddit open your community up to extensive growth opportunities.
Paid Advertising
Last, but certainly not least, Reddit does offer traditional sponsored advertising and paid placement. Native ads appear within users’ feeds alongside organic posts and can include images, videos, or links.
However, users can still engage with these posts like any other piece of content on Reddit, leaving negative comments or “downvoting” it off their home page. These ads work best for brands that are looking to blend into organic discussions while driving engagement on their chosen subreddits.
Display advertising encompasses banners and videos, offering high visibility and immersive storytelling all embedded in the natural user experience of scrolling Reddit. The most dramatic extension of this strategy involves a “Reddit Takeover,” branding an entire page with promoted content that speaks to the target audience.
Advertising on Reddit is as customizable an experience as everything else on the platform, including multiple ways to drill down and filter to the specific user you’re hoping to reach. Here are just a few examples of the ways Reddit allows marketers to specify their ideal audience:
- Interest-Based Targeting: Show ads to users who engage with specific topics (e.g., tech, fitness, gaming).
- Community Targeting: Target specific subreddits (e.g., r/technology, r/fitness) for hyper-relevant ad placement.
- Keyword Targeting: Deliver ads based on user searches and discussions.
- Location & Device Targeting: Customize ads for specific regions and devices.
Reddit’s advertising platform operates on a cost-per-impression (CPM) basis, with a minimum campaign spend requirement. This allows for flexibility in budgeting, making it accessible for both small and large businesses.
When setting your budget, you have two options: a daily budget or a lifetime budget. A daily budget limits how much you’ll spend per day, and Reddit recommends a $5 starting point. Alternatively, a lifetime budget sets a total spending cap for the entire duration of your campaign, with $160 as a recommended starting point.
Choosing the right budget depends on your campaign goals and how you want to manage spending over time.
Paid Advertising Options
Reddit’s primary ad offering is promoted native posts (posts, carousels, or video) that look and feel like standard posts, including upvotes, downvotes, and comment threads (though these features can be disabled if you choose). The only real difference is that ads maintain a presence for the duration of your campaign, unlike posts that fade from the page after 24 hours. That said, Redditors are accustomed to seeing fresh content, so consider varying your ads or rotating them somewhat more frequently — and of course, make them feel like native content.
Because commenting is so natural on Reddit, advertisers have the benefit of getting some real-time feedback on their ads or brand, plus they can quickly answer any questions in the discussion that follows. Video ads have the added benefit of being embedded into the page to be viewed without clicking to a new page, as well as the option of a custom CTA.
Features of Promoted Posts:
- Image or Text
- CTA (optional)
- Multiple bid types (CMP, CPC, CPV)
- In-feed placements
Features of Promoted Video:
- In-feed auto-play or click-to-play for conversations
- Various aspect ratios
- CTA
- Multiple bid types (CPM, CPC, CPV)
Features of Promoted Carousels:
- 1-6 images or GIFs
- CTA
- Multiple bid types (CPM, CPC, CPV)
- In-feed placements
For when brands want to make a short-term splash, takeovers can be an excellent opportunity for widespread or niche brand awareness.
Takeovers offer the opportunity to own some of the top communities of your choosing for 24 hours. Takeover options include:
Category Takeovers:
- Promoted Post (for top communities in chosen category)
- Top Banner (300×600 or 300×250)
- Sticky Banner (300×250)
Front Page Takeovers:
- Promoted Post (for Reddit front page)
- Top Banner (300×600 or 300×250)
- Sticky Banner (300×250)
Trending Takeovers:
- Trending unit on Popular
- Trending unit on Search
- Trending landing page
Reddit Takeovers:
- Promoted Post (for Reddit front page)
- Top banner (Above the Fold)
- Sticky banner (Below the Fold)
- Trending unit on Popular
- Trending unit on Search
- Trending landing page
Is Marketing on Reddit Worth It?
Ultimately, the answer depends on what ROI you’re hoping to see. Reddit is a unique platform with highly engaged users and niche communities, making it an attractive yet challenging space for marketers.
Powerful paid advertising options like Promoted Posts and Display Ads allow businesses to target specific audiences based on their interests and behaviors. The vast array of subreddits makes it possible to reach highly specific demographics that may be difficult to engage on other platforms.
With the right content strategy and authentic tone-of-voice, it can provide a powerful tool for brand awareness, audience engagement, and targeted advertising. However, success on Reddit requires a different approach than more traditional social networks.
Is Reddit the Right Place for My Brand?
Reddit’s most valuable advantage is also a major challenge — the ability to engage directly with users in specific, self-organized communities. Many Reddit communities are resistant to overt advertising and will downvote or dismiss content that feels too promotional. Marketers must take a community-first approach, focusing on adding value rather than pushing sales.
Additionally, each subreddit has its own rules and guidelines, and failing to comply with them can lead to posts being removed or accounts being banned. Understanding and respecting these norms is essential to long-term success on the platform.
But brands that can offer valuable insights and contribute to discussions without directly promoting themselves can build trust and credibility over time.
Being active on Reddit can enhance brand visibility and create a more personal connection with potential customers, offering the chance to forge direct relationships and establish thought leadership.
Reddit’s user base is known for its deep engagement in discussions, providing marketers with an opportunity to foster meaningful interactions rather than just passive ad impressions.
However, those looking for quick wins through traditional advertising tactics may struggle without a thoughtful and strategic approach. Businesses that prioritize value-driven interactions over direct promotion can benefit from high user engagement and precise audience targeting.
Overall, marketing on Reddit is worth it for brands that are willing to invest their time in building authentic relationships and engaging with communities in a meaningful way.
Reddit Marketing: Key Takeaways
Reddit provides one-of-a-kind access to real, highly engaged users — but brands should think twice before diving in.
Marketing on this platform can be highly rewarding for organizations that take the time to invest in understanding Reddit’s unique culture and engage with it in a way that feels both platform-native and authentic to the audience. By focusing on genuine participation and leveraging Reddit’s advertising tools thoughtfully, marketers can effectively tap into a passionate community.
The biggest risk that comes with advertising on Reddit is opening yourself up to negative backlash. Users are highly skeptical of corporate messaging and can be quick to downvote, criticize, or even ridicule ads that feel too promotional, inauthentic, or out of touch with the community.
If a post comes across as intrusive or irrelevant to a subreddit, it may not only fail to generate engagement but also spark negative discussions that can harm a brand’s reputation. A well-executed Reddit campaign can lead to high engagement and brand loyalty, but a poorly planned one can do more harm than good.
There are many options when it comes to marketing on Reddit, from simply using it as a tool to beef up social listening to launching a flashy, expensive display campaign. However you decide to use this platform, the team at NoGood is equipped with the resources to help you master your execution!
