Reddit ads are becoming a strategy for businesses, but they are still not at the forefront of most B2B digital marketing strategy. First of all, just being an influencer and a respected poster on Reddit will help you get more traffic to your website. If you stick to the subreddits that you belong in, you’ll attract plenty of upvotes and earn stardom for your business in no time.
The thing you need to be careful of is the changing tides of opinions and remember to take care of the content you choose to disseminate.
Public Opinion About Reddit
Reddit ads are not catching fire, because marketers have not found a way to make them work. Despite their failed attempts, many marketers have forgotten that the same things that work on Facebook and Instagram, will work on Reddit and this is why they struggle to use Reddit ads effectively.
There is a lot of “junk” on Reddit. This is true, but there is also a ton of great first-hand experience with products, services, and other things. If you’re selling a device, odds are that many people are reviewing it on Reddit. This is a great opportunity for the customer-minded person.
Other supposed issue with Reddit is it only caters to a certain demographic.
Lack of Understanding for the Community
Reddit ads work on Reddit because it’s filled with people that want to take a deep dive into their industry. This one detail should have a tremendous effect on the types of sales funnels you use in conjunction with your ads.
In my experience, the people on Reddit are more detail-oriented. They are truth-seekers, and they only want to deal with customers that pass the “sniff test.” That means they don’t like click-bait and they only buy from companies that have great reviews.
Reddit is a great place to learn what you’re doing well and what you’re terrible at. It’s a world of truth and sometimes the truth hurts.
The Opportunity of a Lifetime if You Can Write Good Content
If you have a knack for writing quality content that people like, Reddit is the place for you. Reddit ads will come naturally for you if you are good at this, but the real value is creating original content and getting upvoted in your subreddits.
If your content is solid, people will upvote it and make a permanent staple of the subreddit. This will create more repeat traffic and help you get discovered over time. Being a respected poster is better than having great copywriting. It allows you to get real engagement with the people that will use your products.
Here’s how to write quality content on Reddit…
- Pick the subreddits that work for you.
- Scour the page for what seems to be going on recently.
- Look at current events in the field.
- IDENTIFY PAIN POINTS and FIND A SOLUTION.
- Write about those pain points at great length.
- Lead people to your blog for more detailed content regarding that particular issue.
Like I said before if you use that process, Reddit is not that much different than other social media platforms. Create great content, point them where you want them to go, create a compelling call-to-action, and reap the benefits.
Reddit Ads Work For More Industries Than You Think
The above ad was inserted into the r/gaming subreddit. It doesn’t have to do with gaming, but it does have a lot to do with what people do on Reddit. Write. So, kudos to Grammarly for choosing a good ad spot.
Let me break this ad down to why I like it so much. It has a great eye-catching headline, saying “Hey Reddit: Want to write better…” I think there are a lot of people that would love to do that. Stating that Grammarly is free is also a great point to highlight, which takes away the phobia of trying something for a cost and it being a total bust. Also, saying “10 million users” is another great idea because it creates a bandwagon effect.
The video is great too. It shows how the program being used on Facebook and other social networks with ease. I use Grammarly all the time and it really does help.
In summary, this ad works and I’m sure does well, because it’s relevant, has a great headline, and lastly, has a great call-to-action to download the program immediately.
The only thing I would add is the ability to download it without entering a credit card. I hate getting that mysterious charge at the end of the month, so I’d say if your product is really that good you’ll gladly pay the fee to make it a permanent fixture. Grammarly does have a great free version and the paid version is good too, so keep that in mind.
SubReddit 101 for Business
The Chicago subreddit has over 120k subscribers. If you’re already well versed in other social media platforms, just think of subreddits like hashtags. They essentially work the same way.
Spend some time finding the subreddits that apply to your industry. If you’re B2B make it a priority to stay socially active in those subreddits. That way when you make Reddit Ads, you can know exactly where they should go and what you should expect to earn from those ads.
Having trouble finding the subreddits that related to your niche? Check out this article for a detailed guide on finding all the subreddits that you need to frequent to become a Reddit influencer.
How to Create Winning Reddit Ads
Create an Eye-Catching Headline
Your headline determines the success of your ad. If it’s not getting the attention of your audience then don’t bother creating it. You won’t get any clicks and you’ll waste your time.
The key is to not waste time trying to be clever. The blunter you are about what the ad is about and how it BENEFITS the customer the better it will do.
Another great tip is to tie in current events to your ad. If you offer useful tips surrounding a current issue in the industry, put a snippet of that information
NO Click-bait
Click-bait headlines are nothing to take lightly. Every time you waste someone’s time, you basically say don’t come back. If you’re not concerned with keeping your image on Reddit in good standing, then create click-bait headlines all day, but in my opinion, don’t do it.
I’ve seen way too many brands ruin their good names, by giving out bad content and disguising it as something useful just to collect an email or make a small sale. Customers that buy don’t respect tricks and click-bait is nothing short of a dirty trick.
Do your best to eliminate these kinds of scams from your marketing campaigns. The best thing you can do is make sure you’re giving out the highest quality information. Even if it misses a deadline or takes a longer than expected. The ramifications of a poor piece of content are far worse than making someone wait.
Be Specific
The only thing worse than having click-bait Reddit ads or headlines that nobody cares about is to miss the targeting altogether. Adding locations, industry jargon, and using the word “you” are great ways to personalize Reddit ads. Sometimes those little changes are what separates a profitable ad from a dud.
Sometimes the answer is simply asking a question that you know your target audience needs. Other times, it means putting your location in the headline. Whatever it takes to get the attention without being deceiving is how you need to think.
Don’t Let Other’s Opinions Keep You From Greatness
I just wanted to take this opportunity to show you how influential people can stifle your company’s growth. It’s up to every marketer to do his or her due diligence when it comes to creating ads and profiles on social media. There are hundreds of millions of people on Reddit, and it’s up to the creativity of a company to figure out how to monetize it.
Don’t just think that companies are pigeon-holed into the over-saturated strategies like sales letters, direct mail, and PPC ads. There are so many ways online to market any business. Don’t worry about falling flat on your face in failure, because the payoff of capitalizing on untapped markets far outweighs the embarrassment.
Too many businesses have written off Reddit, saying that it’s just filled with gamers and whiny millennials that live in their mother’s basement at 35 years old. There is a lot of gamers on there, but there are also professionals that have hobbies on there too.
Let’s say you’re a dentist… Everybody goes to the dentist, so why not utilize Reddit ads to get more clients. Just because people don’t go on Reddit to find a dentist doesn’t mean they don’t need one. If they click on the ad and check out your website, read your content, and find you to be close in proximity you could find another client. Remember, what I said about local subreddits.
For more information on running pay-per-click (PPC) ads on social media, check out these articles for more information… Pinterest Ads: The 2018 Ultimate Guide to Maximizing ROI and The Most Advanced Facebook Ads Tutorial for 2018.
