A simple Reddit marketing strategy for brands
- Exverus Staff
- Oct 16
- 6 min read
Reddit has evolved from a niche forum into a marketing powerhouse, reshaping how consumers make decisions & how AI answers their questions.
Key Facts:
Reddit is now among the most-cited domains by AI models, making it a ripe opportunity for brands to be visible in AI results.
Users are more likely to trust recommendations and make purchases from Reddit forums than other social media platforms.
Brands can get started with this 7-step Reddit marketing strategy:
If you're still pouring all your ad dollars into Meta and Google while ignoring Reddit, you're missing one of the most compelling opportunities in digital advertising right now. The platform has quietly evolved from a niche community hub into a marketing powerhouse that's reshaping how consumers make decisions—and how AI answers their questions.
2025 Updates: Reddit dominates AI-generated answers
Here's the headline that should grab every marketer's attention: Reddit claimed the number one spot as the most cited domain for AI across all models in Q2 2025, according to data from analytics platform Profound. It was cited twice as often as Wikipedia in the top ten most cited domains.
While ChatGPT still relies most heavily on Wikipedia, both Google AI Overviews and Perplexity—the AI models consumers are increasingly turning to for answers—rely most on Reddit as a source.
This isn't just an interesting data point. It's a fundamental shift in how information flows online. When someone asks an AI chatbot for product recommendations, travel advice, or buying guidance, there's a strong chance Reddit's community discussions are directly shaping that answer. More than 70 million people now use Reddit's on-platform search each week, and the platform is actively positioning itself as a go-to search engine.
For brands, this creates a powerful multiplier effect. A well-placed, authentic contribution to a Reddit discussion doesn't just reach that subreddit's community—it potentially influences millions of AI-generated responses and search results for months or even years to come.
Why diversifying beyond Meta and Google pays off
The advertising landscape is more concentrated than most marketers realize, and that concentration represents a missed opportunity. Google and Meta capture 88% of mobile app ad spend despite shifting user attention, while independent apps have over 2 billion global daily active users—equal to Instagram and TikTok combined.
The financial case for diversification is compelling. As EMARKETER reported in August 2025, consumer app marketers who diversify their media mix beyond Google and Meta see an average increase of 116% in Day 30 ROAS.
Among categories with statistically significant data, shopping, education, and health and fitness marketers achieved the strongest results, with average Day 30 ROAS improvements reaching 214%.
This isn't about abandoning Meta and Google—they remain essential channels. It's about recognizing that your audience's attention has distributed across platforms that your advertising budget hasn't yet followed.
Why Reddit works: Trust, authenticity, & influence
Reddit succeeds as a marketing channel because it operates fundamentally differently from other social platforms. According to Reddit's own research, the platform delivers three critical advantages:
Trustworthy
7 in 10 Reddit users agree that Reddit is a trustworthy platform to inform product and brand decisions—outperforming Facebook, Instagram, X, TikTok, Pinterest, Discord, Snapchat, and YouTube.
Authentic
69% of users agree that Reddit conversations offer authentic experiences that make it easier to compare products.
Influential
Reddit users are more likely to buy a product or brand if conversations on Reddit recommend it.
The platform's structure around niche subreddits means you're not just targeting broad demographics—you're reaching people who are actively engaged with topics directly related to your product or service. Someone browsing r/fitness or r/personalfinance isn't passively scrolling; they're deeply invested in that interest and actively seeking recommendations.
Reddit's long game: Why it matters now
Reddit stands out as an under-monetized digital media channel—it earns below-average ad revenues per hour of time spent compared to other major social networks, trailing both Snapchat and X in monetizing its user activity.
For advertisers, this under-monetization is actually good news. It means less competition for ad placements, lower costs per impression, and opportunities to establish brand presence before the platform becomes saturated.
Reddit is building new advertising tools including product ads, shopping ecosystems, freeform ads, and AMA (Ask Me Anything) units. While Meta and TikTok are established and crowded, Reddit being in build mode means first-mover advantage for advertisers willing to invest now.
The platform is also playing the long game on user attention. Reddit is the social platform where consumers are projected to maintain the most "time spent" year over year.
Unlike scroll-heavy platforms where users mindlessly consume content, Reddit users are leaned-in, actively seeking information, and often closer to a purchase decision.
A simple Reddit marketing strategy that works
Based on our experience helping clients build successful Reddit presence, here's the approach we recommend:
1. Audit your audience's Reddit behavior
Identify 3-5 subreddits where your target customers genuinely spend time. Use Reddit's search function to see what questions they're asking and what problems they're trying to solve.
Match your targeting to the funnel
Reddit offers sophisticated targeting options that let you reach audiences based on communities (specific subreddits), interest groups, keywords, and standard demographics. The key is aligning your targeting with where users are in their journey.
For example, if you're marketing a fitness supplement:
Upper Funnel (Awareness): Target broad fitness communities like r/fitness and r/bodybuilding
Mid Funnel (Consideration): Focus on nutrition-focused communities like r/nutrition or r/loseit
Lower Funnel (Conversion): Reach users in action-oriented communities like r/MealPrepSunday or r/Supplements
This funnel-based community targeting ensures you're delivering the right message to users at the right stage of their decision-making process.
2. Start with a test budget
Allocate a small percentage of your social budget (5-10%) to test Reddit promoted posts across your identified communities. Start with awareness objectives before moving down funnel.
Test Reddit's standard ad formats
Reddit offers three core ad products to get started:
Promoted Posts:
Reddit's flagship ad format that reaches users in their feeds as they explore content from relevant communities. These look native to the platform and blend seamlessly into the browsing experience.
Conversation Placements:
Deliver your ad within a conversation thread, beneath the post and before comments, engaging users when they're most leaned-in to a particular topic.
Product Ads:
A newer offering specifically designed to display important products across all Reddit platforms, reaching lower funnel goals and driving high-intent users to your site with a native look and feel.
4. Experiment with high-impact custom formats
Once you've established baseline performance with standard ads, consider Reddit's non-standard offerings:
Freeform Ads:
This highly engaging format allows for heavy information coverage using multiple asset types (images, videos, text). Users click the ad to read full content rather than leaving Reddit immediately, making it excellent for storytelling and upper-funnel brand building.
Promoted AMAs:
"Ask Me Anything" sessions are uniquely Reddit formats that allow brands to connect with the community in an exclusive, authentic way. Pick a recognizable host (like a founder, subject matter expert, or brand ambassador) and set the stage for relevant interaction. Reddit has streamlined AMA ad creation directly in Ads Manager with dynamic CTA buttons that drive users to RSVP and participate.
Takeovers:
For maximum impact, consider Reddit Takeover (site-wide homepage takeover), Category Takeover (owning top communities in your target category for 24 hours), or First View (owning the first unique ad impression on Reddit's Home and Popular pages). Data shows that takeovers incorporated into a full-funnel strategic plan can drive a 68% increase in conversion rates and 12% improvement in cost per acquisition.
5. Consider organic participation.
While paid advertising is the fastest way to scale, having team members genuinely participate in relevant subreddits (with full transparency about their affiliation) builds authentic brand equity that amplifies paid efforts.
6. Understand Reddit's Emerging Shopping Ecosystem
Reddit is actively building out shopping tools for H1 2026 testing, including organic shopping features, upper funnel shopping ads, and lower funnel shopping ads with contextually relevant dynamic product ads served in product conversations with Reddit-native social proof. Early adopters of these tools will have opportunities to shape how shopping evolves on the platform.
Measure beyond immediate ROAS
Given Reddit's long-tail nature and influence on AI/search, consider assisted conversions, brand lift, and longer attribution windows when evaluating performance.
The brands winning on Reddit today aren't necessarily the biggest or best-funded—they're the ones willing to meet users where they are, contribute value to communities, and think strategically about how the platform's unique characteristics create marketing leverage. That's an advantage any brand can develop with the right strategy and commitment.
Ready to develop a Reddit strategy that drives real results? At Exverus by Brainlabs, we help brands build authentic presence across emerging channels while maintaining efficient customer acquisition. Let's talk about what's possible for your brand.
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