Reddit is no longer just a forum for fandoms and niche communities. It’s a decision-making engine, a platform where people go to discover, validate, and act. From product reviews and brand comparisons to deep-dive recommendations from trusted peers, Reddit has emerged as a high-intent space where real conversations drive real outcomes.

And for performance marketers, that intent is everything.

As audiences grow more discerning and every media dollar faces higher scrutiny, the platforms that win are the ones that bring utility, not noise. Reddit does just that. It enables marketers to show up in the moments that matter most, when users are actively researching, asking questions, and making decisions.

"I can’t even buy a water bottle anymore without consulting the water bottle subreddit." – u/gerlawd

That behavior isn’t an exception. It’s the expectation. And now, Reddit’s advertising infrastructure is built to help brands show up with relevance, scale, and measurable results.

The Decision-Making Channel Hiding in Plain Sight

Unlike other platforms built around entertainment or self-expression, Reddit is designed to empower communities and make their knowledge accessible to all. Users don’t passively scroll. They engage with purpose. Whether it’s figuring out which phone to buy, deciding between car insurance providers, or researching protein powders, Reddit plays a critical role in the consumer journey.

Smart marketers know this: intent-rich platforms enable more efficient spend and stronger downstream results. Because Reddit’s ads are placed around relevant, high-signal conversations, there’s a unique opportunity to meet consumers in moments of active research, rather than after the decision has been made.

Reddit Users Engage with Ads Differently

Reddit’s value goes beyond conversation. It delivers performance.

• Users are 27% more likely to purchase after seeing an ad on Reddit compared to other platforms*
• They spend 2.5x more post-ad exposure*
• According to a Transunion study, Reddit campaigns drive 102% higher incremental ROAS than the total media average

That performance stems from both who Reddit users are and how they engage. These are consumers with specific goals, participating in real conversations—and they’re open to brands that show up authentically.

A Platform That Feels Different and Performs Differently

Right now, Reddit is less saturated than other major platforms, but has a quickly growing diverse advertising base. That means less noise and more meaningful signals when testing messaging and creative.

Its structure is also inherently performance-friendly: subreddits are community hubs built around specific interests, behaviors, and intent. Whether you’re targeting skincare enthusiasts, auto buyers, or financial decision-makers, Reddit allows advertisers to reach users who are already primed to care through contextually relevant targeting. 

Significantly, Reddit’s audience is also mostly incremental to other platforms, making it a valuable complement, not just a substitute.

Built for the Full Funnel, Not Just Awareness

Reddit’s strength at the top of the funnel is well established. But it’s also an increasingly effective platform for mid- and lower-funnel performance.

With support for awareness, traffic, and conversion objectives (and targeting powered by behavioral signals) advertisers can engage users across the entire journey:

• Awareness — Video views and reach-based campaigns connect with high-intent users early, in relevant contexts.
• Consideration —Keyword targeting and Community targeting let you appear where people are actively seeking answers.
• Conversion — Retargeting, Lookalike Audiences, and Dynamic Product Ads allow brands to re-engage users or find new ones likely to convert.

Through Smartly, you can orchestrate all of this in one place, aligning media and creative for full-funnel execution.

Performance Tools and Measurement Have Evolved

Reddit has made significant investments in its advertising capabilities. Particularly measurement, making it easier to test, optimize, and prove results than ever before.

Brand and Conversion Lift Studies

Reddit now supports both brand and conversion lift studies, allowing you to measure campaign impact across awareness, consideration, and action. Whether you want to understand brand favorability or drive-to-site lift, these tools offer statistically validated insight.

Pixel and CAPI Support

Advertisers can implement Reddit’s Pixel and Conversions API to track post-click actions (such as visits, purchases, and subscriptions) with greater accuracy and coverage.

MMP Integrations via Smartly

Through Smartly, Reddit integrates with leading mobile measurement partners (MMPs), enabling unified tracking across app and web experiences. Performance marketers can analyze Reddit alongside other major channels using consistent attribution windows and events.

Predictive Budget Allocation

With Smartly’s Predictive Budget Allocation (PBA), brands can ensure that budgets flow toward the channels driving incremental performance, including Reddit. When Reddit performs, PBA shifts spend accordingly, optimizing efficiency without requiring manual rebalancing.

Reddit, Demystified

Despite its performance potential, marketers often have questions before diving in. Here’s what they’re asking, and how to think about each:

Do I Need to Worry About Community Engagement?

Securing resources for community management is important on Reddit, but it’s not a barrier. It’s an opportunity. Communities are highly engaged, and when brands participate authentically and respect subreddit norms, positive sentiment often follows. 

For brands that prefer a lighter touch, Reddit and Smartly support non-comment formats, pre-cleared creative, and brand safety filters to limit exposure while still capturing reach.

How Do CPMs and Cost Efficiency Compare to Other Platforms?

CPMs on Reddit vary based on audience size, competition, and campaign strategy. We recommend enabling auto-targeting to maximize performance and tap into new audiences on the platform.

Is Reddit Robust Enough for Performance Marketers?

Reddit's advertising solutions have gone through a rapid evolution, including a number of lower-funnel optimizations capabilities utilizing their unique insights into consumers decision making to deliver on advertisers business goals. All while maintaining simplicity that makes it easier to test, learn and iterate quickly.

Proof That Reddit Drives Results

Smartly customers across industries have already seen Reddit outperform expectations.

One retailer was particularly eager to diversify beyond traditional performance channels and test Dynamic Product Ads on Reddit for the first time. To maintain cost efficiency while expanding reach, they leveraged robust creative automation to build tailored product ads at scale.

With the help of Smartly’s creative and automation tools, this retailer was able to translate campaigns from other platforms seamlessly into Reddit and automate and optimize campaigns with minimal manual lift, leading to:

• 8.3% decrease in CPC – Driving more efficient traffic
• 67% increase in impressions – Reaching 20M+ people
• CTR improved from 0.31% to 0.35% – Stronger product engagement

After seeing early success, this advertiser increased their monthly ad spend by 119% and they weren’t alone. On average, companies increased Reddit Ad volume by 73% and Reddit Campaign volume by 38% during their first month with Smartly.

Why Now is the Moment to Test Reddit

Reddit is still an untapped opportunity for many advertisers, which means first-mover advantage is still very real.

Budgets stretch further when:

• Audiences are less saturated
• Bids are less competitive
• Incremental reach drives measurable lift

And with Smartly, it’s easy to test Reddit at a small scale, evaluate incrementality, and scale based on what works. Campaigns can be built and launched with minimal lift, while automation and cross-channel insights guide ongoing optimization.

According to eMarketer, Reddit also improves performance across other platforms:

• +11.4% higher ROAS when added to social campaigns
• +13.7% higher ROAS when added to paid search
• +6.2% higher ROAS when paired with TV advertising

The Bottom Line: Reddit Is a Multiplier

Reddit isn’t here to replace your existing mix. It’s here to make it work harder.

When layered into a smart, cross-channel strategy, Reddit consistently drives incremental performance by reaching audiences you won’t find elsewhere. It’s where consumers are actively researching, validating, and deciding, often in real time.

For performance marketers, that means:

• Treat Reddit as a complement, not a substitute
• Prioritize intent signals, not just demographics or channel familiarity
• Start small, but optimize with full-funnel rigor and creative testing

And with Smartly, tapping into Reddit’s potential is easier than ever.

Smartly helps brands:

• Launch and scale Reddit campaigns faster
• Automate creative production and audience targeting
• Measure real impact across the entire funnel
• Optimize spend in real time with Predictive Budget Allocation
• Driver performance while maintaining brand consistency with Dynamic Product Ads and Image Templates

Reddit is no longer emerging. It’s essential. 

See how Smartly helps brands activate on Reddit, and reach the audiences you’ve been missing.

* Stats via Reddit Internal Data