As Reddit continues investing in its advertising platform, marketers and business owners can expect new ways to reach engaged audiences across various topics and communities.
In a recent episode of the AdExchanger Talks podcast, Jyotsna (Jyoti) Vaidee, Reddit’s VP of Ads Product, shared insights into how the platform is evolving to serve advertisers better while maintaining a positive user experience.
Authentic Conversations With Interested Consumers
One of Reddit’s key differentiators is its ability to facilitate authentic conversations among passionate users.
This presents a unique opportunity for marketers to connect with target audiences in a trusted and contextually relevant environment.
Vaidee highlights the potential for businesses to engage with interested users, stating:
“60% of Redditors actually want brands to participate in their communities and interact with them.”
By leveraging Reddit’s community-driven discussions, advertisers can deliver more targeted and impactful ad experiences that resonate with their desired demographics.
Reddit’s Interest-Based Ad Targeting
Vaidee discussed Reddit’s approach to ad targeting, which primarily relies on interest-based targeting derived from users’ interactions with content on the platform.
She mentioned moving towards auto-targeting, which leverages machine learning to analyze user behavior and deliver more relevant ads.
This means advertisers can reach audiences based on their demonstrated interests, even if those interests aren’t directly related to the advertiser’s product or service.
Vaidee states:
“On the targeting side… we have specific features we have launched, like keyword targeting. By our trajectory, what we’re moving towards is more and more, especially for the lower funnel specifically, is towards auto-targeting, and auto-targeting gives us the ability to not only build models on what we know about this specific user. But also, we’re learning and evolving as this user interacts with content on Reddit, as this user interacts with our ads, even.”
Vaidee gave the example of a yoga brand discovering that users interested in organic food are also likely to engage with their products.
Auto-targeting can help uncover these non-obvious connections, allowing advertisers to expand their reach effectively.
AI-Driven Advertising Solutions
Reddit heavily invests in AI-driven advertising solutions to help marketers achieve better results.
Vaidee emphasized the company’s focus on developing a full-funnel ad solution that leverages AI to enhance advertisers’ performance.
With the integration of AI capabilities, businesses can expect more advanced targeting options, auto-optimization of ad placements, and creative customization.
Vaidee states:
“We don’t have to make the same mistakes that I saw, you know, our other companies make, and then have to evolve and, you know, do, you know, migrations and whatnot to move towards this world of AI and Gen AI. I think we can quickly leapfrog to where we want to be. And I think technology, particularly Gen AI, is making it a more level playing field for smaller players.”
Expanding Ad Offerings While Prioritizing User Experience
As Reddit expands its ad offerings, it remains committed to ensuring a positive user experience.