Reddit Ads for B2B IT Firms – What You Need To Know

Reddit has a forum, or subreddit, for just about everything. People use Reddit forums as virtual message boards to discuss topics like scientific advancements, world news and tech troubleshooting, to name a few. And while we’re not sure what the purpose of subreddits like /r/SharksWithHumanTeeth or /r/MonksLookingAtBeer is, Reddit’s wide breadth of coverage empowers B2B businesses to hone in on hyper-targeted audiences, like system administrators, IT managers, entrepreneurs and more. Here’s what companies need to know to make the most impact with Reddit Ads for B2B IT.

Types of Reddit Ads:

Reddit ads can be links, text or videos. They show up in users’ feeds much like they would on Facebook, Instagram and other social platforms (take a look at the full specs for Reddit Ads here). We recommend matching your ad type to the post format that’s most popular for each subreddit.

Targeting for B2B Reddit Ads

Companies can target their ads by location as well as interests and subreddits. When drafting an ad, consider the following.

• Choose relevant subreddits, and do your research on them before crafting your ad. Browse posts and comments to get an idea for the tone, topics and formats that resonate with members. /r/SysAdmin, /r/ITManagers and /r/MSP are great places to start.Many subreddits, like /r/Entrepreneur, list community guidelines or rules, either pinned to the top of the thread or on the sidebar. Even though ads may not be subject to these rules, they’ll give you a good idea of what subscribers like to see on that subreddit and what they don’t.
• • Note that Reddit currently only opens its 5,000 most-trafficked subreddits to advertising, and plans to open more in the future.
  • Remember that, although Reddit is now the top social media platform, users do not usually visit Reddit as frequently as they do other social sites. A subreddit subscriber count of 20,000, therefore, might only have 5,000 visitors per day. Take care to account for this when planning subreddit targets.
• Keep it casual. Reddit recommends using conversational copy that addresses users directly (i.e., “Hi SysAdmin users!”).
• Introduce yourself. Don’t try to hide the fact that you’re advertising – people will be able to tell, and your ad will lose credibility for it. Instead, Reddit recommends brands introduce themselves honestly: “Hey IT managers, we’re Presh Marketing!”
• Remember you’re advertising to humans. In the B2B space, it can be hard to forget that there’s a person on the receiving end of our advertising efforts. However, Reddit users want to see the personality behind a brand, and ads with a human touch tend to perform better as a result.

How to Capitalize on Reddit Ads for B2B IT

Reddit is known for its supportive community, value for helpful content and authenticity. Salesy or shamelessly self-promotional ads, therefore, tend to send up big red flags and rake in downvotes.

Think about it. Members of the B2B IT space are constantly being pitched to on Facebook, LinkedIn and other platforms. The last thing they want is a ham-handed ad or irrelevant video smack in the middle of their haven for candid, passionate conversation with like-minded managers, entrepreneurs and subject matter experts.

Instead, approach Reddit advertising from the user’s point of view. If they want to see helpful, honest content, think of ways your business could provide value to a Reddit community in an authentic way.

Further, since the platform is inherently interactive, consider encouraging engagement and responses. Pepsi, for example, ran an ad for their Pepsi Zero Sugar campaign asking users what they would do with one extra zero in their lives. The same principles could be applied to B2B IT. An MSP, for example, could ask business owners about their most frustrating experience with a service provider. An ad like this opens the door to comments (what Redditor doesn’t love to vent?) as well as the opportunity for the MSP to respond, describing how their service might be different.

In addition to comments, upvoting and downvoting are foundational to Reddit interactions. The availability of downvoting (most social platforms allow “Likes” but no “Dislikes”) drives a more accurate representation of audience reactions compared to most other social platforms.

The result? You get an accurate report of audience feelings towards your ad that you can watch in real time.

Do Reddit Ads for B2B IT Work?

In short, yes. Reddit’s wide variety of content is particularly welcoming to professionals, who tend to spend a large percentage of their time on Reddit compared to other social media platforms. In fact, Reddit surpassed Facebook as the most popular social media platform in the U.S. and is ranked number one worldwide for MSPs. A further reflection of their success, Reddit Ads is expected to double its revenue this year.

However, Reddit advertising isn’t a guaranteed slam-dunk; successful ads require significant research into target subreddits. Since Reddit is a close-knit community, an ad that’s deaf to its culture and expectations will flop faster than these /r/CatsThatSuckAtJumping.

When thoroughly researched and well executed, however, Reddit Ads can be a business’s golden ticket into qualified, hyper-targeted audiences.

Contact us to start reaching the right B2B IT audiences with Reddit Ads.