Step 1: Finding the Right Subreddits
Before you even think about running ads, you need to know where your audience lives on Reddit. Start by identifying 5–10 subreddits where discussions around your niche are happening. For example:
- Selling to startup founders? Try r/startups, r/Entrepreneur, r/saas, r/smallbusiness
- Targeting marketers? Look at r/marketing, r/digitalmarketing, r/PPC, r/SEO
- Selling dev tools? You’ll want r/webdev, r/sysadmin, r/programming, r/devops
How to do it:
- Use Reddit search to find keywords related to your SaaS product. If you’re an analytics tool, search for ‘tracking setup’ or ‘data attribution.’
- Look at engagement levels—if posts in a subreddit get lots of upvotes and comments, it’s an active, high-value community.
Hidden Trick: Use Reddit’s trending subreddits dashboard to find ‘rising’ communities—these have high engagement but lower competition, meaning cheaper ads.
Reddit isn’t about mass reach; it’s about precision. The right subreddit is 10x more valuable than a broad audience.
Step 2: Writing Ads That Don’t Get Roasted
Reddit users hate salesy ads. If your copy sounds like a LinkedIn post, it’s game over. Instead, your ad should feel like a natural Reddit post—something that sparks curiosity or starts a discussion.
Here’s how to get it right:
Be direct – Don’t fluff it up. If you’re a CRM for early-stage startups, say it:
🚫 “The #1 sales platform for scaling startups”
✅ “Early-stage founders: here’s why most CRMs don’t work for you (and what to use instead)”
Ask a question – People love to chime in. Something like:
📢 “Marketers, what’s the hardest part about proving ad ROI to your CEO?” (for an attribution tool)
📢 “Founders, when did you realize you needed a CRM?” (for a sales tool)
Format it like a Reddit post – No clickbait, no “Download Now” spam. Instead, use a short intro + value + CTA structure.
🚫 “Want to generate more leads? Our SaaS platform does X, Y, and Z. Sign up now!”
✅ “We ran $500k in LinkedIn Ads and found that 30% of leads never closed. Here’s why (and how we fixed it).”
The best Reddit ads don’t feel like ads. They start conversations.
Step 3: Creative That Doesn’t Scream “Ad”
On Reddit, text-based ads often outperform flashy creatives—because people come here to read, not to be sold to. That said, visuals can still help if done right.
What works:
✅ Native-looking graphics – Screenshots of dashboards (e.g., a Pendo heatmap, a Clearbit enrichment report) work great.
✅ Meme-style visuals – Keep it relevant and tasteful. If you’re targeting r/sysadmin, a meme about software outages hits home.
✅ User-generated content – Show a real Reddit comment or testimonial. “This tool literally saved me 10 hours a week” feels more authentic than a polished ad.
What fails:
❌ Stock images—Redditors spot them instantly. If the image looks like something from a Canva template, don’t use it.
❌ Overproduced graphics – This isn’t Instagram. A simple annotated screenshot can convert better than a glossy product image.
❌ Poor contrast in dark mode – Most Reddit users browse in dark mode. If your image has a white background, it looks awful. Use high-contrast visuals.
Reddit rewards authenticity. If your creative looks like a natural part of the feed, it won’t get ignored.
Step 4: Launching & Optimizing
Reddit ads require testing. Instead of blowing your budget on a single ad, start with a small budget ($20–$50/day) and run multiple variations.
What to track:
CTR (Click-Through Rate): Anything above 0.5% is solid. If it’s under 0.3%, your copy needs work.
Conversion Rate: Not just clicks—are people actually signing up, booking demos, or engaging?
Subreddit-specific performance: Some will work better than others. Pause underperforming ones, double down on the winners.
Optimization tricks:
- Start with a higher bid (20–30% above Reddit’s suggestion) to win early impressions. Once you’ve collected data, lower your bid for efficiency.
- Hidden Trick: Use Post ID Targeting – Find an organic post that’s already performing well and run an ad against it. This lets you piggyback on existing engagement.
Reddit ads aren’t plug-and-play like LinkedIn or Google—but if you test, refine, and engage with the community the right way, they can be one of your highest-ROI channels.
