Reddit has become hard to ignore.
With all the shifts across the social media world, including the Meta news ban, the uncertainty around TikTok and the unfettered content of X, Reddit has quietly become a go-to spot for Canadians who want to talk about everything – and advertisers looking to target engaged consumers are noticing the opportunities.
According to a recent WARC report, Reddit’s global ad revenue is expected to top $1.8 billion (all figures USD) this year and grow to $2.5 billion next year. That growth is three times faster than the wider social media market, although Reddit’s $1.2 billion global ad revenue in 2024 accounted for just 0.4% of total social advertising expenditure.
Kaan Yigit, principal and SVP of The Strategic Counsel, says he would not leave Reddit out of a media plan.
“By its nature, it’s an engagement platform on niche topics and interests, not a quick scroll like some of the image/video-based social media is. It’s been on a steady uptrend in terms of use for the last three to four years,” he says.
Recent research from his company found that weekly use of the platform was 18% of adults 18-plus (5.4 million) overall, but 30% among 18- to 34-year-olds.
When it comes to males in that demo, he says, “It’s head-to-head with TikTok and X in terms of weekly use. It’s way ahead of LinkedIn or Pinterest.”
A big part of Reddit’s rise comes from people looking for something a little more real than what they’re finding on platforms like Facebook or X, says Mat Horst, VP of digital investment and activation at Horizon Media.
He says that as of February, Reddit ranks as the ninth most visited site globally, and Canada is its second largest traffic source after the U.S. Here at home, it ranks number four, right behind Google, YouTube and Facebook.
Horst says the ad formats on Reddit invite interaction, and subreddits let advertisers home in on audiences who are already passionate about specific topics, whether it’s cloud security, skin care or dog training.
“Conversation ads let brands join the discussion instead of just shouting into the void,” he says. “Targeting efficacy is good. We can focus by interest, location or even specific subreddits to keep things relevant.”
Brands have an opportunity to connect authentically, through relevant targeting and “Redditing like a Redditor,” says Emily Wells, manager of social strategy at Cairns Oneil.
“Additionally,” she says, “as the platform grows, so does the sophistication of ad formats, tools, integrations and reporting – all helping to drive valuable learnings and business results.”
It is Reddit’s content-over-clout emphasis that appeals to consumers, according to Kate Dorofeeva, director of digital strategy at Involved Media. And that has become one of its strengths as a channel for advertisers.
“Discoverability fuels platform popularity growth, and Reddit content ranks high on Google,” she says. “Further to that, people often append ‘Reddit’ to searches because they want real discussions and recommendations, not SEO-optimized content or AI summaries. This boosts Reddit’s visibility and stickiness for casual and returning users.”
Sean Dixon, managing director of applied analytics and activation at OMG, says Reddit has done a lot of work on the platform to drive user engagement.
“It’s got a big and fast-growing user base, the kind of brand safety controls advertisers are looking for and offers incredible contextual opportunity for brands. I’d say it’s a good advertising venue if it’s well executed, and there’s great opportunities for brands to do really interesting things.”
The bottom line, says Horizon Media’s Horst: “Reddit is earning its place in the media mix. But success here isn’t about flashy creative or big budgets, it’s about showing up with something useful to say and being ready to listen too.”
