Weekly Prompt: Reddit’s Free-Form Ads and other news

Reddit unveils 'Free-Form' ads resembling user posts

Reddit has introduced a new ad format called "free-form ads" designed to resemble organic user posts on the platform. These ads, announced alongside the company's preparations for its initial public offering (IPO), aim to bolster advertiser engagement by blending seamlessly with user-generated content.

With free-form ads, advertisers can incorporate various media types such as images, videos, and text through customizable templates. The format draws inspiration from Reddit's popular post type, the megathread. Jim Squires, Reddit’s EVP of Business Marketing and Growth, said: "Free-form ads give advertisers the flexibility to build an ad of any length, using multiple media types, with a look and feel that’s native to the platform.” He also mentioned, “Just like the megathread, free-form ads encourage multiple users to come together, get the information they need, and deep dive into the topic at hand.”

According to Reddit, early tests have shown promising results, with free-form ads boasting a 28% higher average click-through rate (CTR) compared to other ad types, along with increased community engagement when comments are enabled.

Despite potential concerns from users about the integration of ad-like content within their feed, Reddit aims to maintain transparency and user experience by clearly labelling these ads as "Promoted" posts.

In addition to the new ad format, Reddit has enhanced the capabilities of its Ads Manager by introducing new features including topic templates such as "brand introduction" and "product deep dive."

The new free-form ad format is available to all advertisers on Reddit globally via the Reddit Ads Manager.

Sources: MediaPost, Social Media Today, TechCrunch

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