Key Takeaways: Reddit conversation ads place your message directly within active comment threads, reaching users during deep content engagement rather than passive scrolling. Reddit treats conversation as a placement you can combine with feed placement, and it reports that advertisers who run both see 12% lower costs than advertisers who only target the feed, without giving a CPM or CPC for either. Best used for contextual campaigns, competitor positioning, and educational content that adds value to existing discussions. Combine community targeting with keyword layers to ensure ads appear in relevant conversations.
What are Reddit conversation ads?
Reddit conversation ads represent one of the most innovative ad formats in social media advertising. Unlike traditional feed ads that compete for attention as users scroll through content, conversation ads are placed directly within active comment threads where users are already deeply engaged with a topic.
When a Reddit user opens a post and scrolls through the comments, a conversation ad appears as a labeled promotional entry within the comment stream. This placement is strategically powerful because it reaches users in their most engaged state: actively reading, processing information, and forming opinions about the topic at hand.
Reddit's conversation placement puts ads on the comments page itself, rather than only in a feed, which gives them a different context from feed ads. For a broader view of how this format fits alongside other placements, see our Reddit advertising guide.
How do conversation ads work technically?
Placement mechanics
Conversation ads appear on the comments page, between the post and the first comment. The ad is clearly labeled as "Promoted" to maintain transparency.
The placement algorithm considers several factors:
- Thread activity level and comment volume
- Relevance of the thread topic to the ad's targeting criteria
- User engagement patterns within the specific thread
- Available inventory based on competition and bidding
Ad components
A conversation ad consists of:
- Brand name and account avatar: Displayed like a comment author
- Ad headline: The primary message, similar to a comment
- Ad body text: Supporting information and value proposition
- Creative asset: Optional image or video
- Call-to-action button: Drives users to your destination URL
- Promoted label: Clear identification as advertising content
User interaction
Users can click through to your destination URL and view the creative asset. Whether people can comment on your ad depends on a setting you control: comments are off by default and you choose whether to allow them when you create the ad (see the section on comments below).
When should you use conversation ads?
Ideal use cases
Contextual product positioning: When your product relates directly to topics users frequently discuss in target subreddits. A project management tool placing ads within threads about productivity challenges in r/startups reaches users at the exact moment they are thinking about the problem you solve.
Competitor comparison campaigns: Conversation ads excel at intercepting discussions where users evaluate competing products. Targeting threads containing competitor brand names allows you to present your alternative at the moment of comparison shopping.
Educational content distribution: Placing educational resources within discussions where users seek information positions your brand as helpful rather than promotional. A financial planning tool sharing budgeting tips within r/personalfinance discussions about saving strategies adds genuine value.
Brand perception campaigns: For brands facing misconceptions or negative sentiment, conversation ads allow you to address concerns within the discussions where those concerns arise, rather than broadcasting defensive messaging into the void.
Retargeting reinforcement: Combining conversation ads with retargeting audiences reaches users who have already visited your website while they engage with relevant content, reinforcing your message in a high-attention context.
When to avoid conversation ads
Pure awareness campaigns: If your goal is maximum reach and impressions, promoted posts deliver more impressions at lower CPMs.
Visual-first messaging: If your ad's effectiveness depends heavily on visual creative, the conversation thread context may not showcase imagery as effectively as feed placement.
Limited budgets: Conversation ads' higher CPMs mean smaller budgets generate fewer impressions. Start with promoted posts if budget is constrained.
Non-contextual products: If your product does not relate to specific discussion topics, conversation ads lose their contextual advantage.
How do you set up a conversation ad campaign?
Step 1: Campaign creation
In Reddit Ads Manager, create a new campaign and select your campaign objective. Conversation ads support awareness, consideration, and conversion objectives, though they perform best for consideration-focused campaigns.
Set your budget (Reddit recommends at least $50/day per ad group for tests; third-party guides cite a $5/day floor that we did not find in Reddit's help articles) and schedule test campaigns for at least four weeks, as Reddit recommends.
Step 2: Targeting configuration
Conversation placement uses the same targeting as feed ads. Reddit combines interest, community and keyword targeting with OR and recommends separating targeting by ad group:
- Community targeting: Select subreddits where relevant discussions occur
- Keyword targeting: Add keywords that identify the specific discussion topics you want to appear within
- Interest targeting: Broader interest layers as a safety net
- Location/device targeting: Standard demographic filters as needed
Keyword targeting works with conversation placements: Reddit takes your English keywords, reads their context and places your ad where it is most relevant, but its docs do not describe thread-level selection. For deeper guidance on layering communities, keywords, and interests, see our Reddit ads targeting guide.
Step 3: Creative development
Create conversation ad creative following these guidelines:
Headline: Write as if contributing to the discussion, not broadcasting to an audience. "Here's how we solved [common problem]" works better than "Try our amazing product."
Body text: Provide enough value that users feel the ad contributed to their understanding of the topic. Include specific details, data points, or actionable insights.
Visual asset: If using an image or video, ensure it adds information rather than just brand decoration. Screenshots, data visualizations, and process diagrams perform well.
CTA: Keep the call to action relevant to the discussion context. "See the full comparison" or "Read the case study" feels more natural than "Buy now" within a comment thread.
Step 4: Launch and monitor
Launch your campaign and monitor performance closely during the first 48 hours. Pay attention to:
- Which subreddits and thread types generate the most engagement
- CTR by keyword targeting group
- Landing page behavior from conversation ad traffic
- Cost metrics compared to your promoted post campaigns
What are creative best practices for conversation ads?
Match the conversation tone
Your ad should feel like a natural contribution to the discussion rather than an interruption. Study how users communicate in your target subreddits and mirror that tone in your ad copy.
In r/startups: Founders share honest experiences. Your ad should sound like a founder sharing a relevant insight.
In r/technology: Users discuss features, specifications, and comparisons. Your ad should offer technical substance.
In r/personalfinance: Users seek practical advice. Your ad should provide actionable guidance.
Lead with value, not branding
The most effective conversation ads provide genuine value before introducing the brand:
Weak: "SuperTool CRM helps sales teams close more deals. Try it free!"
Strong: "Sales teams that track response time close 35% more deals on average. We analyzed 10,000 sales cycles to find the patterns that matter. Here's what we learned."
The second approach provides a data point that adds to the conversation, establishing the brand as knowledgeable before asking for attention.
Use contextual creative assets
If including an image or video, make it contextually relevant:
- Comparison charts that address common discussion points
- Data visualizations that add insight to the conversation topic
- Brief video demonstrations that answer common questions
- Infographics that summarize key information users seek
Optimize for mobile
Over 60% of Reddit traffic is mobile. Ensure your conversation ad creative is legible and impactful on small screens:
- Keep headline text concise (under 80 characters)
- Use high-contrast visuals that display clearly at small sizes
- Ensure CTA buttons are easily tappable
- Test creative rendering on multiple device sizes
How do comments on Reddit ads work?
Comments on a Reddit ad are off by default. Reddit's help center says comments are disabled for every new ad unless you check the allow-comments box when you create the ad in Ads Manager, and that managing comments requires administrator access to your business account. Once comments are on, Reddit lists the controls an advertiser has:
- lock the thread, or reopen it, from the post's mod tools;
- pin one of your own comments to the top of the ad's comment thread;
- reply to, approve or delete comments;
- mark a comment as spam, which removes it and filters similar comments in future.
Reddit also tells advertisers not to be afraid to be self-promotional in their ad's comment thread. That advice concerns the comment thread of your own promoted post, not organic commenting elsewhere on Reddit, where each subreddit's rules apply. Decide who will watch the thread before you switch comments on, because an open thread under an ad is public from the first impression. The Reddit Ads page sets out who can run this work for you.
How do you measure conversation ad performance?
Key performance indicators
| Metric | Good Performance | Excellent Performance |
|---|---|---|
| CTR | Around Reddit's 0.1-0.3% test benchmark | Above your own baseline |
| CPC | $0.50-$2.00 | Under $0.50 |
| CPM | $5-$8 | Under $5 |
| Landing page bounce rate | Under 60% | Under 40% |
| Time on landing page | 30+ seconds | 60+ seconds |
The CPC and CPM rows are planning targets, not Reddit figures: Reddit publishes no absolute CPM or CPC benchmark for conversation placement, only a relative claim of 12% lower costs for advertisers who run feed and conversation together.
Comparing to promoted posts
Track conversation ad performance alongside your promoted post campaigns to determine where each format delivers the best value. Depending on your audience and creative, conversation ads can:
- Outperform promoted posts on click-through rate, since the message format invites replies
- Carry different CPMs from feed placements (Reddit publishes no CPM comparison, only a relative cost claim for running both together)
- Deliver comparable or lower cost per engagement
- Drive stronger landing page engagement (lower bounce, longer time on site)
The right balance depends on your campaign objectives. At GrowReddit, we typically allocate 20-30% of Reddit Ads budgets to conversation ads and 70-80% to promoted posts, adjusting based on performance data.
Optimization cycle
Review conversation ad performance weekly and adjust:
- Week 1-2: Establish baseline metrics across targeting combinations
- Week 3-4: Eliminate underperforming keyword and community targets
- Week 5-8: Scale successful combinations and test new creative variations
- Monthly: Refresh creative to prevent fatigue and test new targeting opportunities
Ready to add conversation ads to your Reddit strategy? GrowReddit designs and manages conversation ad campaigns that feel native to Reddit's discussion culture while driving measurable business results. Schedule a strategy call to explore how conversation ads fit your marketing goals.