The best reddit conversation ads don't feel like ads at all. They feel like valuable contributions from someone who genuinely belongs in the discussion. This format—appearing within active comment threads rather than the main feed—rewards brands that commit to authentic, ongoing engagement.
Here's what the top conversation ads get right, and how you can replicate their success.
Storytel ran an AMA (Ask Me Anything) with author Erik Engelv in storytelling-focused communities. Rather than promoting the platform, they provided genuine access to a creator their audience cared about.
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Why it won: The campaign provided value through access, not promotion. Readers engaged with the author, not the brand—but brand association followed naturally.
A CRM company started a conversation asking r/sales users about their biggest pipeline management frustrations. They engaged thoughtfully with every response, offering solutions that sometimes involved their product and sometimes didn't.
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Why it won: Problem-focused messaging resonated with frustrated buyers. Honest acknowledgment of alternatives built trust that promotional messaging never could.
A game studio shared ongoing development updates in gaming subreddits. The conversation ad format let them respond to player questions and incorporate feedback in real-time.
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Why it won: Transparency about development—including challenges and delays—built authentic relationships with the community.
An investment platform featured their head of research answering questions about market volatility in r/investing. The conversation appeared during a period of genuine market uncertainty when users actively sought expert guidance.
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Why it won: Timing matched community need. Genuine expertise—without sales agenda—established authority that transferred to brand perception.
A sustainable apparel company facilitated a conversation where actual customers answered questions from prospective buyers. The brand stepped in only to clarify factual questions.
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Why it won: Third-party credibility outweighed brand messaging. Prospective buyers trusted existing customers over marketing claims.
Every top performer provided something valuable regardless of conversion outcome. Access to an author, expert market analysis, development transparency, honest problem-solving—readers benefited even if they never bought.
This flips the traditional advertising model. Instead of interrupting with promotion, these campaigns contributed to conversations users wanted to have.
The best conversation ads involved days of engagement, not hours. Brands that committed to 48+ hours of active participation saw dramatically better results than those who posted and moved on.
Reddit's algorithm rewards sustained conversation. Comments signal quality. Extended engagement also creates multiple touchpoints with the same users—building relationships over time.
Responses from identified individuals (engineers, founders, product managers, authors) outperformed generic brand accounts. Users want to interact with humans, not logos.
The top performers featured people with genuine expertise and credibility, not social media managers following scripts.
Counter-intuitively, the best conversation ads acknowledged what their product couldn't do or when competitors might be better fits. This honesty built more credibility than claims of universal superiority.
Reddit users research extensively. They'll discover limitations anyway. Being upfront about them first establishes trust.
Based on these top performers, here's how to build winning conversation ads:
Start with value, not promotion. Identify what your audience genuinely wants to discuss, then find ways to contribute meaningfully to that conversation.
Commit to extended engagement. Budget time, not just money. Plan for 48-72 hours of active participation with follow-up responses for up to two weeks.
Use named experts. Assign specific individuals with relevant credentials to manage conversation responses. Their authenticity matters more than polished messaging.
Be honest about limitations. Prepare genuine answers about edge cases, alternatives, and situations where your solution isn't ideal.
Match community culture. Study native conversations in your target subreddits. Your conversation style should be indistinguishable from organic discussion.
For more on conversation ad strategy, see our complete Reddit conversation ads guide and browse Reddit conversation ads examples.
Plan for 48-72 hours of active engagement minimum, with follow-up responses for up to two weeks. The best performers maintain presence throughout the conversation's natural lifecycle. Budget 4-8 hours of expert time per conversation ad campaign.
You can, but results suffer. Generic brand responses underperform named expert participation. If you lack internal experts, consider partnering with customers, industry advisors, or agency partners who can provide authentic expertise.
Reddit's $5/day minimum applies, but conversation ads require more investment in engagement than reach. Budget for expert time alongside media spend. Effective conversation campaigns typically run $500-2,000 in media plus equivalent investment in engagement resources.
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