This case study features an advertisement on reddit submitted by Haworth, a company who builds excellent home/office furniture. Let’s look at each component of their ad and why it was so successful so you can learn how to craft the perfect reddit ad.
The Title
The first part the title “if you are sitting down” speaks to 99% of what redditors are experiencing when they read the ad (they are sitting). The second part of the title invites redditors to click on the ad by inferring that there is a better option for seating. These two elements combined offer a way for redditors to improve their current experience. A perfect way to capture the attention of a consumer.
Note: Haworth includes a thumbnail of one of their chairs, which is a great choice. Always include a thumbnail image whenever possible.
The Body
First, note that the ad is NOT a link ad. Many advertisers are quick to choose link ads (that go directly to a website and not a reddit comment thread) because they think it will convert better. Some advertisers are also lazy, so linking directly to a site eliminates the work of creating body text for your ad.
Haworth did it right. They Covered the main key points of why you should buy their chairs, they shared photos of their top selling models, and offered a special discount for reddit gold members. The effort put into creating this post paid off big time, generating over 500 comments and a reddit score over 400.
Responding to comments
The marketer who ran this ad and responded to comments did an excellent job. The person was obviously very knowledgeable about their products and reddit. They answered a ton of questions and the authenticity that came through in their responses was not missed by redditors.
A good question from a redditor receives a detailed response from the Haworth representative.
The advertiser receives praise from a redditor for answering questions. He responds with a Leo DiCaprio ‘cheers’ gif which produces even more respect.
Editing the original post
Haworth made it easier for redditors to consume this large comment thread by finding the most common and helpful questions/answers and posting them as links to the original post. Over 20 questions were linked, essentially providing a condensed form of the comment thread for everyone. A nice touch and a good example of how you can leverage content from a reddit comment thread.
Summary
This ad by Haworth was a huge success because it was carefully crafted and executed by a knowledgeable marketer (of reddit and Haworth products). Always consider creating a text post when possible so you can give your pitch on reddit before asking people to leave the site. If your pitch is good, your ad will get more attention and more click-thrus.
