Reddit launches AMA Ads format for brand engagement

Reddit today introduced a new advertising format called AMA Ads, designed to streamline the promotion of Ask Me Anything (AMA) sessions across its platform. The announcement marks the integration of organic AMA features into the platform's advertising infrastructure.

According to Lauren Kroll, Senior Product Marketing Manager for Ads UX at Reddit, the previous system required advertisers to construct promotional content manually when directing users to AMA posts. The newly implemented format incorporates functionality released earlier in 2024, which was previously unavailable for advertising campaigns.

Technical specifications of the AMA Ads format include several key features integrated directly into Reddit's Ads Manager. The system incorporates dynamic elements such as a 'Remind Me' button that transforms to 'Join Now' when events go live, real-time RSVP tracking capabilities, and automated display of event scheduling information.

Data from Reddit Brand Lift studies conducted between 2023 and 2024 demonstrate varying performance metrics across different sectors. Finance advertisers observed a 7.2 percentage point increase in ad awareness, while retail advertisers registered a 7.4 percentage point improvement in brand messaging effectiveness. The consumer packaged goods sector showed the most substantial gain with a 19.7 percentage point increase in aided awareness.

The platform's research indicates significant user engagement potential, with 81% of users expressing positive sentiment toward brand-community interactions. Additionally, 61% of platform users report providing brand feedback across social media channels at least monthly, while 59% express interest in brands monitoring customer feedback.

Implementation of the advertising format requires several technical steps. Advertisers must first establish an organic AMA post, either within their profile or a specific community. Subsequently, the post can be converted into a promoted event through the Reddit Ads Manager interface. The system enables users to RSVP directly through the advertisement or navigate to the event page for additional information and advance question submission.

Sephora's implementation of the format during its initial AMA campaign demonstrates practical application of the system. The beauty retailer deployed in-house experts, specifically Sephora Beauty Directors, to address consumer inquiries regarding product recommendations and beauty techniques. The campaign's targeting parameters encompassed relevant interests, communities, and keywords to reach their intended demographic.

Brent Mitchell, Vice President of Social Media & Influencer Marketing at Sephora, noted that the platform selection aligned with their objectives for detailed beauty-related discussions. The campaign generated over 1,000 advertisement-driven RSVPs, facilitating direct engagement with their target audience.

The advertising format maintains post-event functionality by allowing continued promotion of completed AMAs, enabling users to review previous interactions and responses. This feature extends the utility of the content beyond the live event period.

Reddit's introduction of AMA Ads represents a systematic integration of community engagement features with advertising capabilities. The format standardizes the promotion process while incorporating tracking mechanisms for campaign performance assessment.

The technical implementation builds upon existing platform infrastructure while adding specialized functionality for AMA promotion. This development follows Reddit's broader pattern of feature integration between organic and promotional content systems.

Monitoring capabilities within the new format include RSVP tracking through Ads Manager reporting tools, providing quantitative metrics for engagement assessment. The system maintains dynamic functionality throughout the event lifecycle, adapting display elements and call-to-action mechanisms based on event status.

Campaign targeting options incorporate multiple variables including interest-based parameters, community selection, and keyword targeting. This granular approach to audience segmentation enables advertisers to refine their reach based on specific demographic and behavioral criteria.

The format's development addresses specific technical limitations in the previous manual promotion system while expanding available features for advertising campaigns. This integration streamlines operational processes while maintaining core platform functionality.

Step-by-step activation guide for Reddit AMA Ads format

The activation process for Reddit's newly released AMA Ads format follows a structured implementation sequence, according to the platform's technical documentation released on January 7, 2025.

The initial phase requires creating an organic AMA post, with specific formatting considerations. According to Reddit's specifications, titles must remain under 300 characters and cannot be modified after publication. The platform's documentation emphasizes that thumbnail images automatically generate from the first uploaded image, making initial visual asset selection crucial for campaign presentation.

Content creators face two distinct hosting options for AMA implementation. The community-based approach positions content within organic subreddits, either brand-managed or topic-relevant spaces. This method permits additional headline customization but requires adherence to specific community guidelines. Alternatively, the profile-based hosting option provides brands with controlled environments, guaranteeing reach while maintaining conversation management capabilities.

Technical campaign setup necessitates specific objective selection between brand awareness and reach or traffic-focused implementations. The platform's documentation indicates that alternative campaign objectives remain unsupported in the current release. Campaign managers must navigate through the Dashboard's Ads tab, selecting appropriate ad groups within their chosen objective framework.

The system architecture incorporates three distinct operational phases. During the pre-AMA phase, the interface displays upcoming event timing and RSVP functionality, with counter visibility triggering at 11 participant registrations. The live phase transitions the call-to-action button to "Join Now," while the post-event phase focuses on content accessibility.

Engagement measurement utilizes the "Engaged Clicks" metric, tracking reminder setup actions. According to the technical documentation, this metric operates independently from RSVP cancellations, potentially creating discrepancies between total RSVP counts and engagement measurements.

Campaign customization capabilities vary based on implementation type. Community AMAs permit headline adjustments, while profile-based implementations maintain consistent messaging throughout the campaign lifecycle. The platform documentation specifies character limitations and recommends first-person voice implementation for optimal engagement.

Integration with external platforms requires manual link insertion within post bodies, as the format does not support destination URL customization. The documentation emphasizes the importance of including relevant links during initial post creation, as modification capabilities become limited after campaign activation.

Moderation protocols for community-based implementations require direct engagement with subreddit moderators. Verification procedures typically involve submission of identity confirmation through social media posts or photographic evidence, establishing authenticity before campaign activation.

The technical infrastructure supports crossposting capabilities for enhanced visibility, though implementation requires existing community membership and compliance with individual subreddit policies regarding content sharing. The documentation indicates this feature serves as a supplementary traffic driver rather than a primary distribution mechanism.

Reporting functionality provides granular performance data through the platform's dashboard interface. Campaign managers can access metrics through standard reporting tools, with engagement data specifically focusing on active participation through reminder setup actions rather than passive view counts.

The platform's development team implemented phase-specific headline recommendations, structuring content presentation across pre-event, live, and post-event stages. According to the documentation, effective headlines incorporate host identification, topic specification, and temporal indicators, maintaining consistency with overall campaign objectives while adapting to each phase's requirements.

Asset preparation requirements include considerations for image specifications, with the documentation recommending adherence to standard image ad specifications despite flexible aspect ratio acceptance. This technical consideration impacts visual presentation across various platform display environments.