Skip to main content

Reddit scatters in-feed sponsored posts inside its mobile apps

Reddit
Reddit

Reddit’s mobile app users will soon start seeing multimedia-sponsored posts inside their feeds. Reddit recently announced the rollout of native promoted posts. The ads will appear like a regular Reddit post with the same tools — excluding the blue “promoted” ad label — and will start rolling out to iOS users first, with Android to follow in the next few weeks.

Reddit anticipates the new Promoted Posts, a type of native mobile ad, will lead to more engagement because the usual slew of options like upvotes, downvotes, and comments are all intact. The platform’s existing mobile ad formats do not allow for comments, a change that the company suggests will result in better performance on those new ads.

The new ad format maintains Reddit’s other ad tools, including the option to target users based on interests, community, geography, or the device being used. Comments can also be turned off on the ads, just like with desktop-based ads.

The company says that the ads allow businesses to reach Reddit’s unique group of mobile users. After launching the app versions (iOS and Android) of one of the 10 largest websites less than two years ago, the apps have grown in popularity. Now, 41 percent of the time spent browsing Reddit comes from a user on a mobile device. Stats also show mobile users spending 30 percent more time on the platform compared to desktop users.

The new ad format also brings new options for a unique group of viewers — Reddit says that 80 percent of mobile app users aren’t on the desktop version. The new format will also open up more chances for placing ad bids on the Reddit platform.

The new ad format is launching without testing, which means Reddit doesn’t have solid statistics on the ads yet. Reddit has now grown to 330 million users that are active monthly on the platform, creating an average of around 14 billion screen views every month. The platform brings in nearly 11 million post submissions in that same time frame. On a daily basis, Reddit sees 2.8 million comments and 58 million up or down votes. Young adults are the most active on the platform, with 79 percent of users falling in the 18-34 age group.  About half the users are U.S.-based, with 70 percent from English-speaking locations.

Editors' Recommendations

Hillary K. Grigonis
Hillary never planned on becoming a photographer—and then she was handed a camera at her first writing job and she's been…
I just found the perfect ChatGPT iPhone app, and it’s free
Someone holding an iPhone 14 Pro, with Perplexity AI running on it.

Stop me if you've heard this one before: ChatGPT is huge right now. After exploding in popularity in late 2022, the AI chatbot has been on an enormous rise, with no sign of slowing down. One of the ways we've seen ChatGPT expand is its continued integration into smartphone apps. Whether it's Bing Chat coming to mobile or a ChatGPT iPhone keyboard, it's all been fascinating to watch unfold.

One of the latest ChatGPT mobile apps to hit the scene is one called "Perplexity AI," which is an iPhone app that brings ChatGPT directly to your smartphone -- no need for a web browser. And it does so with a sleek interface, helpful features, and zero ads. Best of all? It's 100% free to use. I've been playing with the app on my iPhone 14 Pro for about a day now, and I'm seriously impressed with what I'm seeing.
Getting started with Perplexity AI

Read more
I used an app to create 3D models with my iPhone, and it’s shockingly great
Alan Truly captures a 3D model of a figurine with an iPhone 13 Pro Max

The pace of innovation in artificial intelligence image generation is phenomenal. One company — Luma Labs — provides an excellent example of a practical, yet hugely entertaining use of the latest technology applied to 3D images.

Luma AI is in beta testing on the iPhone and eventually will be made available on Android as well. I got into the beta test group and can share some information about what this amazing app does and how easy it is to get incredible results.
What is Luma AI?

Read more
Updated Steam mobile app lets you download games from your phone
The Steam remote mobile app shows details for Control.

Valve has released the updated Steam mobile app on Android and iOS, revamped with improvements to its framework and user interface design. The new and improved app also comes with new features, including the ability to download Steam games remotely from your phone and log in with a QR code.

Introducing the updated Steam Mobile app

Read more