Reddit is Rolling Out Video Ads -- And Yes, They Autoplay

Reddit is rolling out video ads — and yes, they autoplay

Get ready for more autoplay video adds — this time, on Reddit. Unveiled on June 12, the new ad format expands on the native video platform Reddit launched in 2017, while being built with the recent site redesign in mind. With the launch of the native video player, users can host videos directly on Reddit instead of linking to content on YouTube. Since allowing native video, the format has become the dominant way Redditors share video, so it makes sense that advertisers would want in on the action.

The new video ads will look much like any video that’s hosted on Reddit itself, including all the usual Reddit engagements like shares, comments, and saves. Much to nobody’s surprise, the ads will also autoplay in the feed, something that was made possible by the platform’s new design. When Reddit launched its long-awaited redesign, it came with a new way organizing content into cards. Card view allows content to be displayed without having to click to expand it. Hence, video ads will be able autoplay inside of those cards.

Users will be able to turn the autoplay off inside the settings for those video ads, however. The setting switches off autoplay for both original video content and ads.

Along with becoming the dominant sharing choice and growing by about 23 percent each month, native Reddit video also tends to increase views when compared to videos hosted on a third-party platform. The platform also named several communities where native video makes up as much as 20 percent of the conversation.

The success of providing its own video hosting to users is naturally what led Reddit to launch a video ad platform. For the advertiser, video ads are also sold as a cost-per-view basis, so business pay for the views the ads receive, but not necessarily for clicks. This is the first time Reddit has launched a such a payment system, and early evidence suggests the new ad platform will be great for businesses. Advertisers that were part of Reddit’s test of the feature saw a 5x increase in performance compared to other types of ads on the platform. Ads that are selected for the cost-per-view option will only be served inside the card view.

So when you can expect to see these autoplay ads in your feed? Video ads could start popping up as early as next week, but they probably won’t be overwhelming — at least, not at first. Reddit is rolling out the platform just to select partners before opening it up to everyone soon after.

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