Reddit Opens ‘Trending’ Slider to Branded Content

Reddit is opening some of the most visited real estate on the internet to advertising. The platform now offers a new ad type called "Trending Takeover," which allows companies to place branded content on the Popular feed and search bar for 24 hours. 

This gives advertisers a chance to place their content next to the biggest trending topics on the website, whether that's a cat video or a coronavirus update. 

"One of the most popular parts of Reddit is our popular tab and the search bar," Shariq Rizvi, vice president of ads product and engineering at Reddit. "These are parts of the Reddit app that are visited by more than a third of our users on a daily basis." 

The new offering marks Reddit's push to diversify beyond simple banner ads and promoted content. The site chose the Popular feed and search bar because they are core to Reddit's model of curation and discovery. 

"These are the parts of the app where users go to discover the new trends, the conversations, the fads, which are born every day on Reddit," he said. 

Reddit attracts upwards of 430 million users per month, according to the company. 

Despite this expansive readership, the company has historically focused less on revenue than fellow social media giants such as Twitter and Facebook. But over the last year, it seems to have taken a renewed interest in boosting ad sales. 

In April 2019, Reddit hired Jen Wong, formerly a senior executive at Time Inc., as chief operating officer. It also started pitching agencies more aggressively, according to a CNBC report. 

"We've been growing our ad business in an aggressive way," Rizvi said. "We have seen tremendous growth year-over-year."

More In Business

With An Increasing Demand In Mental Health Services, This CEO Wants To Use Tech To Change the Therapy Game

With an increasing demand for mental health services, one person wanted to change the therapy game. In 2017, CEO Alex Katz founded Two Chairs, a company that uses technology to match patients with the right therapist.

You Can Actually Lose Money on Real Estate (Even in This Market)

Not only is April Financial Literacy Month, it’s also the kickoff of the spring homebuying season. So now is the time to make sure you have a financial plan in place – and why it might not be wise for that to include buying your first home.

This Region Has the U.S. Beat When it Comes to Fighting Inflation

While the U.S. may slowly be on the path to lowering inflation (and therefore interest rates), Europe has thoroughly trounced America, putting it on the path to lower rates by this summer.

Housing Market Reports Are Here: April Insights and Economic Impact

April's release of the monthly Housing Starts and Building Permits reports by the Census Bureau provides crucial insights into the construction activity in the housing market. These reports are an economic indicator, shedding light on the current state of the housing market and its broader economic impact.

Caitlin Clark Will Make a Lot More Than Her WNBA Base Salary – Here's How

Caitlin Clark is heading to the Indiana Fever, the number one draft pick and the highest-scoring college basketball player of all time. And while she may not be getting millions from the WNBA, there's a few ways she'll net compensation for her generational talents.

Why The GOP Wants To Stop The Cellular Agricultural Revolution

Author of 'Clean Meat,' Paul Shapiro joins Cheddar to discuss how the cellular agricultural revolution helps lower rates of foodborne illness and greatly improves environmental sustainability. Plus, how his company The Better Meat Co. is bringing healthier food options to the table.

Load More