Michael Evans explores why Reddit ads flop for creators outside the platform's subcultures, and how horror and taboo romance thrive when they find their audience. Reddit's in-group cultures uplift matching content and kill misaligned ads.
Is Reddit ad similar? Can Reddit ads work for, quote, unquote, any author? Or do you think there's certain genres that perform better on Reddit ads?
Yeah, so I think certain genres, especially those who are, I would say, on the fringes, would find more of a place at home at Reddit. Just if you go to Reddit, go to any Reddit, it's its own culture itself. So if the thing that you are offering doesn't fit within the culture, you'll know very quickly because that ad is not going to perform as well and the response you're going to get towards that ad is not going to perform as well. Horror is very counterculture. Same thing with very spicy romance. Very counterculture. You're seeing a lot of the romance genres, like the ones that are taboo or ones that not really, that are struggling to find a home. They have ravenous fan bases. So when they do find a home, it strikes hard. That's the same thing with Reddit, is that there's a culture within Reddit that if you fit within there, you will be uplifted. But if you don't fit within there, you're going to struggle to find a home.
