Reddit shared new data on its evolving in-app gaming conversation with a playbook for advertisers that are seeking to get their promotions in front of gamers and gaming-related audiences.
Based on research conducted by TransUnion, Reddit said that gaming marketers are largely failing to capitalize on the opportunities afforded by its highly engaged communities.
As explained by Reddit: “Reddit is home to more than 1,300 gaming-related communities, where conversations are created and shaped by real players. These communities don't just bring gamers together; they influence discovery, engagement, and even purchasing decisions.”
Underlining this, Reddit shared additional notes on gaming engagement, and what that means for marketing approaches.
First, according to comparative analysis of Reddit promotions, Reddit ads drove an average of $8.58 return-on-ad-spend for gaming advertisers.
The analysis also found that Reddit discussions and engagement led to broader halo effect across other channels, boosting overall interest in the advertised products.
As explained by Reddit: “This means Reddit’s modeled contribution included value beyond its own platform, demonstrating how Reddit can complement other media touchpoints and contribute to broader marketing performance. TV accounted for 18% of Reddit’s total synergy, followed by paid search at 17%, online video at 15%, and paid social at 12%.”
In other words, Reddit’s gaming communities are influential, which can expand the value of in-app promotions.
TransUnion’s data also showed:
- More than one-third (32%) of U.S. gamers on Reddit aren’t on TikTok, highlighting Reddit’s unique audience reach potential.
- Nearly three-quarters (71%) of U.S. Reddit gamers have purchased a gaming product based on information they found on Reddit.
- Reddit’s share of the gaming ads market has grown by 46% since 2023, while other paid social channels have seen a decline of 8% over the same period.
On the basis of the last point, the analysis suggested that gaming brands have significantly underinvested in Reddit ads, with Reddit representing just 5% of paid social investment, on average.
Of course, that’s assuming that these same trends would hold true if more gaming ads were present in the app. But based on the data included in the analysis, there might be more opportunity and potential for gaming marketers there.
The report also said that brands that ran a full-funnel strategy across key campaign objectives saw 19% stronger overall ROAS than the single-tactic average. The report added that video views delivered the strongest ROAS.
There are some interesting data points here, though the parameters of the study make it impossible to establish a true like-for-like comparison in relative ad spend.
But the indications suggest that Reddit ads could deliver value and unique audience reach for gaming marketers.
