Celebrate National Small Business Week with new creative resources

To make your ads Reddit-ready without stretching your team or budget, you don’t need to exhaust your creative resources or create entirely new ads to win. Here are tips to help you make simple tweaks to your existing creative by using slightly different copy, headlines and creative.

Reddit’s Tips for Small Businesses this NSBW

We’ve got six tips for small businesses during small business week. If you’re looking to activate Reddit’s engaged communities, these guidelines will help you do it without breaking the bank.

1. Communicate your brand’s vision and value proposition 

Redditors love to be entertained. This NSBW, we want to remind you to entertain them. Tweak your ads to make them entertaining, but tell the viewer what you're selling, how to get it, and why. 

Enhance your value proposition or highlight any special offers or promotions in your headline copy or creative asset—most Redditors love special deals! 

Let’s turn this Gym Brand’s existing ad Reddit-ready: 

• Remove the emoji’s 
• Use messaging that highlights what your business offers without a bunch of extra words
• Evaluate your image, if it doesn’t add value, use a text ad instead
• This Gym Brand could’ve made their call-to-action stronger with a promo code

2. Don't be too formal

When people connect on Reddit, they speak to other Redditors using honest, direct, but (typically) friendly language. The same goes for brands on Reddit. This small business week, we’re helping you switch up your ads by making some edits and speak to Redditors like you'd speak to a knowledgeable friend — with an authentic and conversational tone that rings true to your brand.

Here’s what we would do to make Photo Brand’s ad Reddit-ready: 

• Show Redditors you know Reddit by referencing a subreddit community
• Tweak your messaging to a friendlier tone
• Make your discount offer more visible  
• Use an image that is more authentic

3. Tweak copy to include humor or cultural references

Humor can be a great ice breaker, especially if you're trying to start a conversation or attract attention on Reddit. A well-timed, well-executed joke — particularly at your brand's expense — can win you points literally and figuratively. If you want to tell a longer story or show off more products, a carousel post will allow you to showcase several images in a single ad. 

Here’s a more Reddit-ready ad for this Subscription Brand: 

• Use humor in your headline. Redditors love to laugh! 
• Remove emojis 
• Consider a carousel post vs. static image to show off more products 
• Include your brand name and a special offer

4. Reddit like a Redditor this National Small Business Week

Redditors appreciate when brands get to know our platform and our communities. Demonstrate your knowledge of Reddit with callouts to specific subreddits, users, or themes. 

Redditors love recognition (especially karma) — so acknowledge them with words, imagery, and nods to the platform.

Here’s how we would launch Back Pack brand’s new product: 

• Show Redditors you know Reddit by referencing a subreddit community
• Use messaging that tells what you are offering and why they should by 
• Include your brand name in your headline and image
• If appropriate, use a cultural reference that is widely known

5. Experiment with longer headlines but don’t over do it

Unlike other platforms, Redditors love to read but headlines over 150 characters may make it more difficult to achieve a memorable campaign and result in a less efficient campaign. 

It’s best to strategically pair shorter headlines with engaging creative assets to tell the full story. Avoid writing in title case where every word is capitalized, or overloading your headline with emojis. Finally, consider using your brand name in the headline. 

If you are a service company like a financial institution or insurance company, think beyond the corporate norms.

• Use messaging that humanize your brand
• Include your brand name in the headline and a call to action
• Highlight what sets your company apart
• Use imagery makes you look less corporate-y

6. Strike a balance of copy and creative

Leverage the powerful combination of copy and assets to reinforce your message and bring it home with an image or video that complements your call to action. If it complements your brand, try using imagery or video that is light-hearted and humorous.  

Compared to other platforms, Redditors love seeing brands on Reddit. So don't be shy, display your logo in the creative asset. You’ll also want to show how products work and showing them being consumed, highlight your brand/product creatively and a detailed story with text overlays will make your ad valuable. 

Here’s how this beauty brand used our NSWB tips to spin their existing ad: 

• Tell Redditors what you are selling and why they should by
• Highlight your brand name in the headline 
• Include a reference to a cultural norm 
• Use authentic imagery or video

Ask yourself these questions to determine whether you’re Reddit-ready…

1. Does my ad communicate a clear and immediate value proposition?
2. Does it mention my brand by name or show my logo?
3. Does my headline work in harmony with the creative asset?
4. Does my creative asset match my headline's tone and messaging?
5. Does my headline sound like something I could say aloud in conversation?

If you answered yes to these questions, it’s time to celebrate! We’re excited to celebrate all of the small wins that make a big impact to your brand this National Small Business Week. 

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