Across the globe, social media giant Reddit sees more than 52 million daily active users across upwards of 100,000 communities. This month Reddit officially took the plunge into the Southern Hemisphere, opening the doors of their Australian business based in Sydney’s Barangaroo. The Australian launch comes after market entries in Canada in March 2021 and the United Kingdom in September 2020.
Mediaweek spoke to Reddit’s EVP and president global advertising, Harold Klaje, about why they launched down under, and what Australians are up to on Reddit.
What was it about Australia that made Reddit want to launch in the country?
“Australia is home to Reddit’s fourth largest user base and has enjoyed steady organic user growth for several years now, so it’s always been a priority market in our wider internationalization strategy and the obvious choice for our latest expansion. Reddit users in Australia are so active and engaged, and from an advertising perspective we already have several clients globally that are targeting Australian users, so this launch is about building upon this already strong momentum with dedicated teams and resources on the ground – there is a lot of potential in Australia, and we’re looking forward to tapping into it.”
What makes Australian Reddit users stand out from other regions?
“Australians come to Reddit for just about everything, and while local user activity tends to mimic global trends with gaming, crypto and entertainment among the most popular interest groups, there is always a clear local twist. For example, r/ausfinance and r/asx_bets are some of this year’s fastest growing communities among Australian users. Australian users on Reddit are also extremely engaged – they spend an average of 31 minutes a day on the platform, which is more than they do on Snapchat, Twitter and Instagram, and they contribute around 158 million posts, comments and upvotes every month. Our Aussie users are very active!”
What sort of opportunities does Reddit have for brands?
“Globally, the number one reason people come to Reddit is to be informed by passionate communities they trust – these users are actively seeking out information, advice and recommendations, rather than aimlessly scrolling through a feed. This makes for a highly active mindset and coupled with the inherent environment of trust and authenticity found on Reddit – because people are connected by passions and interests, not simply demographics – brings an immense opportunity for brands.
“We know that people are more comfortable expressing themselves and opening up about a particular subject on Reddit, because they don’t have their friends and family watching in a way that they would on other social media platforms. As a result, the advice and recommendations exchanged on Reddit are even more meaningful and authentic, because people have no reason to be anything other than honest. There is a huge opportunity for brands to be part of these authentic exchanges, to add value to the conversations and build trust and loyalty with users. We see it happen every day on the platform and are looking forward to giving more Australian brands the opportunity to be part of the power of community.”
What are you hoping the future of Reddit will look like in Australia?
“For now, we are focussed on building out our Australian user base through more local communities with local context and scaling our ads business to help more Australian brands find their home on Reddit. This launch is the first step in our ongoing commitment to the region and we’re looking forward to growing our presence and demonstrating the power and impact of online community with the Australian market. In the longer term, I hope Reddit continues to grow and be a place of vibrant communities in Australia.”