In a world dominated by Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and TikTok, it’s easy to drink the Kool-Aid and stick with what’s familiar. But are these platforms the right fit for your goals and campaign objectives? More importantly, are they where your target audience spends their time? Understanding who you’re trying to reach and what you want to achieve will shape your strategy and messaging. Expanding to niche platforms could unlock fresh engagement and new opportunities for connection.
Now, let’s explore three alternative platforms that might be the perfect addition to your advertising mix: Reddit, Snapchat and X. Each offers unique advantages and a dedicated audience that can help you maximize your ad performance.
Reddit Unfiltered: Authentic Ads, Real Conversations
Reddit is a unique social platform where users engage in conversations and share content in specific, interest-based communities called subreddits. With its informal tone and active, passionate user base, Reddit offers brands the opportunity to connect authentically with niche audiences.
Who’s Hanging Out on Reddit?
As of January 2025, Reddit records approximately 1.21 billion monthly active users (MAUs) globally. In the United States alone, Reddit has 27 million MAUs. Reddit’s demographic is diverse, with the majority of users between the ages of 18–34 (41%) and 35–54 (36%). There’s also a solid group of users 55+ (23%), giving you a wide range of potential customers to target.
The Reddit Secret: It’s All About Trust
Reddit users are more likely to trust a brand they’ve seen advertised on the platform—46% of them, in fact. With 23 billion search-driven clicks each year, Reddit is a prime place to build credibility and connect with an engaged audience.
Find Your People—No Matter What You’re Selling
Reddit is home to communities for just about everything. Whether you’re in retail, technology or HVAC, there’s a subreddit for your niche, making targeting super specific and effective.
Reddit’s advertising platform allows you to target specific subreddits, enabling you to reach users who are active in particular communities. This means your ads can appear to users browsing Reddit even if they are not currently in the targeted subreddit. By leveraging subreddit-specific targeting, you can effectively engage with communities that align with your brand’s offerings, ensuring your ads reach a relevant and interested audience.
Advertising That Feels Right at Home
Reddit’s ad placements blend smoothly into user feeds, appearing directly beneath posts and above comment sections. With an audience that appreciates authentic and unpolished content, you don’t need a polished ad campaign—just a real message. A simple static image and compelling copy are often enough to resonate with Reddit’s engaged users, making entry into advertising on the platform relatively easy.
Pro Tip for Reddit Success
Start small with your budget and experiment! Reddit’s community-driven nature means what resonates with users can vary widely. Test different ad formats and target specific subreddits to find the best approach. Once you’ve identified what clicks, you can scale your efforts for maximum impact.
Is Snapchat Your Next Advertising Playground?
Snapchat isn’t just for sending quick snaps to friends anymore—it’s an ideal platform for advertisers looking to engage a young, active audience with creative, immersive ads. Whether you’re reaching Gen Z with real-time, conversational content or experimenting with interactive features, Snapchat offers a wealth of opportunities for engagement.
Who’s Hanging Out on Snapchat?
Snapchat has 453 million daily active users who engage with the platform every day. The majority of its audience falls between the ages of 18–34, making it a prime space to connect with Gen Z and younger millennials. With over 75% of users under 34, brands have the opportunity to engage with a highly active audience that craves fresh, interactive content.
Ad Placements: Get Creative with Your Approach
Snapchat ads are designed to smoothly integrate into the app’s user experience, appearing in Stories, Discover or between friends’ snaps. From vertical video ads to AR lenses and interactive filters, Snapchat is an interactive and engaging space to get your message across.
Find Your People
Snapchat is a powerful platform for brands looking to engage a young, tech-savvy audience. Retailers and e-commerce brands can showcase products with creative, interactive ads. Beauty and fashion brands can leverage Snapchat’s visual appeal to highlight trends and tutorials. Technology and entertainment brands can take advantage of Snapchat’s dynamic features to connect with users in fresh, engaging ways. With its interactive tools and highly engaged audience, Snapchat is an ideal space to build brand awareness and drive sales.
Pro Tip for Snapchat Ads
To see what resonates with your target audience, test your ads with a small budget before going all in. Use Snapchat’s interactive features—like Snapchat Lens ads and filters—to drive engagement and measure how your audience interacts with your content. Collaborating with influencers and running targeted ad campaigns are also great go-to strategies; however, starting small allows you to refine your strategy and maximize engagement before scaling up.
The Surprising Relevance of X for Today’s Marketers
Who’s Using X?
As of early 2025, X is estimated to have around 650 million monthly active users, with daily active users ranging between 240–300 million, according to current data and projections.
X’s most active users are in the 25–34 and 18–24 age groups, making it an excellent platform for reaching younger, tech-savvy audiences. X is a great tool for staying on top of what’s happening in pop culture, sports and politics.
Ad Formats and Targeting: Keep It Native and Engaging
Much like Reddit and Snapchat, X’s ad formats are designed to blend seamlessly into the user experience. From native tweet ads to video content and carousel ads, the possibilities are vast. With targeting based on interests, location and behaviors, X allows you to fine-tune your campaigns for maximum relevance and engagement.
Find Your People
X is a prime platform for industries like e-commerce, retail, technology, healthcare and financial services to engage with a dynamic, real-time audience. E-commerce and retail brands can capitalize on trending hashtags and real-time conversations to promote flash sales and product launches. Tech companies can leverage updates and product announcements, while healthcare and financial services can share industry insights and advice to build trust. Ads on X blend seamlessly into user feeds, offering a conversational, timely approach that resonates with today’s fast-paced, trend-driven audience.
Pro Tip for Advertising on X
Make your content effective by crafting posts that feel natural within the platform’s conversations rather than interrupting them. Use trending topics strategically to enhance visibility, but ensure your content adds value. Stay true to your brand voice—overly polished or promotional messages can feel out of place. And remember, quality beats quantity—post with purpose to maintain engagement without overwhelming your audience.
Beyond the Feed: New Platforms, New Possibilities
While Reddit, X and Snapchat may not have the same popularity as Facebook or Instagram, they offer unique opportunities for engagement that could breathe new life into your campaigns. Remember: Testing, tweaking and measuring performance are key to understanding what works best for your brand. Always keep your goals in mind as you explore new avenues for reaching your audience.
Need help navigating these platforms and incorporating them into your ad strategy?
EVR Advertising is here to guide you every step of the way—contact us for expert advice and tailored strategies to maximize your success.
