At Statuz, we help creators and businesses manage their social media presence more effectively. As part of our commitment to transparency and helping others make informed decisions, we recently ran a week-long campaign on Reddit's advertising platform. What we discovered was shocking - and we have concrete data to prove it.

The Claims vs. Reality

Reddit's advertising dashboard showing suspiciously high engagement metrics. Note the reported 161 clicks and nearly 27,000 impressions for a relatively small spend.

According to Reddit's advertising dashboard, our campaign achieved:

• 26,857 impressions
• 160 clicks
• $0.57 CPC (Cost per Click)
• 0.596% CTR (Click-Through Rate)
• Total spend: $91.95

These numbers looked promising at first glance. However, our first-party analytics told a completely different story.

The Truth in the Data

UserPath's analytics dashboard showing the real picture: only 93 new users total across ALL traffic sources during the same period, with significantly lower engagement metrics. Note that this includes ALL traffic sources, not just Reddit ads, making the discrepancy even more concerning.

Using UserPath, a privacy-focused analytics tool with first-party integration capabilities and AI-powered insights, we tracked the actual user engagement from Reddit ads. Here's what we found:

Let's break down what our AI-powered analytics revealed:

• Only 43 unique users visited our site from Reddit ads since August 5th
• These users generated approximately 80 sessions across all tracked URLs
• Most traffic landed on our main marketing page, but with suspiciously repetitive patterns:
  • 28 visits came from just 3 unique users
  • Other landing pages received 7-9 visits each, but almost always from just 1 unique user

You can check the full chat with AI here for more details.

The Technical Implementation

To ensure our tracking was bulletproof, we implemented a comprehensive tracking solution using UserPath's first-party integration. This included both client-side tracking through their privacy-focused browser pixel and server-side tracking via their API integration. By utilizing UserPath's dual-tracking approach, we ensured that no legitimate user interactions were missed, even in cases where users might be using ad blockers or privacy-focused browsers. The first-party integration was particularly crucial as it allowed us to collect analytics data through our own domain, making it immune to common tracking preventions while maintaining user privacy.

The Smoking Gun

The most damning evidence comes from our conversion tracking:

1. Zero Downloads: Despite Reddit reporting 160 clicks, not a single user who came through the Reddit ads downloaded our application.

2. Bot-Like Behavior: The traffic patterns showed clear signs of automated behavior:

   • Multiple visits from the same user in rapid succession
   • No meaningful engagement (scrolling, video plays, or other interactions)
   • High bounce rates with minimal time on page

3. Discrepancy in Numbers: Reddit claims 160 clicks, but our first-party analytics only detected 43 unique users. That's a 73% discrepancy!

Why Our Data is Reliable

Our analytics setup using UserPath ensures we're getting accurate, unfiltered data:

1. First-Party Integration: Our analytics runs through our own domain, making it immune to ad blockers and privacy browsers.

2. Server-Side Validation: We track events both client-side and server-side, ensuring we don't miss any real user interactions.

3. Comprehensive Event Tracking: UserPath automatically tracks:

   • Page views and navigation
   • Click interactions
   • Scroll depth
   • Form submissions
   • Video interactions
   • User activity patterns
   • Performance metrics

The Implications

This discovery raises serious concerns about Reddit's advertising platform:

1. Inflated Metrics: Reddit appears to be significantly inflating their click numbers, charging advertisers for non-existent or low-quality traffic.

2. Poor ROI: With zero conversions and mostly bot-like traffic, the actual cost per real user engagement is much higher than reported.

3. Lack of Transparency: There's no way to verify Reddit's reported numbers through their platform, making it difficult for advertisers to detect these discrepancies without proper third-party tracking.

Recommendations for Advertisers

If you're considering advertising on Reddit, we strongly recommend:

1. Implement Proper Analytics: Use a reliable first-party analytics solution like UserPath to track actual user engagement.

2. Monitor Traffic Patterns: Look for signs of bot activity and unusual user behavior patterns.

3. Track Real Conversions: Don't rely solely on platform metrics - implement your own conversion tracking.

4. Start Small: Test with a minimal budget before committing to larger campaigns.

Conclusion

Based on our experience and concrete data, we cannot recommend Reddit's advertising platform. The significant discrepancy between reported and actual engagement metrics suggests serious issues with their advertising system. We've decided to discontinue our Reddit advertising efforts and are sharing this data to help other businesses make informed decisions about their advertising spend.

Remember, in the world of digital advertising, first-party analytics are your best friend for uncovering the truth behind platform-reported metrics.