Reddit ads can work for B2B SaaS. They can also fail silently. You'll spend money. Nobody converts. You never figure out why.
The problem is that Reddit failures happen across multiple layers. It's not just "bad targeting" or "bad copy." It's usually three or four things breaking at once. You fix the targeting but miss the landing page friction. You fix the copy but use the wrong offer. You chase ghosts.
I've watched enough campaigns die to know where to look first.
The Targeting Trap
Reddit's audience tools are weaker than Google or LinkedIn. You get subreddits, interests, and keywords. That's it.
Most B2B teams pick subreddits that sound right and assume everyone there is a buyer. Wrong. A developer in r/programming might be there to learn, not solve a paid problem. A founder in r/Entrepreneur might be testing ideas, not ready to spend.
The fix: Start with subreddit rules and mod activity. Active moderators mean real communities. Inactive ones become spam zones. Check the top posts from the last month. If they're all memes or off-topic, leave.
Then test your keywords against recent posts. Search "product management" in r/startups, then read the top 20 discussions. Are people asking for solutions you sell? Or venting about problems that aren't yours to solve? This takes 15 minutes and saves you weeks of wasted spend.
The Messaging Disconnect
Reddit users hate ads that shout. They spot corporate speak in two seconds.
Your copy should sound like you're explaining to a friend why something works. Use specific numbers. Not "improve efficiency" - say "cut deployment time from 40 minutes to 6 minutes." Not "better UX" - say "removes four clicks from the signup flow."
Reddit crowds also care about the person behind the product. Founder stories work. Company origin stories work. Stock photos do not.
Landing Page Friction
This is where most conversions die and nobody notices.
Your Reddit ad promises speed. Your landing page has three form fields. Speed claim broken. Credibility gone.
Map what your ad promises to what the landing page asks for. If you're advertising to CTOs, the page should not ask for company size, employee count, and budget in a popup. It should let them explore first.
Check load time on mobile. Reddit is 60% mobile traffic for most B2B communities. A page that takes 4 seconds to load loses people. Test it yourself. Go slow on a 4G connection.
The Offer Structure
Your ad mentions "free trial." The landing page requires a phone call. Your prospect leaves.
Be honest about friction. If you need a call to qualify, say it in the ad. You'll get fewer clicks. You'll get better clicks.
If you offer a free tier, be clear about limits. If it's a trial, be clear about the terms. If it requires a credit card, say it upfront. Reddit users respect directness.
Finding Your Actual Problem
Instead of guessing why ads fail, run through this check: Do I know my conversion rate by subreddit? By keyword? By landing page variant? If you answered no to any of these, you're flying blind.
Track them separately. Run small budgets in isolated tests. Three weeks per test minimum. You need data, not hunches.
I built a diagnostic framework that covers these layers - targeting validation, message alignment, landing page friction points, and offer structure. It includes 15 specific checkpoints based on what actually kills conversions, plus real campaign analysis templates so you can apply it to your own ads.
The checklist is quick to run through. It saves you from repeating expensive mistakes.
If you're running Reddit ads for SaaS and they're not working, the answer exists somewhere in these layers. Find it systematically.
