What Happens When You Use Customer Interview Language in Reddit Ads (Research-Backed)

I was wondering whether customer interview transcripts could actually help with Reddit advertising specifically. Reddit has this reputation for being hostile to ads, so I wanted to understand: does authentic customer language actually perform better, or is that just marketing folklore?

After digging through case studies, research on voice-of-customer copywriting, and Reddit's own advertising insights, I found something compelling. The same customer language principles that improve Google Ads and Microsoft Ads also drive Reddit performance.

The Reddit Authenticity Problem

Here's what I learned about why Reddit is different from other advertising platforms:

According to multiple marketing resources I found, Reddit users can spot inauthenticity immediately. The platform's community-driven culture means users are there for genuine discussions, not to be marketed to. (Source: Reddit marketing research)

But here's the interesting part: Reddit ads can actually achieve 0.5% click-through rates—5x higher than industry averages—when done right. (Source: Brafton Reddit case study)

The question is: what makes an ad "done right" on Reddit?

What the Case Studies Show

I found several real case studies that demonstrate what works:

Contiki Travel: 305% Return on Ad Spend

Contiki targeted Gen Z travelers using user-generated content showcasing real Redditors' experiences rather than polished marketing materials. Results:

305% return on ad spend
11% higher click-through rate
8% drop in cost per click

The key? They used language and content that felt native to Reddit's travel communities. (Source: Brafton case study)

Siemens: Employee AMA Campaign

Siemens ran a promoted AMA (Ask Me Anything) featuring employees discussing their actual jobs. Instead of corporate marketing speak, they let employees talk naturally about infrastructure, rail transport, and health tech work. Results:

46% higher CTR than German benchmark
24% more efficient cost per click

Again, authentic voices speaking naturally outperformed traditional advertising copy. (Source: Britopian Reddit case studies)

B2B SaaS: 6x ROI with Customer Language

One B2B SaaS company tested their standard marketing copy against language pulled directly from customer conversations. The customer-language ads:

Boosted ROI by 6x
Reduced cost per lead by 63%

(Source: InterTeam Marketing case study)

The Voice-of-Customer Copywriting Research

I also found research specifically on using customer interviews for advertising copy. This is where it gets really interesting.

The 1.45% to 6.59% Engagement Jump

Copyhackers documented a case where a client:

Conducted 10 customer interviews
Paid attention to the exact language interviewees used
Tested current ads vs. ads using customer language

Result: Ad engagement jumped from 1.45% to 6.59%—a 354% improvement.

The researcher noted: "Better customer interviews lead to stronger copy, more sales or opt-ins or interest in your offer." Learn more about expert interview techniques and proper transcription practices for best results. (Source: Copyhackers customer interview research)

Why Customer Interview Language Works

According to multiple copywriting research sources I reviewed, customer interviews provide:

Detailed descriptions of struggles and motivations - Customers naturally describe their problems in vivid, specific terms that resonate with others facing the same issues.

Obstacles to purchase - Understanding what makes customers hesitate helps address objections upfront in ad copy.

Messaging hierarchy - Interviews reveal which benefits matter most, not which benefits you think should matter.

"Sticky language" - Memorable phrases customers use that can be turned directly into compelling headlines.

(Source: CrazyEgg customer research guide)

One copywriting consultant noted that customer interviews "yield very detailed insights and great Voice of Customer data" that surveys simply can't capture because surveys limit responses to predefined options. (Source: Annie Maguire customer research tools)

What Makes Reddit Different: Why Authenticity Matters More

Based on my research, here's what makes Reddit advertising unique:

Community-Driven Culture

Reddit's format encourages authentic engagement. Users are accustomed to reading real people's experiences, questions, and opinions—not corporate messaging. Marketing materials that read like advertisements get downvoted or called out in comments.

The BS Detector

Multiple sources emphasized that "Reddit users value authenticity and transparency" and can immediately identify when brands try to manufacture casualness or fake relatability. (Source: Reddit advertising best practices)

What Actually Works

The research consistently pointed to several principles:

"Speak the language" - Ads should use the vocabulary and tone that's natural to the subreddit community you're targeting.

"Follow the rules" - Understanding community norms matters more on Reddit than other platforms.

"Offer genuine value" - Reddit users expect ads to be useful or informative, not just promotional.

(Source: How to use Reddit for marketing)

How Customer Interviews Connect to Reddit Success

Here's where customer interviews become particularly valuable for Reddit advertising:

Customers naturally speak like Redditors. When you interview customers, they're not performing for marketing materials. They use casual language, specific examples, and genuine emotion—exactly what works on Reddit.

Interviews capture specific frustrations. Reddit users respond to specificity. "Stop wasting 3 hours every Friday on manual reports" outperforms "Increase productivity" because it sounds real.

You get authentic comparisons. When customers mention "We tried 4 other tools first," that's Reddit gold. Users trust peer experiences over vendor claims.

The Extraction Framework I Found

Based on the copywriting research, here's what to look for in customer interview transcripts for Reddit ads:

Emotional Language Patterns

Look for moments when customers express:

Frustration ("This drives me crazy")
Relief ("Finally, something that just works")
Surprise ("I didn't expect it to be this simple")
Skepticism turned belief ("I was doubtful at first, but...")

These emotional markers indicate authentic language that will resonate with others facing similar challenges.

Specific Details

Reddit users trust specifics over generalities. Search transcripts for:

Numbers ("saved us 20 hours a week")
Timeframes ("went from 3 days to same-day")
Comparisons ("tried 4 other solutions first")
Concrete examples ("our Q4 spike," "Monday morning meetings")

Casual, Conversational Tone

Customer interviews capture how people actually talk. Look for:

Conversational phrases ("honestly," "to be fair," "the thing is")
Relatable situations ("everyone knows the feeling when...")
Natural analogies customers create
The way they describe problems to peers, not to executives

Practical Application: Mining Your Transcripts

Based on the research, here's a systematic approach:

Step 1: Identify Pain Points

Read through transcripts looking for complaints or problems mentioned. The Copyhackers research emphasized asking customers "how they feel" rather than just what features they want, because emotional responses contain the most useful language for copywriting.

Step 2: Extract Exact Phrases

When customers use memorable phrases, capture them verbatim. The research showed that customer language often performs better than "polished" marketing copy because it sounds genuine.

Step 3: Test Customer Language vs. Marketing Language

The 354% engagement improvement case study specifically tested:

Original: Standard marketing copy
Test version: Language from customer interviews

The customer-language version won dramatically. Your transcripts likely contain similar gold.

Step 4: Match Tone to Subreddit Culture

Different subreddits have different tones. Technical subreddits might use industry jargon that casual communities avoid. Your customer interviews will show you different language patterns for different audience segments.

What the Research Doesn't Support

It's also important to note what I didn't find evidence for:

Overpromising: The case studies that succeeded used credible, specific claims. Hyperbolic promises ("This will change your life!") weren't part of successful campaigns.

Fake casualness: Trying to "sound like Reddit" without genuine customer insights backfires. The platform rewards authentic language, not manufactured relatability.

Generic benefits: "Increase productivity" and similar vague claims underperformed specific, customer-sourced language in every case study I reviewed.

The Data-Backed Recommendation

Based on the research I found, here's what appears to work:

Conduct customer interviews specifically listening for language patterns, pain points, and emotional responses
Extract specific phrases that customers use when describing problems and solutions
Test customer language in Reddit ads against your current copy
Monitor community response through comments and engagement metrics
Iterate based on performance - the case studies showed continuous improvement through testing

The Copyhackers research summed it up: "Effective copywriting is a science—one that needs to be backed with customer insights." (Source: Copyhackers)

What This Means for Your Interview Transcripts

Before you can mine interview transcripts for ad copy, you need accurate transcripts to work with. Many marketers search for "best ai transcription reddit" to find recommendations from other professionals who've tested various services. The consensus points to tools offering 95%+ accuracy with speaker identification, since distinguishing between interviewer and customer responses is critical for extracting usable quotes with AI.

If you're already conducting customer interviews for product development or research, those same transcripts contain advertising insights:

Pain point language - How customers describe their problems in their own words

Outcome descriptions - The specific results they care about, not what you think they should care about

Trust signals - What makes them skeptical and what earns credibility

Comparison frameworks - How they evaluated alternatives and what mattered in their decision

According to the research, these insights translate directly into ad copy that outperforms standard marketing language—especially on platforms like Reddit where authenticity is the currency.

Testing Your Own Hypothesis

The research is compelling, but the only way to know if customer interview language works for your Reddit ads is to test it.

Baseline: Run your current ad copy and measure CTR, CPC, and conversion rate

Test: Create variations using specific phrases from customer interviews

Compare: After sufficient data (industry standard is typically 100+ clicks per variation), analyze which language resonated

Scale: Apply winning patterns across campaigns

The case study where engagement jumped 354% started with just 10 customer interviews. That's a manageable research project to see if this approach works for your business.

Where to Learn More

If you want to dig deeper into the research I found:

Reddit Advertising Case Studies:

Brafton's Reddit Ads Case Study (Contiki example)
Britopian's Reddit Case Studies (Siemens AMA)
InterTeam Marketing B2B SaaS Case Study

Customer Interview Research:

Copyhackers: Customer Interview ROI (354% engagement improvement case)
CrazyEgg: Customer Interview Guide
Annie Maguire: Customer Research Tools for Copywriting

Reddit Marketing Best Practices:

Promodo: Reddit Ads Guide 2025
Copy.ai: How to Use Reddit for Marketing

The Bottom Line

After reviewing the available research and case studies, the evidence suggests that customer interview language genuinely outperforms traditional marketing copy on Reddit—sometimes dramatically.

The mechanism appears to be authenticity: customer interviews capture how people naturally talk about problems, which aligns with Reddit's community culture where authentic voices are rewarded and corporate-speak is rejected.

Your interview transcripts aren't just product development insights. They're also a library of tested language patterns that resonate with real people facing real problems—exactly what Reddit advertising requires to succeed.

Whether this works for your specific business depends on testing, but the case study data is compelling enough to warrant the experiment.