The past two years has proved tough for Reddit, especially as controlling communities using the site has been difficult. While that still remains a significant issue for the front page of the internet, Reddit has an intriguing new feature that it's rolling out. Designed to increase the amount of advertising revenue the company makes, Reddit will soon allow brands to sponsor the posts of regular Reddit users. 

This new ad programme is set to go live from 4 August, with CEO Steve Huffman confirming the news via an interview with Ad Age. While the finer details of the programme have not been fully revealed, it's understood that brand's marketing department can search for content on Reddit that matches their specific target audience. 

In an example used by The Verge, Taco Bell could sponsor a post featuring an image of a giant Crunchwrap Supreme. From there, Reddit says it would work with the brand to feature said sponsored post on more areas of the Reddit site.   

More importantly though, the new ad programme will require the consent of Redditors in order for sponsorships to occur. If users accept a brand's sponsorship, they'll receive a lifetime subscription to Reddit Gold. In an interesting twist, one of Reddit Gold's premium services allows users to block any ads showing up on their page. 

Whether or not Redditors will respond positively to this new initiative remains to be seen.