Astroturfing
Black hat. Against platform rules or the law. Risks bans, fines and your reputation.
What is astroturfing?
Astroturfing is creating the false impression of independent, grassroots support for a product, company or idea. The brand, or people it pays, posts recommendations, reviews or comments while pretending to be unconnected customers. The name is a play on AstroTurf, a brand of artificial grass.
Common forms include sockpuppet accounts recommending a product on Reddit, paid posters who do not disclose the relationship, and coordinated fake reviews.
Why astroturfing matters
Communities are good at spotting it and react badly when they do. Honest participation, disclosed partnerships and real customers speaking for you build the trust that astroturfing only imitates.
Risks of astroturfing
- Permanent bans of the accounts involved on Reddit and other platforms.
- Public exposure, which tends to do far more harm than the campaign helped.
- Regulatory action, since undisclosed paid endorsements and fake reviews are illegal in many countries.
How to spot astroturfing
- New or low-karma accounts that only ever mention one product.
- Several accounts using similar wording, often within a short time.
- Recommendations that answer questions nobody asked, or that read like ad copy.
- Post histories that are empty, deleted or recently reactivated.
- A sudden burst of praise right after a launch or a wave of criticism.
Related marketing terms
SockpuppetBlack hat
A sockpuppet is a fake online identity used to praise, defend or vote for oneself or a brand while pretending to be someone else.
Fake reviewsBlack hat
Fake reviews are reviews that do not reflect a real customer’s honest experience: written by the business, paid for, or posted to attack rivals.
Vote manipulationBlack hat
Vote manipulation is artificially changing votes on a post, by buying upvotes, using multiple accounts or asking groups to vote together.
Reddit marketingWhite hat
Reddit marketing is reaching customers on Reddit by joining relevant subreddits, helping in discussions, and posting or advertising within the rules.
FTC disclosureWhite hat
FTC disclosure is the US rule that creators must clearly say when they have a paid or material connection with a brand they promote.
Self-promotionGrey hat
Self-promotion in communities is posting about your own product. Many communities limit or ban it, so check each one’s rules first.