Earlier this year, a Reddit user had asked members of a skincare-focused subreddit if anyone had tried a specific hypochlorous acid spray, a product often used for acne. There were dozens of responses; one from a user named Primary-Taro4254 seemed innocuous enough, at least at first.
“I haven’t personally tried [that brand] so I can’t fully compare, sorry,” they commented. “But I have been using a similar hypochlorous acid spray from Honeydew Labs and I’ve honestly really liked it.”
Primary-Taro4254 helpfully shared their experience using the spray to calm their skin’s redness and irritation, and even threw in some of Honeydew Labs’ credentials: “One thing I noticed when comparing products is that Honeydew Labs uses a 0.02% hypochlorous acid concentration and it’s also accepted by the National Eczema Association, which made me feel a bit more confident trying it on sensitive skin.”
But a closer look at Primary-Taro4254’s Reddit profile revealed that they apparently really, really liked the Honeydew Labs hypochlorous acid spray. It wasn’t just the one thread where they were praising the product — they had posted similar messages on threads about unrelated products as well as in other skincare-related subreddits. Was Primary-Taro4254 working for Honeydew Labs? Was it a marketing firm’s inartful promotional strategy? Was there a person behind it at all, or was it an automated spammer? Before long, a member of r/SkincareAddiction — a popular subreddit with more than 1 million weekly visitors — had caught on, telling others to “be aware of honeydew labs hypochlorous acid/ marketing bots.” Soon after, a moderator announced they had taken action on Primary-Taro4254 and would now automatically filter out Honeydew Labs posts for moderator review.
(Honeydew Labs didn’t respond to a request for comment. Primary-Taro4254 didn’t respond to a message sent via Reddit.)
It’s hard to overstate how central Reddit has become to how billions of people experience the web over the last several years. It has gone from a constellation of niche communities with a sometimes cantankerous user base to becoming perhaps the most urgently important website on the internet. First, users began adding “reddit” to the end of queries in order to wade through results littered with search engine optimization (SEO) junk, and in turn Google began linking to the site prominently. Now, Reddit has become significant to brands and marketers for another reason: AI chatbots love to cite it.
According to data compiled for The Verge by Semrush, an SEO company owned by Adobe, Reddit was the most-cited domain in May by AI tools ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Google’s Gemini and AI Mode — more than any news publisher, repositories of scholarly articles, and even Wikipedia. AI responses are also encroaching into the online shopping journey: Semrush also found that compared to a year ago, Google is inserting AI Overviews much more frequently into search queries with commercial intent, like when shoppers are doing research on products or comparing brands.
When web traffic is funneled through LLMs instead of a traditional search results page, as Google has been doing, being cited by a chatbot becomes ever more important. Now, a whole host of startups, brands, and agencies are coming to Reddit to try to promote their companies in hopes that they will get picked up by AI. In an effort to try to manipulate LLM responses and stuff AI search results with brand-friendly answers, marketers have descended upon Reddit, a pseudo-anonymous platform that users have come to associate with authenticity and unfiltered, truthful opinions.
They will have to get past the moderators first.
Before Maya Adivi became one of r/SkincareAddiction’s moderators, she was an active user, immediately drawn to the community’s attention to the science underpinning the beauty industry: Instead of general, simple questions like “What should I do for acne?”, users took a more rigorous approach, discussing and explaining new studies being published simply because they were passionate about the topic. Moderating for spam and promotional content has always been part of the job, Adivi says, but these days even a long, detailed breakdown of a study might be viewed with suspicion.
Years ago, moderators would look for certain telltale signs of spam or covert promotional content: a review that was a bit too glowing, product links with tracking tags, or before and after pictures that were the same as those included in product listings for the brand. AI search has changed how marketers attempt to game systems such that some SEO experts say that brands don’t even need a backlink anymore to effectively get their websites cited by a chatbot — merely a mention is enough. A suspected spammer might pose a question like “How does everyone keep track of their skincare routine?” that at first glance appears to be authentic engagement, but then a wave of comments will mention AI skincare apps, for example. Other posts might ask, “I keep seeing ads for this brand. What’s your experience with it?” Dubious spam responses might then follow a slightly self-deprecating format: “I thought this product would be too aggressive, but it was actually very gentle. Slow and steady wins the race!” Posts are often open-ended questions, mimicking how a user might prompt an AI chatbot.
“It’s a lot more subtle, but we’ve become more sophisticated as well,” Adivi says.
A brand secretly trying to promote itself becomes ‘persona non grata’
r/SkincareAddiction prohibits accounts affiliated with brands from posting in the subreddit — Adivi and other moderators will sometimes give a warning to accounts that violate the rule, but more often they will automatically ban brands and sock puppet accounts violating the rule.
A brand trying to promote itself secretly without being transparent can face consequences and be labeled as “persona non grata.” A marketing agency was recently caught targeting and “hijacking” r/SkincareAddiction to promote an unknown Korean beauty brand and improve its Google ranking. The Reddit thread used by the agency was removed, and the brand was added to the keyword filtering list. Moderators on Reddit are strict about allowing Ask Me Anything-style threads only if they benefit the community, not serve as a platform for promoting companies.
In the past, backlinks were crucial for SEO, but now with AEO (answer engine optimization) and GEO (generative engine optimization), marketers are experimenting with various strategies to improve their online presence. Reddit has become a popular platform for these efforts, despite the uncertainties surrounding AEO tactics.
Google, on the other hand, has strict rules against spam and manipulation of its search systems. They use AI to determine the quality of user-generated content on platforms like Reddit. Google does not give special preference to Reddit in its ranking system.
As Reddit gains more influence, unpaid volunteer moderators find themselves in a unique position where the communities they oversee are valuable not just to users but also to brands and companies seeking to profit from them. Advertisers and SEO professionals are adapting their tactics to align with AI search algorithms, leading to new challenges in navigating online visibility and attention.
Complaints about spam and promotional content related to LLM (large language models) are common on Reddit, with users questioning the authenticity of certain posts and comments. Reddit has implemented AI and LLMs to combat spam and fake behavior, blocking millions of spam views daily.
Brands have started creating their own subreddits to control the narrative and increase their presence on the platform. Reddit and Wikipedia have become essential for brands looking to engage with consumers in a more authentic and transparent manner.
In a world where consumers seek personalized answers and specific information, brands need to communicate clearly and honestly on platforms like Reddit. Simply making vague promises of offering the best product is no longer effective. Approximately 40% of discussions on Reddit are commercial in nature, highlighting the platform’s significance for shopping and brand engagement.
Ultimately, businesses need to focus on offering better prices, services, or quality, rather than trying to excel in all three areas simultaneously. Transparency and authenticity are key in navigating the evolving landscape of online marketing and engagement. Reddit should hold brands accountable for being honest and authentic in their interactions with users. The platform should not be a space for covert advertising disguised as genuine content. Moderators like Dan on r/loseit are actively working to filter out self-promotional spam and AI-generated posts that try to manipulate the community. Brands that try to push their products in a disingenuous way are quickly identified and removed from the subreddit.
The rise of AI search manipulation has made online audiences more skeptical of what they see, especially as traditional marketing tactics seep into platforms like Instagram and TikTok. Reddit was once seen as a trusted source of unbiased information, but even it is not immune to manipulative marketing practices. The recent Geese incident, where a marketing agency was behind a social media frenzy surrounding an indie rock band, sparked concerns about fake engagement and artificial promotion.
Moderators like Matty Monroe on r/indieheads have uncovered accounts belonging to indie record labels that were secretly promoting their own artists on the subreddit. This discovery led to the implementation of a label verification process to ensure transparency in promotional activities. Reddit users value the platform for its authenticity and reliability, and efforts to maintain that trust are crucial in preserving its integrity. Brands should strive to engage with users in a genuine and transparent manner, rather than resorting to deceptive marketing tactics. In the world of digital marketing, there is a constant battle between authenticity and artificiality. While bots and user-generated advertiser content may flood the online space, there are certain things that simply cannot be replicated. One such example is the experience of a sold-out stadium tour, where real bodies come together to enjoy live music.
Monroe, a prominent figure in the industry, emphasizes the importance of authenticity in music. He believes that genuine connections with listeners cannot be manufactured or manipulated through astroturfing or other deceptive marketing tactics. True emotional resonance with music comes from genuine artistry and passion, not from artificial promotion.
On the flip side, the rise of stealth marketing campaigns has created a dilemma for both brands and consumers. Adivi, a moderator on r/SkincareAddiction, points out that smaller brands often resort to shady marketing practices to compete with larger, more established companies. While skincare subreddits have helped boost the popularity of lesser-known brands, increased moderation has made it challenging for new brands to gain traction organically.
As a result, consumers like Adivi have become more skeptical of smaller brands, despite their desire to support independent businesses. The evolving landscape of digital marketing has blurred the lines between authenticity and manipulation, making it difficult for consumers to discern genuine products and services from deceptive ones.
In conclusion, the digital marketing industry is at a crossroads, where the quest for authenticity clashes with the allure of artificial promotion. As consumers become more discerning and platforms tighten their moderation policies, the future of marketing lies in striking a balance between genuine engagement and strategic promotion. Only time will tell how brands navigate this shifting landscape and earn the trust of their audience in an increasingly digital world.
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