David Marx

Artificial Popularity

5 min read

Artificial Popularity in Astroturfing Campaigns

Artificial popularity is a tactic used in astroturfing campaigns to create the illusion of widespread support or opposition to a particular issue, policy, or political candidate. By manipulating online metrics and engaging in deceptive practices, organizations can make their campaigns appear more popular and credible than they actually are. The Koch brothers and their network of organizations effectively used these tactics to amplify their messages and influence public opinion. Here’s an in-depth look at how they achieved artificial popularity and its implications:

Key Tactics for Creating Artificial Popularity

  1. Using Bots and Fake Accounts

    • Strategy: Deploy automated accounts (bots) and fake profiles to artificially inflate engagement metrics such as likes, shares, comments, and followers.
    • Tactics:
      • Automated Posting: Use bots to post and share content at regular intervals, ensuring constant activity and visibility.
      • Fake Followers: Create or purchase fake accounts to follow campaign profiles, boosting their follower count and perceived popularity.
      • Engagement Bots: Deploy bots to like, share, and comment on posts, creating the illusion of active engagement and support.

  2. Buying Followers and Likes

    • Strategy: Purchase followers, likes, and other engagement metrics from online services to enhance the appearance of popularity.
    • Tactics:
      • Bulk Purchases: Use services that sell large numbers of followers or likes for social media platforms like Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.
      • Targeted Buying: Purchase engagement specifically for posts or accounts that are strategically important to the campaign.

  3. Astroturfing Comments and Discussions

    • Strategy: Use fake accounts and paid commenters to populate comment sections and online forums with supportive messages.
    • Tactics:
      • Scripted Comments: Provide paid commenters with scripts and talking points to use when engaging in discussions.
      • Forum Infiltration: Join online forums and discussion groups using fake profiles to steer conversations and promote the campaign’s message.

  4. Orchestrating Coordinated Campaigns

    • Strategy: Plan and execute coordinated efforts to flood social media with campaign messages, creating a spike in activity that suggests a groundswell of support.
    • Tactics:
      • Social Media Blitzes: Organize specific times for supporters (real and fake) to post and share campaign content, creating a surge in visibility.
      • Hashtag Hijacking: Use or create trending hashtags to insert the campaign’s message into broader conversations.

  5. Leveraging Influencers and Sponsored Content

    • Strategy: Partner with social media influencers to promote the campaign’s message, leveraging their existing popularity and reach.
    • Tactics:
      • Paid Promotions: Pay influencers to create posts and share content that aligns with the campaign’s goals.
      • Collaborative Content: Work with influencers to produce joint content, such as videos or live streams, to increase credibility and reach.

  6. Utilizing Social Media Algorithms

    • Strategy: Exploit social media algorithms to boost the visibility of campaign content.
    • Tactics:
      • Engagement Baiting: Create posts that encourage likes, shares, comments, and other interactions to trigger algorithmic boosts.
      • Consistent Posting: Maintain a high frequency of posts to stay relevant in news feeds and recommended content sections.

Case Study: Americans for Prosperity (AFP) and Artificial Popularity

Context:

  • Americans for Prosperity (AFP), funded by the Koch brothers, used artificial popularity tactics to oppose the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and other key policy issues.

Strategies Used:

  1. Using Bots and Fake Accounts:

    • Execution: AFP employed bots to share anti-ACA content and engage with real users, creating a continuous stream of activity.
    • Outcome: This made their message appear more popular and widely supported than it may have been organically.

  2. Buying Followers and Likes:

    • Execution: AFP likely used services to purchase followers and likes for their social media profiles and key posts.
    • Outcome: Increased follower counts and engagement metrics enhanced the perceived legitimacy and reach of their message.

  3. Astroturfing Comments and Discussions:

    • Execution: Paid commenters and fake accounts were used to flood comment sections with anti-ACA rhetoric, reinforcing the campaign’s narrative.
    • Outcome: This created the illusion of a widespread grassroots backlash against the ACA.

  4. Orchestrating Coordinated Campaigns:

    • Execution: AFP organized social media blitzes where supporters (real and fake) posted and shared content simultaneously.
    • Outcome: These coordinated efforts resulted in trending topics and increased visibility for their campaign.

  5. Leveraging Influencers and Sponsored Content:

    • Execution: AFP partnered with conservative influencers to promote their message and increase its reach.
    • Outcome: Influencer endorsements added credibility to the campaign and expanded its audience.

  6. Utilizing Social Media Algorithms:

    • Execution: AFP created engaging posts designed to trigger social media algorithms and boost visibility.
    • Outcome: This ensured that their content appeared more frequently in users’ feeds and recommended sections.

Impact of Artificial Popularity

  1. Perception of Legitimacy

    • Enhanced Credibility: High follower counts and engagement metrics made the campaign appear more legitimate and credible.
    • Broad Appeal: The illusion of widespread support helped attract real supporters who might be influenced by the perceived popularity.

  2. Influence on Public Opinion

    • Social Proof: People are more likely to support causes that they believe have broad support, a phenomenon known as social proof.
    • Narrative Control: Artificial popularity helped control the narrative around key issues, making it more difficult for opposing viewpoints to gain traction.

  3. Media and Political Impact

    • Media Coverage: Journalists and media outlets often use social media metrics as a measure of public interest, leading to increased coverage of artificially popular campaigns.
    • Political Pressure: Policymakers are more likely to respond to issues that appear to have significant public support, influencing legislative and regulatory outcomes.

  4. Ethical and Trust Issues

    • Erosion of Trust: The use of artificial popularity can undermine trust in social media platforms and the authenticity of online movements.
    • Manipulative Practices: Such tactics are seen as manipulative and deceptive, leading to potential backlash if exposed.

Conclusion

Artificial popularity is a powerful tactic in astroturfing campaigns, used to create the illusion of widespread support and influence public opinion. The Koch brothers and their network effectively employed strategies such as using bots, buying followers, astroturfing comments, orchestrating coordinated campaigns, leveraging influencers, and utilizing social media algorithms to amplify their messages. While these tactics can enhance the perceived legitimacy and reach of a campaign, they also raise ethical concerns and can undermine trust in social media and public discourse. Understanding these strategies is crucial for recognizing and countering manipulative efforts in the public policy arena.

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