What Should You Do With an Inactive Social Media Account? Three Options

An inactive social media account can damage your brand. Prevent problems before they begin. Your options include closing the account, partially engaging, or going all in. I’ll explain each option below and outline who could benefit from that option.

Why Is an Inactive Social Media Account a Problem?

Before we dig into solutions, let’s explain the challenge clearly.

Social media sites like Facebook and Instagram tend to rank high in search results, and they can also be scraped by LLMs like ChatGPT. When people search for your brand, they might hit your social media accounts before your website.

An inactive social media account could make your visitors think your business is either closed, in transition, or simply not worth visiting. Any or all of these problems could cost you money.

Option 1: Close Your Inactive Social Media Account

If you haven’t posted on your social media account for months or years, you could simply close it. Take these four steps:

1. Back up. Download all your important data, photos, and metrics.

2. Delete. Take down all of your posts. Your site will be locked and inactive during the delete process, and it’s safest to remove anything that could cause problems.

3. Post. Create one post that says your site is inactive, and encourage people to visit your website instead (or point them to a social media account you do keep up-to-date).

4. Delete. Follow the site’s steps to inactivate and delete your account.

This option is best for business owners with no interest in posting on that social channel again. (It’s hard to open an account again once it’s closed.) Ideally, you’ll have robust website traffic or a vibrant community on another social media channel.

Option 2: Partially Engage

Consider this a middle path. Instead of closing your account or recommitting fully, you could determine a posting schedule that’s sustainable for you and your business. For example, you could commit to posting once per month, highlighting your deals and specials.

A strategy like this won’t help you grow followers or increase sales. However, it demonstrates that you’re still a vibrant and active business worth visiting. And after a few months, your audience will become accustomed to your posting schedule.

This option is best for business owners with little to no traffic on their website or social media channels, and who can create a plan and stick to it. (And remember, you can hire a freelancer to help with this step.)

Option 3: Go All In

Log in to your social media site, and make a plan to update and upgrade. Take these steps:

1. Check. Ensure your hours, location, and contact information are correct and up-to-date.

2. Delete. Remove any posts that seem completely out of date or that caused problems in the past.

3. Answer. If you have comments lingering, write back. It’s better to respond now than never.

4. Update. Create a new cover image and write your first post.

Commit to posting every day, highlighting your product and services. Better yet, set a budget and run a few ads to increase your audience size.

This option is best for business owners who regret allowing their social media accounts to lapse into inactivity and who have the staff and budget to maintain an active presence. Remember that a freelancer can help with this, too!

Which Should You Choose?

I’ve outlined the steps you can take and the use case for each option. Now, the choice is yours! If you’d like to discuss your business and make a smart decision, just reach out! I’m available for both strategy sessions and freelance work.