What is The Top Annoying Action by Brands on Social Media

For a founder, the top priority is to maximize their online engagement and convert that engagement into customers.

But, what if the content doesn’t feel engaging at all?

Even in 2025, many brands are making mistakes that push people away instead of drawing them in.

The most annoying out of them all?

Overly promotional and spammy content that adds zero value.

But there’s more to it than just bad marketing. Let’s break down the worst offenders, why they fail, and how smart brands win on social media.

What is The Top Annoying Action by Brands on Social Media?

According to research, the top annoying action by brands on social media is posting too many promotions.

It states:

Over half of the survey participants (57.5%) expressed that companies' frequent posting of advertisements and promotional material is the most annoying practice on social media.

But does this mean businesses should stop promoting themselves?

Not at all!

The key is balance. Posting too much can be annoying, but posting too little can make people forget about you.

But, how are you going to capitalize from social media without promoting or posting actively?

Let us explain to you how to promote your brand without sounding annoying.

5 Easy Ways to Make Promotions Less Annoying (And More Effective)

Here are 5 easy ways to make your promotions less annoying.

1. Focus on Value

Instead of constantly pushing sales, offer something valuable.

Teach your audience something new, entertain them, or solve a problem they have. When your content is helpful, people don’t mind the promotion.

2. Make Promotions Feel Natural

Never interrupt the user experience. Blend your promotions into regular content.

There are 2 common ways to promote content.

1. Be straightforward and start talking about how great or life-changing a product is. (Not recommended)

2. Be creative and make the promotion through a story. Instead of saying, "Buy our new product now!", try sharing a customer story or showing how the product fits into everyday life.

3. Follow the 80/20 Rule

A simple rule to follow: 80% of your content should educate, entertain, or inspire, while only 20% should be promotional.

This has been used by almost every creative influencer and keeps your audience engaged without spamming them with ads.

4. Use Real-Time Stories and Add Hooks

People ignore plain ads but love stories, behind-the-scenes content, and interactive posts (like polls and quizzes).

A good rule of thumb is to always verify your story and merge it with the ad. Think like a viewer, would you give your time to this post if it popped up on your feed?

If promotions don’t feel like ads, they’ll perform much better.

5. Post at the Right Time

Even a great promotion can feel annoying if it’s posted too often. Find the best times to post by tracking engagement and adjusting based on what your audience responds to.

Why Do Consumers Follow Brands on Social Media? Explained!

If you want more followers for your startup, you need to understand why people follow brands in the first place.

Well, let us quote 4 key reasons from research and how you can use them to grow your audience.

1. To Learn About New Thing (50%)

People love discovering new products, ideas, and insights from brands they trust.

If your startup offers educational content, share quick explainers on the latest trends. If you're in health and wellness, post simple tips that help people improve their daily lives.

The key is to teach something valuable without overwhelming your audience.

2. To Get Entertained (48%)

Not every post has to be serious!

Many people follow brands because they enjoy their content. Entertainment builds connection, making your brand feel more human.

If your startup is in e-commerce, use humor to showcase your products. If you're in B2B, share behind-the-scenes clips or lighthearted industry jokes.

Make sure the entertainment fits your brand’s identity, don’t force trends just to go viral. (Later explained in #1)

3. To Stay Updated on Industry News (40%)

Consumers follow brands to stay ahead of trends and get updates on topics they care about. If your startup shares relevant, timely news, people will turn to you as a trusted source.

4. To Learn About Promotions, Discounts, or Get Inspired (38%)

Yes, people want deals!

Many follow brands to hear about special offers before anyone else. Others follow for inspiration, whether it's fitness motivation, home décor ideas, or startup success stories.

For the part of the deal, offering discounts is simple to comprehend.

What kind of motivating content can you post?

Let’s take an example of gym businesses. Why do you always focus on showing client transformations and workout tips?

Because these videos convert engagement into sales.

Why Do Consumers Unfollow Brands on Social Media? Explained!

As a founder, the last thing you want for your SM accounts is to lose followers.

Although consumers don’t just start unfollowing a brand out of the blue, here’s why they do it:

1. Spammy, Unrelated Content

People follow brands because they expect valuable and relevant content. But if a brand constantly floods its feed with random memes, excessive promotions, or off-topic posts, they’ll lose interest.

For example: In February 2025, Poppi, a prebiotic soda brand, launched a Super Bowl campaign where they sent full-sized branded vending machines stocked with their drinks to 32 influencers, including Alix Earle and Jake Shane.

The intention was to generate buzz and engagement. However, the campaign faced significant criticism from the public. Their SM accounts lost many followers and felt that gifting extravagant vending machines to influencers was tone-deaf, especially during economic hardships.

2. Posting About Controversial Topics

Pro Tip: Never talk about politics, religion, or other divisive topics.

These topics are possibly the most risky niche to revolve your brand around. One slip of tongue and your cancellation campaign is ready to be launched.

But, if these issues are related to your business, stay neutral and don’t sound biased. When brands take strong stances, they risk alienating a large portion of their audience.

Plus, there’s a common misconception that brands often try to take the same sides as the majority.

Even with such common stances, some customers may support the message, while others will still feel uncomfortable or even offended. As a result, they unfollow and stop engaging with the brand.

3. Poor Customer Service / Delayed Content

The audience wants engagement.

If a customer leaves a question or complaint in the comments and gets ignored, they’ll feel unimportant. Over time, this damages trust, and people will stop following.

But, if you’re engaging with the audience, how can you post accurately timed posts and maintain a schedule?

Here’s an easy solution, with AutoPost.io, you no longer need to worry about uploading the posts.

In fact, with just a single click, you can schedule days or even weeks' worth of content, and post it at the perfect time.

Wrap-Up: Our 2 Cents

We’ve covered why people unfollow brands (spammy content, controversial topics, bad engagement) and why they follow them (learning, entertainment, updates, and deals).

Not to forget the top annoying action.

However, founders should always remember that social media success isn’t about posting more, it’s about posting better.

Test different content formats (videos, stories, Q&As) to see what works best for your audience. Also, track analytics; if people aren’t engaging, something needs to change.

At the end of the day, social media is about building relationships. If your startup listens, provides value, and stays authentic, your audience will stick around, and your brand will grow naturally.