Insights

Stop Ghosting: Why Social Programming Without Engagement is a Scary Strategy

 

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by Nycole Walsh

There’s something lurking in your social media queue. It’s well-branded, beautifully designed, scheduled weeks in advance.

And it’s dead on arrival.

Welcome to the haunted house of social programming without engagement. 👻

You know the type: a LinkedIn post that goes up like clockwork every Tuesday at 9:03 a.m., never to be heard from again. Comments go unanswered. DMs gather dust. The content is technically fine, but it reads like it was written by a marketing poltergeist who vanished right after hitting “publish.”

Here’s the problem: No one wants to talk to a ghost. And your buyers can smell automation from a mile away.

 

The Curse of One-Way Content

If you’re pumping out content but not showing up to interact, you’re not running a social strategy. You’re running a broadcast channel. And in 2025, that’s not just ineffective — it’s brand-damaging.

Think about it: if your CEO walked into a conference, stood on stage, delivered a well-rehearsed speech, and then immediately turned around and left without taking a single question — what kind of impression would that leave? Social works the same way. Presence matters.

Zero engagement = zero trust.

You want your audience to comment, share, and slide into your DMs? Then you better be there when they do. Today’s social media isn’t a ghost town of scheduled posts. It’s more like a bustling marketplace of conversations, jokes, hot takes, and genuine human moments.

And yeah, it’s chaotic. That’s pretty much the point.

 

Ghoulish Behavior: What Not to Do

Here’s what scares people off your feed:

  • Posting and disappearing (a.k.a. social ghosting)
  • Never replying to comments (especially when someone’s asking a real question)
  • Over-relying on AI to write your copy without adding a human POV
  • Talking at people, not with them

And here’s the thing: when you ghost your own audience, you teach them not to bother engaging. Over time, even your best content starts to underperform — not because it’s bad, but because your audience doesn’t trust that anyone’s actually on the other end.

Ghosts don’t build relationships. Humans do.

 

Treat, Don’t Trick: What to Do Instead

  • Engage like a real person. Yes, even from a brand account. Emojis, humor, off-the-cuff responses? All fair game. (Maybe ask your CEO before dropping any f-bombs.) 
  • Use your comments section as a second stage. Some of the best content happens after the post goes up.
  • Build two-way streets. Polls, prompts, “drop your thoughts” posts — all invite conversation. Then you have to actually respond.
  • Tag, uplift, and shout people out. Brands that lift others up get remembered.
  • Have a POV. And be ready to back it up. Even if it stirs the pot. Hell, especially if it stirs the pot. 
  • Assign an owner. Someone on your team should own engagement. Scheduling content is not the same as managing social.
  • Set benchmarks for response time. Whether it’s an hour, a day, or a week, know what “good” looks like for your team and hit it consistently.
  • Use tools, but don’t let them use you. Social automation is great for logistics. It’s not a replacement for showing up.

 

The Real Horror? Wasted Opportunity

In an AI-shaped visibility landscape, your brand needs to be really present — not just posting. Real-time engagement helps algorithms recognize your relevance. It helps audiences trust your voice. And it helps turn impressions into outcomes.

And here’s something too many teams miss: your brand account isn’t the only one that matters. Buyers, investors, and future employees are also checking your leadership’s profiles. Executive visibility is now a baseline expectation, and silence speaks volumes. If your execs are inconsistent, overly curated, or completely absent from the platforms where your audience lives, you’re leaving relationship capital on the table.

This isn’t about chasing virality. It’s about making sure your brand and your leaders show up where — and how — it counts.

If your social strategy needs resuscitating, we can help. Whether it’s building a thoughtful presence for your execs, turning your brand feed into a conversation hub, or just finally kicking the ghost-posting habit, if you’re not sure where to start — we’ll bring the flashlight.