Social Media Spam: What Channels Are Most Spammy in 2022

Let’s be honest. 

Building an engaged audience on social media can be tough. 

You have to invest hours into crafting content that resonates with your audience. 

Let’s not forget the thin line between relevant content that drives growth and spammy content that chases prospects away. 

The typical B2B decision maker doesn’t have the luxury of time to consume repetitive content that fails to meet their needs. Instead, they want relevant, data-driven content at every stage of their journey. You want to ensure your social media posts hit the mark every time. 

Spam on social media also goes beyond content. 

Some B2B brands create superb, actionable content. However, a plethora of comments, some of which promote scams, can result in these accounts being tagged as spammy. It’s worse when this happens to unverified business accounts. 

Having your brand associated with spammy content or activities is bad for business. We want to help you avoid the “spammer” tag, build real authority, and turn readers into customers. 

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– Brian Dean, Founder of Backlinko (acquired by SEMRush)

What Social Media Channels Are Most Spammy in 2022

We collaborated with Orbit Media and QuestionPro to measure social media spam and identify the most spammy social media channels. 

The spam report revealed Facebook and Instagram as the channels consumers believe have the most spam:

These spammers use the comment section to self-promote products and services. 60% of social media users say they see spam comments daily and weekly.

Some use DMs to send bulk unsolicited marketing messages. About 60% of social media users get these spammy messages. 

We’ll take the next few minutes to break down the survey results. You’ll learn the value of each distribution channel for B2B brands, the level of spam on the channel, and how to avoid being a spammer and drive business growth. 

Ready to stand out on social media and build meaningful connections with your audience? Let’s jump right in.

Social Media Channel: Facebook

Facebook has a 31% spam level, making it the most spammy social media channel. However, despite its reputation, Facebook is still an effective marketing channel for generating B2B leads. 

We’ve got some stats to prove it:

• Almost 3 billion people use the platform (Statista)
• Users spend an average of 19.6 hours a month on Facebook (Hootsuite)
• 91% of B2B marketers use Facebook, and 67% of them consider it the most important social media platform for lead generation (Social Media Examiner)

These stats prove there is potential for B2B marketers to generate high-quality leads on this channel. But it starts with creating content that resonates with your audience and following the platform rules. 

So, what’s considered spam on Facebook?

Facebook defines spam as contacting people with unwanted content or requests. For B2B brands, this means:

• Sending unsolicited bulk messages
• Excessive posting of links or images to people’s timelines
• Anything that requires people to invite all of their friends
• Asking people to perform an action to enter a promotion
• Automatically enrolling someone in a promotion when they like your page

Facebook and other social media users respond to spam in different ways. 16% ignore, and the remaining 38% block or report the account, respond politely, or respond harshly.

So what should you do to avoid getting ignored, blocked, or receiving a harsh reply?

You can avoid coming off as spammy on Facebook by doing these:

1. Get verified on the channel
2. Create and share original, relevant videos and written content for your audience
3. Add value to relevant niche Facebook groups.
4. Let some time pass between status updates. That means avoiding posting identical content in multiple groups or pages simultaneously. 
5. Avoid using DMs as a promotional tool. Instead, use it to form meaningful relationships with prospects. Send thoughtful, personalized DMs.
6. Block trolls and spammers from engaging with your content. You don’t want anyone getting scammed or misled from the comments section. 
7. When interacting with content, regulate your speed. You don’t want your account to be tagged as a spam bot.

Social Media Channel: Instagram

Instagram is an underrated channel for B2B marketers. Even though the platform has a 22% spam level, the platform can be a great visual marketing tool to attract prospects.

But don’t take our word for it alone. Look at these numbers:

• Over 1 billion people use Instagram every month (Foundation Marketing)
• 9 out of 10 users watch Instagram videos weekly (Instagram)
• 75% of people say Instagram helps foster meaningful interactions with brands. (Hootsuite)

With these numbers in mind, how can one use Instagram for B2B marketing without being spammy? You start by defining what’s considered spam on Instagram. 

So, what’s considered spam on Instagram?

Instagram defines spam as an account that: 

• Posts numerous content over a short period
• Posts and receives lots of irrelevant comments
• Repetitive use of similar hashtags on a single post

You can avoid coming off as spammy on Instagram by doing these:

1. Get verified on the channel
2. Define your target audience and put them at the center of your content strategy
3. Create and commit to a defined posting schedule
4. Share relevant content you own or have a right to share. This can be thought leadership content or content that showcases your product & company culture,
5. Use high-quality pictures and videos
6. Avoid using banned/popular hashtags
7. Avoid mass following or liking content from random accounts
8. Keep your profile up-to-date

Hootsuite is an example of a brand that strives to leverage Instagram’s visual marketing superpower. As a part of its powerful content repurposing menu, Hootsuite repurposes its long-form content into short-form videos and carousels for Instagram. 

See how catchy these designs are? 

These are a mix of short videos, infographics, and a ton of other visual content types. 

For example, Hootsuite turned its Instagram Hashtags Guide into several carousels on Instagram. One of these carousels generates more than 1K reactions: 

Notice how short and digestible the carousel is. Instagram isn’t a place for too many words, and pictures speak a thousand words here. Transforming long-form pieces into punchy, bite-sized visual content is a great way to avoid creating repetitive content. That’s how you serve your audience fresh content consistently. 

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Social Media Channel: TikTok

Short-form videos have become a go-to B2B content type, and TikTok is one popular tool marketers use to create these videos. 

TikTok has grown to become the sixth most popular social media platform in six years, with over 1 billion active users. 

More B2B brands are adding the channel to their marketing mix. Statista predicts TikTok ad revenue will nearly triple to $5.96 billion at the end of this year from $2.1 billion in 2021.

We found that the spam level on this channel is 16%. This is great news for a platform with an algorithm that boosts your chances of getting found online. However, if you don’t know how to leverage the platform and find content-channel fit fast, you risk spamming and losing your audience. 

So, what’s considered spam on TikTok?

Like bombing is spammy on TikTok. That means having users like tons of videos on your business’s profile within a short period without watching them.

You can avoid coming off as spammy on Instagram by doing these:

• Stop TikTok bots from following your business page
• Avoid inciting users to like your content for a prize
• Create and share original, engaging content that TikTokers will like

Social Media Channel: Snapchat

Snapchat may be one of the most unpopular places B2B marketers hang out. However, there are some reasons you might want to consider Snapchat as a distribution channel.

First, Snapchat has an engaged user base. 

An average user between 18-29 spends 20 minutes on Snapchat daily. If your product serves people within this age range, especially if decision-makers spend time here, you might want to consider experimenting with the platform. Sure, the platform has a 13% spam rate, but that gives you a chance to create content that stands out and targets the right people.

So, what’s considered spam on Snapchat?

Snapchat considers these activities spam:

• Posting illegal content 
• Adding too many friends with an unverified phone or email. 
• Using third-party apps and plug-ins to misuse the app
• Unsolicited ads

To avoid spam on Snapchat, we encourage you to:

1. Block unknown senders through Privacy Controls in Snapchat’s Settings
2. Create content that tells a compelling story that positions your brand as a solution to your prospect’s problems.
3. Share exclusive deals
4. Leverage user-generated content

Social Media Channel: Twitter

Twitter is a marketing channel that allows you to share your expertise, build authority, and inspire trust. 

You can also connect and build relationships with B2B decision makers and influencers. That’s because 54% of B2B marketers use Twitter to expand brand awareness, interact with prospects, and drive sales. That’s probably why the platform has a low spam rate of 12% compared to others. 

So, what’s considered spam on Twitter?

Twitter considers these as spam:

• Consistently Tweeting or DMing links only, without any context
• Posting duplicate or very similar content on one account or across multiple accounts
• Creating duplicate or extremely similar accounts
• Creating fake accounts, impressions, or account interactions—followers, retweets, likes, etc.
• Posting multiple updates in an attempt to manipulate or undermine Twitter trends
• Sending large numbers of unsolicited replies or mentions
• Purchasing or attempting to artificially inflate account interactions (such as followers, Retweets, likes, etc.)
• Using or promoting third-party services or apps that claim to get you more followers, Retweets, or likes; or that claim to be able to get topics to trend

As a way to avoid spam, we encourage you to:

1. Avoid posting generic content
2. Find your niche and create content that shows your expertise 
3. Use one niche hashtag at a time
4. Block spam comments on your tweets

At Foundation, we prioritize practicing what we preach. Instead of dumping links on Twitter alone, we repurpose existing content into in-depth Twitter threads. Like this one from our Founder, Ross Simmonds:

This kind of content grabs attention for many reasons. 

First, it has a single-line lede that stops prospective readers from scrolling past. Anyone who sees the “Ultimate Distribution Thread” will want to know different distribution techniques they are yet to start leveraging. Also, giving them a specific number of tips to expect is another way to evoke curiosity. 

The result? Almost 900 people stopped to read and engage with the thread. 

You can also create list-like content that offers your audience valuable tips to improve their professional and personal lives. Like this one from Foundation:

You want to invest in creating useful content that attracts lots of non-spammy engagement and inspires conversations that lead to conversions. 

Social Media Channel: LinkedIn

LinkedIn is the B2B Marketing gold mine. That’s where 98% of Fortune 500 decision-makers and executives spend their time. 

The platform allows businesses to build brand awareness, create meaningful connections, and boost sales. It’s no wonder the platform has a spam rate of 6%—the lowest of all channels.

So, what’s considered spam on LinkedIn?

Spam on LinkedIn means someone advertises a product for monetary gain or posts irrelevant content for high visibility. Other activities LinkedIn considers spam include:

• Sending malicious or spammy messages
• Creating multiple profiles
• Creating false profiles
• Posting inappropriate content
• Uploading a profile picture that is not your own
• Sharing the information of others without their consent
• Using bots to access LinkedIn, add or download contacts, or send messages

As a way to avoid spam, we encourage you to:

• Avoid sharing false or misleading content
• Create content that adds value to your audience
• Empower your team to create and share original content like Outreach
• Leverage social selling like Dreamdata
• Sticking to a posting schedule
• Avoid overusing hashtags

Gong is an example of a brand that avoids flooding LinkedIn with spammy content. Instead, Gong breaks through the noise by nailing content-market fit. 

Gong show they understand their audience’s need for data-driven, thought leadership and how-to content. So, they create these content types in the format and style their audience on LinkedIn will appreciate. 

Here’s an example from Devin Reed, Gong’s Head of Content Strategy:

Devin used a combination of triggers to capture attention. For example, he used the number “304,174 emails” to evoke curiosity in the reader to click the link to see the results.  Anyone who clicks the link is led here:

The headline, emotion-driven imagery, and body content all show Devin didn’t share misleading content. He delivered on his promise. As a result, more people will trust him and want to see more of his content. 

The lesson is to ensure your LinkedIn content isn’t clickbait or misleading. Create content that impacts your bottom line by fulfilling your promise to the reader. Ensure the content you share solves their problem. 

Wrap Up: Avoid Creating Spammy Content 

No one likes spam, and we all love content that moves us closer to smashing our goals. That’s why keeping your audience at the center of your content creation and distribution efforts is important. 

Create content that resonates with your audience and adds value. Create content they will find relevant at each stage of their journey. Prioritize content-market fit when repurposing and sharing content across channels. Block accounts that leave misleading, abusive, or spammy comments on your content. 

Follow a posting schedule and avoid sharing content too fast. Instead, take some breaks in-between each post and engage with your audience in the comment section. That’s how you build authority on social media and grow your business. 

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Quick, do it now before the next drop!