Hit "pause" before you delete Instagram

At this point in the bizarre year that has been 2025, you’ve probably heard a variety of loud opinions about what’s been happening on Meta. 

“I don’t know if social media is even worth it anymore…”

“If you can’t divest from Meta, you need to re-examine your priorities!”

“I’m deleting my account! Catch me over on xyz platform!”

Meta even threw ME for a loop earlier this year, when we noticed that Meta would stop providing analytics data for profile views and website clicks… i.e. two of the Very Important Metrics I pay attention to when we’re measuring how well social media is working for our clients.

Granted, I've come to expect questionable ethics from Big Tech, but Meta essentially hamstringing our ability to measure results from their platform was... less expected.

Social media certainly has a way of making us want to launch our accounts into the metaphorical sun. Once you’ve cut ties, however, there’s still the question of what to DO with your account, once you've posted your last post.

Should you delete your social media account?

I’ll be honest: deletion isn’t the first course of action I’d recommend. I believe that you deserve any and all benefit that could come from the time and energy you’ve put into that social profile. Aside from that, keeping your account offers little-to-no benefit to the Meta overlords if you’re not using it.

That said, there are those of us who are fully committed to the Ripley approach: Nuke it from orbit. (it’s the only way to be sure! 😉) 

If you just can’t stomach the thought of leaving the door open, deleting your account is a very understandable move–especially if you want to detach from the platform on a personal level, as well. 

Still, you should consider downloading an archive of your content before you delete it. You’ll at least have a record of what you’ve shared over the years, not to mention holding onto a bank of content you can repurpose in the future. You can request a download on Facebook, and you can also do the same for Instagram.

Keep your account, just stop using it

Another option is to leave your account dormant, with all of your past postings intact. It’s the minimal effort option, for sure, but there’s another potential advantage to it, too.

As my social media manager shared on our blog awhile back, social media posts rank on Google, too. Those past posts could retain link authority–particularly if their SEO is solid. This means your social content could get found via a quick search by someone who needs your genius.

If you go this route, I also highly recommend a fully-formed plan to exit the social platform, with posts announcing your departure, and updates to your profile that point towards your website and other online marketing channels where you’re still active. Make it clear where you've gone after you left, so your fans can catch up with you.

Start fresh with a static grid

If you’d rather wipe the slate clean, you might consider a “Static Grid” for your Instagram. This is basically a series of posts designed to replace your existing posts. 9-grids and 6-grids are commonly used, and often have interlocking designs.

This leaves the door open for Instagram users to land on your profile and learn how to work with you, even though you’re not actively participating on the platform. It’ll serve as an additional pathway to warm up new potential clients, and with the right planning, Static Grids can even play the same role as a mini sales page!

What have you done when you’ve quit a social platform? Feel free to hit Reply and share your experience–I’m curious to know how many of y’all have left a platform, and if you saw any measurable differences afterwards.