Risky Business: Why Smart Brands Are Avoiding Social Media Ads
- by Shahar Silbershatz , September 5, 2025
Social media’s collision with politics has transformed social advertising from branding no-brainer to reputational risk. Social media companies have slashed content moderation policies that protect users from hate speech, repulsive or violent images, misinformation, and so on.
The result? These platforms are no longer neutral spaces for ads. Instead, they’re dicey political arenas where purchasing ad space can be interpreted as an ideological statement in and of itself—a move that smart brands would be wise to avoid.
How We Got Here
Existing concerns about social media’s ability to breed toxicity ratcheted up in 2022 when Elon Musk bought Twitter. Within weeks, content moderation policies relaxed and banned users previously deemed too dangerous for the platform were reinstated. Soon, Mark Zuckerberg too scaled back Meta’s safeguards, ostensibly in the name of “free expression.”
Without regulation, ads can appear alongside agitprop, hate speech, or worse, with little recourse. While social media managers for brands can decide how to engage on these platforms, they have less control over where ads appear and how customers interpret them.
It’s tempting to risk it anyway: Clicks, impressions, and conversions for an ad on Instagram or X have impressive immediate reach. But they don’t build long-term brand trust. Quick sales may feel like a victory at the moment, but they don’t foster the sustainable, positive engagement and trust that brands need in an increasingly polarized world. Marketing efforts should be judged accordingly—a long-term view that’s especially critical when engaging with younger audiences.
After all, Gen Z has grown up with social media and is increasingly aware of its power as consumers, meaning brands targeting them must be vigilant. This audience won’t allow brands to ignore the ethics or potential dangers of their marketing practices. Young consumers are also at the forefront of an overall trend toward reduced engagement on social media across the board.
The Illusion of ROI
Organic reach—the ability to connect with audiences without paid ads—is plummeting. As online environments curdle, more people are logging off for good. What was once a conduit for brands and customers to engage directly is now a reputational and ethical minefield with less promise of payoff. Savvy communicators are responding in kind: 26% of marketing professionals say they plan to reduce ad spend on X in 2025, with just 4% believing their brand is safe on the platform.
Good Riddance to Advertising on Social Media
Social media advertising is no longer the golden ticket. The evolving landscape has made it reputationally and financially risky. Companies that adapt by eschewing the volatility of social media and favoring more sustainable marketing strategies will thrive. Inspirational examples abound. Patagonia has long invested in mission-driven storytelling through its own platforms, building customer loyalty without relying on traditional social ads. Starbucks, despite its massive online presence, paused advertising on social platforms in response to ethical concerns. And Chick-fil-A leaned into its own app to build community engagement beyond social media.
The question is no longer whether social media advertising is worth the risk. It’s whether brands can afford not to move on.
This post was previously published in an earlier edition of Marketing Insider.
