At times, it seems more challenging than ever to break through the clutter of social media, yet we are beginning to see bands and other businesses finding ways to manipulate algorithms to gain attention while appealing to viewers’ desire for drama.

What Is Happening With the ‘Deleted Posts’ Post on Instagram?

While scrolling through Instagram, one of the first examples of this approach came from the band Lakeview, who teased in large white letters against a black backdrop that they were making a statement regarding “some recently deleted posts.”

They added, “This week we made the difficult decision to remove some posts from our profile. To avoid any confusion, we wanted to clarify what happened.”

This led to a second slide that once again teased the deleted posts by directing the reader to a third slide. The third slide then shared advertisements and previous messages for their 2026 tour before moving onto the fourth, where it was revealed that the posts weren’t deleted at all but stated, “When bands make a serious-looking post with a plain black background and serious font, they usually get a lot of extra attention.”

“We pretty much just wanted to remind you that we are touring the world this summer. In fact, we never actually deleted the posts. They’re still there. Just like our tickets are still there waiting for you.” The final slide invited fans to attend a show.

This Is Not the Only Example of This Promotional Strategy

A deeper dive revealed that more than just Lakeview had adopted this strategy. The theme seems consistent, though the payoff at times is different.

For instance, minor league team the Tulsa Drillers used it to remind fans that they have ranch dippers among their tasty game treats. A deeper search also uncovered restaurants, bars, a bowling alley, and even a church trying to draw attention to various items or calls to action by pulling readers in with the idea that something was being deleted from social media, which in most cases stems from a place of controversy.

Giving Lakeview Their Attention

Admittedly, Lakeview got us to look, so it only seems fair to share and give them the attention they were seeking with this bit of misdirection.

The band is currently on tour, playing in Indianapolis tonight (March 26) at Turntable. Stateside dates run through May 30 after which they’ll leave for shows in Europe and the U.K. in June. More stateside shows will follow in July and continue into September before they take a break and finish out the year at the Orlando stop of the Vans Warped Tour in November.

All Lakeview dates and ticketing information can be viewed through their website.

See other rock and metal bands touring in 2026 in the gallery below.