If you are looking for ways to grow your social media network and think you are shadow banned, let's go through a few check lists to screen for ways you can still grow traffic.
Disclaimer: Instagram does not officially recognize the term "shadowban," but it's a phenomenon that many users have experienced. Here, we dive into what it means, why it happens, and how you can avoid it.
In the world of Instagram, there's a term that strikes fear into the hearts of creators, marketers, and entrepreneurs: shadowban. It's not an official term in Instagram's glossary, but its effects are real and can be detrimental to your account's growth.
So, what exactly is an Instagram shadowban? It's when your content or account is deprioritized, hidden, or even restricted, making it difficult for your audience to discover you. In some cases, your content might even be taken down entirely. The result? A sharp decline in reach, engagement, and a boatload of frustration.
In this article, we'll explore the mysterious world of Instagram shadowbans. We'll delve into what Instagram has said about it over the years and uncover the actions that are rumored to trigger a shadowban. Most importantly, we'll share tips on how to avoid falling victim to this phenomenon.
A Brief History of Instagram Shadowbans
While Instagram doesn't officially acknowledge shadowbanning, let's take a trip down memory lane to see what the platform has mentioned about it in the past:
2018: Denial of Shadowbanning In 2018, Instagram's team categorically stated that "shadowbanning is not a real thing." They maintained that they do not hide content for reasons like excessive hashtag use or other actions.
2019: Clarification on Explore Page Ranking The following year, Instagram acknowledged that posts deemed "inappropriate for the international community" would not appear on the Explore Page. Even if these posts adhered to Instagram's Community Guidelines, they were excluded.
2020: Addressing Concerns of Black Creators In 2020, Instagram's head, Adam Mosseri, responded to concerns that Black voices were being silenced on the platform. Steps were taken to review content filtering on Explore and Hashtag pages, address algorithmic bias, and provide more information on content guidelines.
2020: Nudity Policy Update Later in 2020, Instagram updated its nudity policy following the #IWantToSeeNyome campaign. This campaign highlighted the platform's double standards regarding nudity.
2021: Introduction of Account Status Feature In 2021, Instagram launched the Account Status feature. It allowed users to check if their posts had been taken down, dispute Instagram's decisions, and learn about their account's eligibility for Search and suggested accounts.
2023: A Glimpse into Instagram's Perspective In 2023, Adam Mosseri emphasized Instagram's interest in helping creators reach their audiences effectively. He hinted at experiments with new notifications to alert creators when their content's reach might be limited.
What Can Trigger an Instagram Shadowban?
While Instagram's shadowban criteria are not crystal clear, several actions are rumored to increase the likelihood of being shadowbanned:
Violating Community Guidelines: Posting content that violates Instagram's guidelines, including violent, sexually suggestive, or misleading content.
Engagement Manipulation: Engaging in fake engagements, such as buying likes, comments, or followers, using bots to inflate follower counts, or participating in engagement pods.
Spammy Activity: Engaging in spam-like behavior, such as using excessive hashtags in a single post, leaving an unusually high number of comments, or following/unfollowing accounts rapidly within a short timeframe.
Specifically watch out for these here:
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Banned Hashtags: Using hashtags that are banned or restricted by Instagram. Although the platform doesn't release an official list, certain hashtags may lead to shadowbans.
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Surges in Activity: Suddenly engaging in a flurry of activity on Instagram, like rapidly following a large number of accounts or liking numerous posts in a short period. Instagram interprets such actions as potential bot-like behavior.
All this stuff get's pretty depressing but do not fear, there is a way to avoid being IG cancelled.
Avoiding an Instagram Shadowban: Tips and Best Practices
To steer clear of the Instagram shadowban, consider the following tips:
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Adhere to Instagram's Terms of Service: Avoid using software or services that violate Instagram's terms, such as bot-like automation tools. Opt for approved Instagram partners like Later to schedule your posts without risk.
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Mind Your Hashtags: Regularly audit your hashtags to ensure they are not banned or restricted. If you notice that your posts are not appearing in hashtag feeds, some of your hashtags might be shadowbanned.
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Control Activity Surges: Be mindful of how you engage on Instagram. Avoid sudden and extreme activities, such as following too many accounts or liking numerous posts in a short time.
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Combat Spam-Like Behavior: Refrain from copy-pasting the same comment or direct message repeatedly. Also, avoid excessive following and unfollowing, as this can trigger Instagram's bot-detection measures.
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