It can be frustrating to try and grow an Instagram following when your posts don’t show up anywhere. For social growth, Instagram users rely on the explore page and hashtags. However, sometimes your engagement may stop responding to your posts or show love. Many have claimed that they were limited by shadowbanned accounts. However, no one at Facebook nor Instagram has ever denied or confirmed that this is the case.
Perhaps you have noticed something is wrong with your account and are unsure why. You might feel invisible to new followers on the hashtag results page. You may have been shadowbanned.
You’re not the only one! We’ll be explaining what shadow banning is and how to tell if you have been shadowbanned. Also, tips for avoiding shadow banning.
What does it mean to be Instagram Shadow Banned?
Shadowbanning refers to the act of hiding or restricting content without someone’s knowledge. Although it is not an official term, shadowbanning has gained popularity among social media users over the last few years.
Instagram will restrict visibility to your content when this happens. Instagram can “silence” posts, but you will still be able to access your account. This happens when someone violates Instagram’s community guidelines, or goes against what Instagram considers appropriate.
If you are shadowbanned, you will have your posts removed from everyone’s feed, unless they already follow you. Your posts will not appear on the hashtag or explore page. This can severely impact your growth and engagement.
Instagram shadow bans users
Instagram and Facebook have yet to openly admit to shadowbanning users. They did release a statement on their Facebook Business page to address the issue of certain hashtags not appearing in certain content. Instagram has now admitted that not all posts will appear on hashtag pages.
This could be an unofficial admission by Instagram that it has been shadow banning. This is likely to be the best explanation that users will get regarding what actually happens behind the scenes, without official confirmation.
Shadowbanning, an Instagram feature that filters out accounts who don’t follow their terms, is a unique approach. Instagram takes its community guidelines seriously, so you could be penalized if your account breaks them.
You should be careful about what you post to your profile. Avoid posting violence, misinformation, explicit images or spam to avoid being shadowbanned.
Check if your account has been shadow banned
While there is no way to know for sure if an Instagram user has been shadowbanned, here are three signs that could indicate it.
1. Review Insights
Are you experiencing a sudden decrease in engagement? Examine your metrics and pay attention to the percentage of accounts that are not following you. These impressions could be due to shadowban.
2. Test Hashtags
Check your hashtags if you are having trouble. You may see messages that have been hidden because you used a banned hashtag or flagged hashtag, which could lead to a shadowban.
3. Ask a friend
You can verify that your account has been banned by checking the content of non-followers on their feed to confirm. Ask someone to unfollow your account and then use the same hashtags to post a new image. You can check the hashtag page of non-followers that you shared with your photo, and see if it is under the recent.
If your posts don’t appear on their feed, wait a while and then try again on another friend’s profile. If your post doesn’t appear on their feed, it is likely that you have been shadowbanned.
What’s the Deal with Shadow Banning?
1. Fake Engagement
It might seem like buying followers or faking engagement is a way to get an advantage over your competitors. But Instagram is very aware of these tactics and can shadowban you. To avoid Instagram shadow ban, you should not use bots or spread spam.
You should only post content you are interested in. Your audience should be able to relate. Follow accounts that are relevant to your interests and only comment on photos with something to say.
2. Engaging too often
Instagram might detect when you are “too engaged” with posts. Instagram has a time limit that limits the number of people you can follow or like. This is to prevent spambots. Shadow banning your account could be possible if you exceed this limit often.
High-volume activity will be flagged as spam by the algorithm. Be sure to not engage in 500+ actions per day including liking, following and unfollowing posts.
3. Follow the Community Guidelines
It is crucial to immediately stop any activity that violates Instagram’s terms and conditions. There are some restrictions on what you can upload and certain actions that cannot be done. Instagram may report your account if you have been reported more than once. This could lead to your account being shadowbanned, or even removed.
4. Use Banned and Restricted Hashtags
Instagram strives to create a welcoming and safe environment for its users. Instagram will take down a hashtag if it is filled with inappropriate content. Use restricted hashtags or banned hashtags with caution. They can put your account at risk. To ensure you don’t get shadowbanned, always do a quick search prior to adding hashtags to posts.
5. Business vs. 5. Business vs. Personal Account
You could avoid a shadowban by switching from a business account into a personal one. Because Instagram is well-known for its advertising and marketing abilities, it is likely that they will place additional restrictions and bans on business accounts in order to keep consumers safe and prevent them from posting inappropriate advertisements.
How to reverse a shadowban on Instagram
It can be difficult to determine the best course of action when you are experiencing a shadowban in Instagram. First, you must reverse the damage done. Next, avoid further damage. These steps will help you get things in order and show Instagram that your are following their guidelines.
- Remove all bots and automated services that you have installed immediately
- Any broken, restricted or banned hashtags should be removed
- Limit your “over-engagement” to 500 actions per day
- Get in touch with Instagram Support
- Take at least 48 hours off Instagram
- Do not leave generic comments. Write genuine comments
- Do not follow spammers. Follow accounts that you truly care about and engage with them
- Change from a business account to a personal one
It is possible for an account to be shadowbanned. Account holders will need to ensure they comply with the app’s Community Guidelines. As long as your engagement and content are genuine, there shouldn’t be any issues!
Last Thoughts
Shadowbanning can happen to you, or not. However, you should still follow preventive measures to keep your account visible.
The best way to avoid being shadowbanned on Instagram is to be familiar with the Terms of Use, Community Guidelines and Recommendation Guidelines. Keep your followers engaged by sharing authentic and helpful content.
Quality is more important than spam posting. You will get more organic engagement if you offer more value to users.
Users on Instagram have reported that they took a break from their accounts in order to reset it and get a new start. You can still report a problem by going to the settings menu, and then selecting “Report A Problem.” This will allow the Instagram support team to take a look at the account and offer possible solutions.
There is no one way to build engagement on social media. Instagram growth cannot be rushed. Although hashtags are great for growing your audience, you should not go too far. Bots and spam can cause serious damage to your account over the long-term. Misinformation and inappropriate content will also be a fast way to get shadowbanned.
Use creativity and patience to build meaningful connections on Instagram. You can ensure that your Instagram account is active and engaging by being careful and following best practices.
The post How to Avoid Instagram Shadow Banned appeared first on SocialPilot. SocialPilot first published this article.
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