Are you wondering why your followers are decreasing on Instagram? Or why you are getting lesser likes and views on your posts? Then let me tell you that there are high chances that your account has been shadow banned. This might be a new word for you- Instagram Shadowban.
You get most of your post’s engagement from the trending hashtags and explore section. More than half of the post’s impression comes from non-followers and that boosts the visibility of your page and enhances the page growth. But if your post is not reaching the non-followers, then that kills the opportunity to get better engagement.
Also Read- Best Time to Post on Instagram
What does shadowbanned mean?
When we do some particular activities, which, according to Instagram are not ethical, then it starts hiding our content from the potential audience. We start getting lower engagement, fewer likes, few comments and decreased impressions. That means your page has been shadowbanned on Instagram.
With increasing business pages on social media sites, people intentionally or unintentionally use such words that should not be there on this platform. To stop the reach of content for larger audiences, Instagram hides your post from explore section and doesn’t show while searching for a hashtag. And also, removes a few of your followers.
The interesting point is that Instagram doesn’t agree with the word SHADOWBAN. According to Instagram, there is no such thing called shadowban but they have released a statement that indirectly justifies this term. Look at the official statement released by Instagram.
How to check if you are Shadowbanned?
The very basic steps to check if you are shadowbanned by an Instagram community is-
✓ Observe the difference between the current post’s impressions and the previous post’s impressions. If your new impressions are decreased and specifically your post is not visible to non-followers, then your account/ post is shadow ban.
✓ Use another Instagram account that is not following your business page and type a hashtag in the search bar which you have used in the post. If your posted content is not visible there, then your account may have facing an issue.
✓ You can check all your hashtags individually, if no posts are visible from that hashtag that means, the Instagram community has banned it. For example, look at the images below, the #loseweight has been banned and this is how you will see it on Instagram.
✓ The legit way to check is by going to Settings → Account → Account Status. If there is nothing that harms their guidelines, then it will look like this on your screens. It will provide a better insight into community guidelines.
✓ The next method to know if there is shadowbanned Instagram is by reporting a problem. Here are images that might provide a better understanding. You can type your problem in brief and if there is any issue then Instagram will mention that in the email.
What causes Instagram Shadowban?
Using bot apps or software– It doesn’t allow you to use bots that can automatically post stuff on this social media platform, because bots are not smart enough to judge rightful content.
Posting very frequently– Too many posts in no time raises an alert of something spammy. So, you should wait until your next post. Also, it is beneficial for the overall growth of the post too.
Using banned hashtags– Instagram community is smart, they analyse a few tags and if it is unfit for the platform, then they ban it. If you are using those words then there are high chances that you face a shadow ban Instagram.
Adding irrelevant hashtags– People tend to add highly popular words irrespective of their meaning. If you are doing the same then stop it. All the hashtags should relate to the content, you may not get banned in the starting, but later on, it will create a big fuss.
Buying fake followers or likes– Instagram is very smart in detecting something fishy, so doing these spammy activities can cost you so much like banning your account on this platform.
Breaching Community Guidelines – Instagram releases a few guidelines which every user had to agree to, otherwise, it will not let you use the app properly. Those guidelines are made to promote good content on the application.
Doing any spammy activity on the account– If there is any unusual activity on your account or you do something disrespectful the Instagram, then it will shadowban your account.
Using repetitive hashtags– Using similar hashtags in all the posts and using one hashtag repetitively in the post can get you banned on your favourite social media platform.
Using tags that have got sudden hype– People uses Instagram to support or start any movement and suddenly one hashtag gets popular. If the community witnesses sudden hype of a particular hashtag, then, to understand that, Instagram ban posts using it. For example- posts using #blacklivesmatter got shadowban once.
Apart from all these reasons, there is one more reason that is not actually in your hands. If people report your content, then your content may get shadowbanned.
How long does shadowban stay?
The insta shadow ban can stay up to 2-3 weeks consistently if you do not continue practising the above-mentioned points. It is crucial for you to get the shadowban removed in order to engage with your audience and boost the growth of the page.
How to Remove Instagram Shadowban?
Remove bots
Software for Bots or these automated services tends to create problems for you. So stop using all this software, go to settings, then app and websites, and turn off all the active bots and apps. These tools are used to post automatically on Instagram and ease your work.
But few of the apps are not linked with this platform which can get your Instagram shadowban. Here is the list of apps that are approved by Instagram-
- Combin Scheduler.
- Semrush.
- Tailwind.
- Sked Social.
- Onlypult.
- Later.
- Buffer.
- Hootsuite
Take a break
Try not to use Instagram for a few days and take a break from this site. Not using Instagram means not posting anything in your account. You can use it simply to scroll your feed and check other posts. Taking some space from posting really helps a lot and proved beneficial.
Re-Check Hashtags
All the hashtags which you are using may have some issues. Check all the tags individually, create new hashtags which match your content type and are popular too. Remove all the words which do not fit in your content type or are banned by Instagram. There is a list below which has a few of the banned hashtags by Instagram. Check the list below and also, I’ve mentioned what your screen will look like if you are using banned tags.
Read Community Guidelines
If you have any doubt regarding the Instagram rules and regulations, you can read their guidelines for further clarification. It will provide you with better insights into what is acceptable or what is not. And also, you will not get your account banned next time. Community guidelines are made for the users and are kept fully transparent to promote a holistic environment.
Hashtags which can get your account/post shadowbanned
#adultlife
#bikinibody
#curvygirls
#italiano
#dogsofinstagram
#petite
#models
#mustfollow
There are many other hashtags that can pull your strings from doing better. Here is the full-fledged list of banned hashtags for better understanding. You may see posts from these tags, but there are high chances that most of the posts get shadowbanned.
Conclusion
Decreasing followers and lower social media engagement could the reason for the infamous shadowban, which may have hit your account due to any unethical activity. Use these steps to clarify if your account has some technical issue or shadowbanned or lowering engagement due to poor quality content. Avoid using banned hashtags or bots and start following community guidelines for better understanding. Removing shadowban is not as tough as it seems, you just need to monitor your actions.
