In the Instagram universe , we often hear about shadowban . What is it about ? How the Instagram shadowban can affect your account on the social network? How to know if your Instagram account has been shadow banned ? In this article, we give you all the tips to better understand the Instagram shadowban and especially to avoid falling victim to it.
I - What is the shadowban?
The Instagram shadowban consists for the social network in blocking a user or restricting the scope of his posts temporarily without him even realizing it. Indeed, if your Instagram account has suffered a shadowban , the content you publish will no longer appear on the news feed of your subscribers. It will therefore be almost impossible for you to generate interactions under your publications or even to have new Instagram followers . The shadowban does not only apply to posts on the News Feed. Even your stories may have less or no reach at all if your Instagram account is shadowbanned . You will not have any indication of your Instagram account, feed or profile picture .
However, Instagram has never confirmed the existence of such a practice. The social network denied the shadowban theory saying that this technique is not part of its policy. But many users have noticed a decrease in the reach of their posts due to actions on their account that are against Instagram's rules . In other words, when a user violates Instagram's terms of service , there is a good chance that their account will be subject to a shadowban .
II - What are the causes of the Instagram shadowban?
The causes of Instagram shadowban are not clearly defined. However, there are a number of popular behaviors that are known to lead to a shadowban .
- Using bots to get likes or to increase your number of followers on Instagram : Accounts that use bots to increase their number of followers have a high chance of getting shadowbanned. To avoid the shadowban , we recommend that you instead use tools such as Supremeboost which allow you to increase Instagram followers in a natural way .
- Automation of Instagram posts: some programs (Onlypuly, Postcron…) used to automate the publication of Instagram posts can also lead to shadowbanning. It is better to turn to legal alternatives such as Buffer, agora pulse, Hootsuite, etc.
- The use of prohibited Instagram hashtags : # Like4like for example or # follow4follow.
- Posts from your account are flagged too often by other users.
If you find yourself in either of these situations, chances are you will experience an Instagram shadowban .
III - What is the difference between an Instagram shadowban and a simple drop in the reach of your publications?
Some users often confuse shadowbanning with a drop in the reach of their posts. If you follow all of Instagram's guidelines and still notice that your posts are getting less engagement, it could be related to the quality of your content. Indeed, if the engagement rate of your posts drops, it may be because your content interests your subscribers less. In this case, you should review your publication strategy in order to create posts that can generate a better engagement rate.Â
In addition, it must be taken into account that Instagram is increasingly pushing brands and Instagram content creators to opt for advertising by lowering the natural engagement of their publications. If you're noticing that your content is having a declining reach, it could also be related to that.
IV - How to know if it's a shadowban or not?
Your publications have a low engagement rate for a few days? Do you suspect an Instagram shadowban ? To get to the bottom of it, start checking your stats on Instagram. If you notice a drastic drop in the reach of your content (more than 50% in less than a week, for example), your account may have suffered a shadowban . On the other hand, if the decrease is not drastic but your drop in engagement remains within the norms, this could mean that the content you have posted recently does not necessarily interest your subscribers. As you have seen above, it can also be a way for Instagram to encourage you to opt for paid publications. Keeping this in mind will help you avoid confusing shadowban with simply decreasing the reach of your posts.
V - How to get out of the shadowban?
If you have suffered an Instagram shadowban , some solutions can help you get out of it:
1) End the behavior that led to the shadowban
Whether it's using bots to increase your Instagram followers or unsuitable programs to automate your posts, it's all going to have to stop. Then, wait a few days for the ban to end.
2) Remove banned hashtags from your posts
Some Instagram hashtags artificially increase the number of likes under posts. If you have used them to promote your publications, you will have to delete them and avoid using them in the future.
In addition, try to vary your hashtags from time to time because if you use the same hashtags several times under your publications, the Instagram algorithm could think that it is about bots suggestion. Similarly, a very trendy practice on Instagram is to put the hashtags of a publication in the comment. This practice is not recommended at all and could lead to a shadowban.
3) Take a break of at least 48 hours
Stopping posting on Instagram for two or three days is also a good way to break the shadowban. Don't post, like, comment, or story for two to three days. This is a technique that has been tested by several people and has successfully counteracted the effects of the Instagram shadowban .
Also, remember to remove programs that automate your Instagram likes or posts via bots. By implementing these few tips, you will be able to get out of the shadowban or at least limit its restrictive effects in a short time.
Also discover:
Leave a comment