by Team AllYourVideogames | May 21, 2022 | Instagram | 3
Has your account stopped growing and your posts no longer appear in Explore? You may have been affected by shadowban. But after all, what is this? It is a kind of punishment applied by the Instagram algorithm to accounts or posts.
Shadowban: what is it
Upon receiving this “punishment”, your post no longer appears in search engines. And while it isn't deleted and its followers can still see it, the post tends to perform poorly as no one new will receive it.
Learn more: Instagram sweepstakes: rules, tools and how-to tips
Despite not being a practice confirmed by the social network, one of the main reasons for receiving a shadowban would be the use of banned hashtags. These are hashtags that have been hidden by Instagram, either because they received a lot of complaints from users or because they didn't comply with Instagram's guidelines.
An example of this is #sextou. The term sextou spread across our country in reference to Friday. However, in English it has another connotation: sex to you (something like “sex for you”).
At one point, the term began to be used by foreigners to publish images and videos with sexual content, which violates Instagram's guidelines and caused the hashtag to be banned.
HOW DO I KNOW IF I HAD A SHADOWBAN?
Not always a drop in your Instagram engagement can be linked to a shadowban, but if you want to know if you were punished, just search.
Make a post and use the hashtags you normally use. After that, ask people who still don't follow you to search for that hashtag and try to find your post.
If your content appears to these users, it means your account is free. Now, if your post can't be found, it's possible that you've already been shadowbanned.
Another way to track your posts and find out if you're using a hidden hashtag is through websites that analyze your profile. The Shadowban Tester Instagram, from the website Tribber, is one of them.
Just put the user @ on your profile and it will evaluate your last 10 posts, pointing out if there are problems with the hashtags you used.
SHADOWBAN, HOW TO LOG OUT?
Nobody knows exactly how long shadowban lasts. But if you believe your account has been penalized, there are some practices you can adopt to try to resolve this issue.
It is worth mentioning that these are not official recommendations, as Instagram does not admit to applying this punishment.
1. DELETE HASHTAGS THAT MAY HAVE PENALIZED YOUR POSTS
Check the hashtags you are using in your posts and delete those that have been hidden by Instagram.
2. AVOID REPEATING AND USING TOO MANY HASHTAGS
If you are in the habit of using too many hashtags or always using the same tags, stop now. This can lead the Instagram algorithm to consider your posts as spam.
Try to reduce the number of hashtags and only use those that really relate to your publication and your business.
3. DISCONNECT THIRD PARTY APPLICATIONS
Instagram is getting stricter. If you use some kind of automation or bot on your profile, know that this may have been the reason for the shadowban. Therefore, please disconnect any third-party applications that are linked to your account.
4. take a break
Get off Instagram for a while. Disconnect from your account and only access it again after 2 or 3 days.
5. REPORT THE PROBLEM TO INSTAGRAM
Many people often complain about Instagram support, but reporting the issue can help if you believe your account has been unduly harmed.
To report an issue to Instagram:
Step 1: Access your profile in the mobile app and tap the Options (three parallel risks);
Step 2: Select option settings and depois Help;
Step 3: Then click Report a problem. You will be given some trouble options, choose something is not working and then briefly describe the problem.
HOW TO AVOID SHADOWBAN
Now, if your account is clean and you just want to avoid being punished with a shadowban or don't want to go through it anymore, here are two golden tips:
1. SEARCH BEFORE POSTING
Before publishing your content, research the hashtags you have chosen. If any of them are hidden by Instagram, don't use them.
It is worth mentioning that it is not only clearly offensive or pornographic terms that are banned. Seemingly innocent hashtags, like #medicine for example, were also banned.
Another very important thing is to vary your hashtags. If you always use the same ones, the algorithm may consider you to be posting spam.
To learn how to find the best ones to use in your company's content, access the post Best hashtags generators: 5 tools for Instagram + bonus class.
2. DO NOT USE AUTOMATIONS
Don't buy followers or use automations to like, follow, and comment on posts. This type of practice has been curbed by Instagram and many people are even losing their accounts for it.
Focus on quality content to bring real followers and interactions to your account. This saves you from having headaches with punishments like shadowban and even increases your chance of having good results with your social media digital marketing.
While Instagram does not admit the existence of shadowban, ensuring that an account complies with the social network's guidelines is simple and worthwhile, especially for those who use the platform in a professional way.
Now, tell us in the comments: do you believe that your Instagram profile has already been penalized with a shadowban?
