Instagram Shadowban: What Every Marketer Should Know

Have you noticed a significant drop in the amount of engagement on your Instagram account recently? This could include any of the following:

• Your number of followers has dropped.
• When you share your photos, they don't get nearly as many likes as they used to.
• You've used hashtags in your posts, but they don't appear anywhere on the platform for those posts.

If these situations are too familiar, keep reading. Our Florida SEO marketing experts will teach you everything you need to know about the dreaded Instagram Shadowban.

What's Up With The New Instagram Shadowban?

The term "shadowban" is unofficial but widely used among social media users. The Instagram platform limits the visibility of your content, reducing the number of people who see it.

Due to the decreased engagement, it is difficult for a "shadowbanned" user to grow their accounts. As a result, you may see a slowdown in your Instagram account's growth rate.

But wait, there's more!

Instagram says that shadowbanning is a myth and doesn't hide content because too many hashtags are used.

In February 2020, Instagram put out a statement saying:

"We know that users have had trouble with our hashtag search, which has caused posts not to show up. We suggest you focus on your business goal or objective when making content instead of hashtags."

No matter what you think about this, there is still a problem for Instagram users, whether it's a shadowban or less content that can be found.

Most people agree that shadowbanning was Instagram's way of stopping content that goes against their rules and getting people to follow them.

How Can You Tell If Your Account Is Shadowbanned?

Because Instagram denies that shadowbanning exists, determining whether your account has been shadowbanned is difficult. However, many users use the following quick and easy steps to determine if they have been shadowbanned:

1. Find an Instagram user who isn't following you.

2. Make a new post on your Instagram account and label it with the same hashtags you always use.

3. Request that the person who does not follow you check the hashtag feeds you tagged in your post.

You are not shadowbanned if the user who does not follow you sees your post in their hashtag feed. But if your posts don't appear in their hashtag feed, Instagram has probably shadowbanned you.

Don't fret just yet! You'll have to figure out first why your business account was shadowbanned by Instagram so you can devise a solution.

Why Would Instagram Shadowban Your Account?

Instagram hasn't said precisely what causes a shadowban or if it even exists. Still, our Florida SEO marketing experts think it depends on what a user does. The more your posts look like spam, the more likely you will be banned. 

Here are some reasons why Instagram would shadowban your account:

• Your account has been flagged for possible violations of the terms of service or community guidelines, such as spamming, copyright infringement, or posting offensive content.
• You're using software that violates Instagram's Terms of Service. This includes bots that help you get more followers, like Growthoid, Nitreo, or Inflact. It could also be caused by Kicksta, Crowdfire, or Flock Social, which are services that claim to manage your Instagram account for you.
• You are going over Instagram's daily and hourly limits for how many photos you can like, comments you can leave, and people you can follow or unfollow. Remember, you shouldn't like more than 150 posts, post more than 60 comments, or follow/unfollow more than 60 accounts within a single hour.

So, before you get too nervous about a permanent shadowban, check to see if you've committed any of these violations.

How To Fix or Avoid a Shadowban on Instagram?

Here are some things you can do to prevent your account from getting shadowbanned, or to get back in Instagram’s good graces if you believe you’ve been shadowbanned:

• You shouldn't use bots or automate your engagement on Instagram if you want to get more followers. Check your list of followers carefully, and if you find any bot accounts, remove them.
• Stay away from third-party apps that don't follow Instagram's rules. Don't use apps that post photos directly to your Instagram account without using the Business API.
• Engage with your followers by leaving thoughtful comments on their Instagram posts. Remember that generic comments may get flagged if they are mistaken for being made by a bot. Be aware of this before posting.
• Don't use any Instagram hashtags that are on Instagram's banned list. It would help if you also tried to limit the number of relevant hashtags you use in each post to no more than five to six hashtags.
• If you think your account has been shadowbanned, don't use Instagram for 48 hours. Some users say that a break like this can help fix the problem by resetting the system.

RELATED: Outsmart The Instagram Algorithm Like A Boss

In other words, always follow Instagram's Terms and Conditions! Ensure you fully understand the community guidelines before posting to avoid breaking them.

Put Your Instagram Account In The Hands Of The Experts

Shadowbans on Instagram can make it hard for people to see and interact with your profile. It can kill your growth and potential.

Follow these tips to give yourself the best chance of staying visible and active on the platform—which will help you grow your account.

To summarize, as long as you follow Instagram's terms and conditions, you should be fine. Make sure to keep in mind that taking precautions is always preferable to facing the consequences of your actions.

However, if you don't want to be bothered by Instagram's terms and conditions and community guidelines, you're better off leaving your account in the hands of professionals.

When it comes to managing Instagram business accounts, our Florida SEO marketing specialists at Digital Resource are the best in the business. We can help you grow your business by using our proven social media tactics.

Contact us today for a free consultation!