Before the Ban: steering clear of Instagram Shadowban

When engagement nosedives, concerned community managers will try anything to correct course. But sometimes, less is more. Welcome to the murky world of Instagram Shadowban.

Has your Instagram account seen a significant drop in engagement rates? Has it happened with the same posts and hashtags? Be aware, this could be a light penalty that Instagram applies to some users, also known as ghost banning, stealth banning. This is the dark world of Instagram Shadowban.

The true meaning of Instagram Shadowban

Shadowban is a term that was used around 2006, but only went mainstream in 2017, after Twitter declared that it used a type of temporary “time-out” on users that had been using the app to post abusive tweets.

Instagram Shadowban means that the app is blocking your content from the public without notifying you. Under the ban, Instagram only displays content to an account current following, hiding posts from the Explorer section, through hashtags or locations.

As a result, new users, those who are not current followers, do not see any new content published while the ban is in place.

Why is this happening?

There are some reasons that might put some accounts under a “shadowban” state

One of the most obvious is violating Instagram’s terms of use, such as buying followers or likes. Also, reports by other users are also a key consideration for the social media team of content analysts.

But more conspicuous actions can also result in an account being banned. Producing a spam on a feed is one of them. Accounts that post over 3 times a day and see a surge of activity are likely to be flagged. For instance, receiving a lot of likes and comments in less than an hour could be interpreted as “bot activity”.

Finally, using banned or broken hashtags on posts will probably result in an account receiving this sort of unwelcomed attention from Instagram. Before using a hashtag, research it. Scroll down to see if it is not under review. Some hashtags get banned, and then unbanned again. Some examples for this year alone include #beautyblogger, #cupcake, #elevator or #gloves. Using a hashtag checker platform,such as Flick or IQ Hashtags, helps businesses quickly detect banned or flagged hashtag (ex. ).

 Unfair as it may be, Instagram Shadowban is not permanent, usually lasting up to 14 days. In Instragam time, however, this can feel like an eternity.

How to make sure an account was targeted by Instagram’s Shadowban

There are two efficient ways to detect whether an account is subject to Instagram’s Shadowban.First, log into your personal account and unfollow your business Instagram account. Then post on your business account. Now, check your personal account for that post. If it is not there, and not on Recent Posts, then your profile is most likely under Instragram Shadowban. You might ask a coworker/friend to follow the same procedure.

A second route involves using a Shadowban tester. Just add the username and your account will be scanned.

Reversing Instagram Shadowban Once the realization sets in that your account has been hit by Instagram Shadowban, it’s time to fix it.

Take a 48–72-hour break

Make sure not to have any activity in the account, in the next 2 to 3 days. That means not even login. This stops Instagram from categorizing your account as “bot activity”. After that, you can resume posting.

Scale back

Posting multiple times a day can lead Instagram to label a certain account as a “spammer”. To avoid that, reduce the number of posts to around one daily post. Reducing the quantity of content and focusing on valuable and aesthetic posts can represent a positive shift in a brand’s social media strategy.

Also, is important to post contentmanually and engage in realtime with the online community. Sure, it takes more time, but it also proves that you are abiding by Instagram’s terms of service.

Hashtags

Besides being careful with flagged hashtags, create a simple spreadsheet with the hashtags that work better for a specific audience. This reduces the number of repeated hashtags, while ensuring that only relevant tags are used in each post.

Quantity matters, as not every post requires 30 hashtags. Reducing the number of hashtags per post prevents Instagram from listing your account as a spammer.

Stories

Another strategy that helps drive engagement and community growth is shifting focus towards Instagram Stories. If you’re currently posting over 2-3 posts daily on the account feed, then some of that should be Instagram Stories. As of today, Instagram Shadowban does not take Stories into analysis.

Instagram Shadowban, albeit temporary, is an unwelcomed nuisance for community managers. Causes vary, but, most likely, brands bring this situation upon themselves by sticking to a higher than average publication frequency or using broken hashtags. Correcting the situation requires pausing social media activity for at least 48 hours and posting manually from thereon after.

Get in touch with our team of Instagram experts that can help your brand steer clear of Instagram Shadowban.