If you’re here because you’ve heard a lot about shadowbanning lately, or you’ve recently become the victim of a shadowban, you’ve come to the right place.
While there are always going to be rumors going around about various things to do with Instagram, unfortunately, this one seems to be true. Unfortunately, it appears that shadowbanning on Instagram is real, and there are plenty of people out there, perhaps yourself included, that can attest to this.
Let’s talk about it, then, what it is, and how to get it lifted.
What is a Shadowban on Instagram?
So, what exactly is a shadowban on Instagram, then?
Before we answer this question, we have to say that since Instagram has implemented various algorithms and people have been using third party sources for their growth like Stellation Media, there are many users out there that have seen a significant increase in their overall Instagram growth.
So, if you fall into this category and you feel like your growth has dropped off a little bit lately, this doesn’t necessarily mean that your account has been shadowbanned. Instagram has explained the following:
As you can see, from Instagram’s explanation of what has been happening lately, there appears to have been a glitch in the system.
However, this could also be Instagram trying to do damage control around shadowbans.
So, now that we’ve briefly talked about what else it could be let’s focus on shadowbanning. Shadowbanning is when your content gets limited severely so that only existing followers can see it.
Your content can not be searched through the hashtags that you include on it, which, of course, is going to cause your page to take a big hit.
Again, while your photos and videos may still be in the feeds of those who already follow you, it’s going to be pretty hard to attract new people to your page.
How Do You Know if You’ve Been Shadowbanned?
If you want to know once and for all if you’ve been shadowbanned, the best way to do this is to ask a couple of Instagram users that don’t already follow you to see if your content is appearing with the hashtags you posted it with.
With this, you also have to keep in mind that there are going to be plenty of other photos and videos associated with that hashtag, so this isn’t necessarily a straightforward task.
They might want to try and use a hashtag that is relatively small and doesn’t have too much content already associated with it.
If the people you have asked to check can’t see your image anywhere, then there is a good chance that your account has been shadowbanned.
Why Did I Get Shadowbanned?
As you already know, Instagram has tried to avoid this topic as much as possible.
They have never explicitly talked about a shadowban or discussed what it is, but it’s clear to the rest of us that a shadowban is the result of Instagram users’ actions.
This means that if you use hashtags repetitively, or you use hashtags that are either banned or inappropriate, Instagram may have shadowbanned you.
Let’s go into this a little bit more:
- You’re Using Violating Software: if you’re using a third-party source that has software in violation of Instagram’s terms and conditions, then they may have shadowbanned you. This includes things like Instagram bots that automatically grow your engagement for you, but they do so without following the T’s and C’s that Instagram has around using a third-party source. What isn’t going to get you in trouble with Instagram, however, is Hashtags for Likes, a search engine where you can find hashtags that aren’t going to get your shadowbanned. They make sure to work within Instagram’s rules and regulations, so they don’t put your account at risk.
- You’re Going Outside of Instagram’s Hourly Limits: Instagram has limits in place on how often you can follow other people, and then unfollow them again. This also applies to comments and likes. If you’re doing too much interacting, then they may have shadowbanned you. This can either be through a third party company or from doing it yourself.
- You’re Using a Spammy Hashtag: this is either an abused or broken hashtag that has been used way too many times. What’s more, there are hashtags out there that seem innocent enough, but actually, have lots of inappropriate content associated with it. When this happens, Instagram will either ban the hashtag or limit who can use it, and when they can.
- Your Account Has Been Reported: this is one of the quickest ways to get the attention of the gram. If someone has reported you for violating Instagram’s terms and conditions, then they’re naturally going to try and limit your activity.
How Do I Get My Account Back to Normal?
- Stop Automating Your Engagement: outsourcing your engagement is an excellent timesaver, but unfortunately, a lot of the time, the companies you associate with are in violation of Instagram’s terms and conditions. This means that if you’re worried about your account being shadowbanned, you need to take a break from any kind of automated engagement, to give your profile a chance to bounce back and get the shadowban lifted.
- Remove Spammy Hashtags: whether it’s from newer posts or older content, it’s vital that you get rid of all of those hashtags that Instagram considers to be spammy or inappropriate. The less of these you have on your content, the closer you’ll be to getting that shadowban lifted.
- Take a Break: If you’re trying to get your shadowban lifted, we recommend taking a break from Instagram completely for 48 hours. Once you’ve done this and want to start using it again, we suggest doing so manually and making sure that all of your actions are well within Instagram’s T’s and C’s.
- Report the Issue: Instagram, at the end of the day, wants to make sure that everyone can make the most of their social media app. This is why it’s worth getting in touch with Instagram about the shadowban problem and seeing what can be done to sort it out.
- Switch From a Business Account to a Personal Account: there is a chance that Instagram has lumped you into the ‘business owners’ category, which they think are more likely to use third-party companies for their engagement. If you want to sort out the shadowban, try switching your account back to personal.
Final Thoughts
There are many different ways to grow your Instagram, but there’s not a lot you can do when you get shadowbanned.
Fortunately, however, this doesn’t mean that it’s all over. As you can see, there are many different ways to deal with this, and the sooner you deal with it, the better. If you’re used to using a third party for your engagement but don’t feel like you can anymore, check out some reputable online Instagram marketing courses.
They are either free or charge a small fee, and can make a huge difference in your ability to grow your Instagram profile successfully. The sooner you get that shadowban lifted, the sooner you will be able to get back to focusing on growing your brand again.
