Well it’s very likely that you my friend, have been shadow banned! This article will explain what a shadow ban is and specify ways to lift it, it if it happens to you.
A shadow ban is a punishment enforced by Instagram that limits your content reach by restricting your pages visibility. When your account has been shadow banned, your hash tagged posts will only appear to your followers not on the explore page. This ultimately causes you to have limited reach, as only 5-10% of your followers will see your content.
It is important to note that when shadow banned you will see a massive drop in reach overnight. If you’ve seen a drop-in followers, reach and engagement over a long period of time this is not a shadow ban, this drop is probably due to weak or below average content.
The reason for the shadow ban is almost always a punishment for breaking the community guidelines. Some examples include:
Although both Instagram and Facebook have denied the existence of a shadow ban, there are ways to find out if you have been shadow banned:
From my research it is apparent that shadow bans don’t appear to be permanent and most users tend to see theirs lifted within 2-3 weeks. Although there isn’t a ‘fix all’ solution to Instagram’s shadow ban there are several solutions that can help shorten the length of your shadow ban:
1. Wait it out
It may seem like a boring and simple solution, but it is still effective. Some users have said that taking 2-3 days off of Instagram can help lift the shadow ban. When you take a break, it is important to avoid posting, commenting and even logging into the app. After those 2-3 days you can then start engaging with your followers again like you normally would, following all Instagram guidelines in the process. Remember to engage manually. Alternatively, if this method doesn’t work, you can wait 2-3 weeks, which is the average timescale for a first time shadow ban, after this you will notice that your reach gradually comes back.
If you purchase a promotion from within Instagram even if its only for a few dollars, it is in their best interest to look after their paying customers and by shadow banning you this is not making you happy with the service they are providing. Many pages have noted that paid promotion has helped to lift their shadow ban, but it is important to note that this is not instant solution and may still take a few days to lift the ban.
When you’ve have been shadow banned it is vital to then come up with a new hashtag strategy. You should stop using banned or broken hashtags as this could be stopping your posts from appearing under those hashtags. Using the same 20-30 tags on every single post is seen as spam by Instagram and is most likely the reason why you are experiencing a shadow ban. Try to switch up your hashtags, using some that are more tailored to your post, try using some smaller hashtags or even create your own. Make sure your hashtags are distinct and not generic!
Stop using bots and auto-posting software. Yes, foreign software’s that help you to schedule your posts, engage with your followers and grow your following are effective and they save time, but they will hurt you in the long run. Instagram views these services as spam as they break the terms of service and are not authorised by Instagram. If you have used any third-party services cancel them and change your password as that will log you out of that service.
This is another simple solution but take the time to read the terms and services and Instagram’s community guidelines. This will really benefit you as you will stop you from unknowingly breaking the rules.
