Are you safe from the Instagram Shadowban?

Are you protecting yourself from Instagram’s Shadowban?

What is a Shadow Ban?
The Shadowban is somewhat of an urban legend which has haunted social media users for just over a year now…
But it is still an ongoing issue.
The term first became popular during 2017 after a number of social media users reported a noticeable drop in their accounts’ engagement and subsequently, realised that their posts were ‘unsearchable’ via hashtags and search functions. Naturally, if somebody can’t search for your account or see your posts in a specific hashtag feed, then your account is completely undiscoverable to them – scary stuff when you’re trying to reach a larger following!
Since these reports have gained notoriety across social media communities, the giant companies of Social have begun addressing them with Twitter openly stating that they ‘do not Shadowban accounts’, when speaking to Fox News in January of this year.
Despite this claim from Twitter, many users of Instagram are still openly sharing their difficulties with the Shadowban and detailing the harmful implications that it has had upon their account’s following and engagement levels.

What can you do to fight back against the Shadowban?
Sadly, all that is known about the Shadowban has come from a culmination of gossip, hearsay and rumour but, if you follow these steps, you should be able to protect yourself from it as much as possible…
1. Don’t Break The Rules
Instagram has a very extensive list of terms and conditions which, if broken, could result in your account being Shadowbanned. Using any form of software which posts on your behalf such as Planoly or Schedugram, is an example of how one might violate these terms.
2. #DoNotUseBannedHashtags
We’re not suggesting that you are using NSFW hashtags across your social accounts but be aware that sometimes, innocent hashtags can be used across Instagram to showcase adult content! If this happens and Instagram decide to ban the specific hashtag temporarily, that photo of you enjoying your holiday in your #bikini could be affected resulting in a Shadowban across your account.
3. Prove You Are A Real Person
Instagram is a clever little thing really – with multiple algorithms running simultaneously to detect bots and fake accounts every single day, it’s no surprise really that sometimes, they do get it wrong!
To ensure that you don’t get accidentally Shadowbanned, it is important that you do not engage in any behaviours that could potentially make you seem like a robot! This includes liking or commenting on too many photos in quick succession, the overuse of popular hashtags such as #Follow4Follow, #Like4Like and #InstaHappy and finally, using any websites or paid services to boost your following. Act like a human and you should be safe!
If you’re concerned that your social media account has been affected in this way, feel free to contact us for support.