For every social media account holder, the most dreadful thing is being shadowbanned. It means a sudden dip in Likes and Comments on your posts, or the disappearance of posts altogether for hashtags or on the Explore tab. Consider how you would feel if it happens to you and the consequences of it.

You may lose Instagram followers and popularity. It is so heartbreaking even to just imagine that. Instagrammers rely on the Explore and hashtag pages to broaden their audience and reach. So, feeling frustrated and disappointed when your posts suddenly go missing from the internet is natural. Let us understand more about shadowban and how to avoid it.

More About Shadowban

The term “shadowbanning” refers to blocking a user’s social media material from getting displayed on Explore pages without any intimation. This usually happens when a person violates Instagram’s community rules — or when the content is found unsuitable in some way. Shadowban also restricts the reach and exposure of postings. To learn more, check out the article on what does restrict mean on Instagram.

Since early 2017, both Instagram and Twitter were accused of using the tactic of shadowban on their services. The two platforms have taken various approaches to answer the queries surrounding shadowbanning. In 2017, Instagram published a message about the hashtag issue, stating that it is a technical glitch. In July 2018, Twitter issued a response addressing the Twitter ranking system and the existence of the Twitter shadowban. 

The Best Ways on how to Avoid Being Shadowbanned on Instagram.

There are a variety of reasons why your account may be shadowbanned. Here are a few things to keep in mind if you want to avoid an Instagram shadowban:

• Don’t violate community guidelines– Every social media platform has specific guidelines for content. These guidelines ban hate speech, nudity, misinformation, and illegal activity. If your content is violating these conditions, your account may be banned, or the content will be removed. 

• Don’t act like a bot– Don’t follow bot-like patterns, as social media platforms may impose a shadowban. So, don’t use too many hashtags or irrelevant hashtags. Don’t follow too many people in a short time. Also, too many likes or comments on your post fall in the category of the bot-like pattern. Also, don’t get involved in low-cost engagement strategies like Instagram pods for likes, comments, and followers. Remember, it is difficult to deceive the Instagram algorithm. You must also ensure that your profile is complete and has all the relevant information.

• Check the hashtags that you use-Choose your hashtags carefully. Go for those that don’t have very high competition. Also, don’t use more than 4-5 hashtags for one post. You would have often seen people using too many hashtags (15 or even more than that) thinking it would boost their posts and gain more views. Many times, popular hashtags are used for inappropriate content, and the site might remove those hashtags from the search. You can do a Google search for “blocked hashtags” and avoid using them. 

• Say No to Automation Tools – If you want to stay on Instagram for long, make sure not to trick them by implementing smart strategies. So, stop using bots or any other automation tools or engagement pods if you are using them. Following Insta terms and conditions is the only way to stay on top. If any of your bot accounts appear on the Active tab, delete them permanently from your account. Remember that having 100 followers who love your brand and buy your items makes more sense than having 1,000 followers who never buy from you.

Conclusion

With these tips, you can avoid shadowban. Aim to always be an excellent social media citizen by following the guidelines. Go by the rules, and you will see your account flourishing. Be consistent, add relevant content, and do not compromise on the quality, and you will have your social media account free from the radar of shadowban.