IG Shadowbanning
“I think Instagram might have shadow banned all of my content because I’m suddenly getting a lot less likes and overall engagement.”
This is the same statement I’ve heard from about 4-5 different artists over the past two weeks, so I wanted to address this topic…
Keep reading and I’ll tell you everything you need to know about Instagram’s Secret Shadowban... As well as how to get around the crippling limitations of constantly changing social media algorithms!
For context, Shadow banning is the act of blocking a user's content on social media, without the user even realizing that it's happening...
There is no warning or notice given in advance, and for all you know, you could have been shadow banned months or possibly even over a year ago...
For example, if you've been shadow banned on Instagram, your content will not appear on anyone's feed unless they already follow you, and even then, your followers may not be seeing your content as often as they used to…
As a result, this can really stunt your growth and limit your ability to gain any exposure beyond your current follower base…
So what options do you have left?
Well, you could learn how to run paid social media ads and get really good at it.
But aside from how much you can afford to invest, the bigger issue is that…
If you’ve truly been shadow banned, which means that your account may be on Instagram’s permanent ‘naughty list’, then it’s possible that even your paid ads would not perform as effectively, even if you were optimizing your ads at an expert level...
So, why was your account shadow banned in the first place? (if it ever was)
According to several sources, you could have been, or may in the future be shadow banned for any of the following reasons:
Using bots or any other automated Instagram growth service
Instagram will only reward you if you are creating authentic quality content and truly putting in the hard work yourself to grow your following.
Using broken hashtags or hundreds of hashtags which are irrelevant to your content
Whenever a popular hashtag becomes over cluttered with inappropriate content, Instagram may remove the hashtag or limit its use. If you unknowingly use a broken hashtag, it will prevent your other hashtags from ranking, and could also result in your account being blocked from exposure to outside audiences.
Being reported too often
Other users who may have reported your account repeatedly may have caused Instagram to assume that your account is posting inappropriate content or violating their terms of service.
And although I normally stay away from the public discussion on politics, you may also want to consider that if any of your politics related content has been recently flagged or removed, then that also may have placed you on Instagram’s naughty list…
How to Solve and Prevent an Instagram Shadowban
To undo any damage and start with a clean slate...
If you were using a bot system or any other third party service that promised to grow your followers, stop using them and delete them immediately. To make sure their accounts aren't still attached to yours...
Go to your Instagram (on desktop) and click "Edit Profile"
Then click "Authorized Applications"
If you still see any of those previous third party accounts within the list, click "Revoke Access" to remove them completely
Do some research to ensure that you are NOT using any broken hashtags...
Search “list of banned Instagram hashtags” on Google to verify, and then remove all broken hashtags from your content
You can double check each unique hashtag's page by simply searching the hashtag, where you may find a posted message from Instagram such as, "Recent posts from #indieartistchallenge are currently hidden… " (This indicates that the hashtag is no longer in use and should be avoided)
Take a two to three day break -- completely off the grid.
Although there is no 100% guarantee to this tactic, it’s worth a try and you have nothing to lose if you suspect that you have been shadow banned. People have reported that a full 48 to 72-hour break from using their Instagram accounts somehow reset the system.
Follow Instagram's rules and regulations.
To be absolutely certain of what’s allowed going forward, you can read and follow Instagram's Terms of Use and Community Guidelines.
A few last things to consider…
All Instagrammers (platform wide) have experienced a substantial increase in engagement for a few years now due to the constant algorithm changes. Regardless of whether or not they were ever shadow banned…
As it is, this shadowban (which remains a borderline conspiracy theory) has yet to be 100% proven through evidence, and Instagram continues to deny the truth behind such allegations.
So, if you are struggling with growing your brand and follower base, then the biggest issue is that you may be lacking any of the following factors:
Brand appeal and likeability
Content strategy
Quality of your music and content
Value and authenticity of your content
Defining who your target audience is
Understanding where and how to reach your target audience
Consistency and reliability
Responsiveness and showing love to your followers
Networking and collaboration strategy
Commitment to the everyday grind
Learning how to capitalize on all of these points above is the only true way to overcome the challenges of Instagram’s constantly changing algorithms…
And by making these areas a strength of yours, you will become unstoppable in the long run and will have the capability of expanding your audience on any platform.
If you are looking for additional marketing and music industry strategies and guidance, you can download a FREE copy of our “Label Release Checklist” (22-page guide) to learn how to successfully launch your next release.
Blessings,
Gabriel