Humans are visual creatures. We like to “look at” rather than “read through”, which is why as a digital marketing consultant for SMEs, I recommend businesses use Instagram to reach potential customers. For local and small online businesses, it gives you a chance to sit alongside giants by using the right hashtags and appearing in hashtag searches. However, since June 2016, many businesses pages have noticed a drop in engagement due to new algorithm updates, which mean your posts aren’t as visible as they might have been. Add to that a new theory that Instagram is Shadowbanning accounts, and you might be seeing almost no engagement.
What is Shadowbanning?
This is a term which has been kicking around business-focused Facebook groups as of late. Some business accounts have reported a severe drop in engagement and suspect it has something to do with Instagram “banning” posts from surfacing during hashtag searches.
For example, if you post a photo with #businesscoach, in the past anyone who would search this hashtag could come across your post allowing it to be seen by more people, inevitably driving engagement.
However, if you’ve been Shadowbanned, this post is only visible to you and your page followers.
How do I know if I’ve been Shadowbanned?
The problem with this unconfirmed ban, is that users aren’t being notified that they have been banned.
If you suspect your engagement is way below average, share a post with your regular hashtags, then ask someone who doesn’t follow your profile to search for that hashtag. If they see your post, you’re fine – you might just need to work on posting some more engaging content. If they can’t see you, you have been Shadowbanned.
Why is this unconfirmed?
Instagram for Business released a statement on the 1 March claiming:
“We understand some users have experienced issues with our hashtag search that caused posts not to be surfaced. We are continuously working on improvements to our system with the resources available.”
This might be an indirect acknowledgement that something is going on, without actually admitting to this new ban.
Why have you been Shadowbanned?
While these are all speculative, we’ve seen the following activity leading to Shadowbanning:
1. You’re using growth bots, automated services or buying followers: there’s no quick fix to growing your Instagram profile
2. You’re using “broken” hashtags: hashtags which have been abused (think NSFW) and are therefore disabled by Instagram to protect users
3. You’re acting spammy: using too many hashtags, following or un-following lots of people, liking lots of images in quick succession
How can I fix this?
If you think you’ve been Shadowbanned, here are some suggestions to get your business profile back on track:
1. Lay low on Instagram for a few days: sometimes the problem will fix itself
2. Review your hashtag strategy: research your hashtags and check if you are using broken or spammy hashtags
3. Stop using growth bots or automated growth services. And definitely don’t buy followers.
Remember, there’s no quick fix to building a strong online community. It takes genuine and relevant content, consistent (but not over-the-top) posting and time.
Madeline Avery, Director, Birdcage Marketing
