*Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, which means that we get a commission if you decide to make a purchase through our links, at no cost to you. Read our disclaimer for more info. This I wanted to discuss something that has been causing quite a lot of frustration in the blogger community in the past weeks.
If you are a blogger yourself or very active on Instagram, chances are you have heard of this phenomenon already. I’m talking about the Instagram shadow ban. So, what is it and how can you find out if you have been shadow banned by Instagram?
Recent Changes In Instagram’s Algorithm – Are Hashtags Irrelevant?
I wrote about the changes in Instagram’s algorithm a few months back, where I described how bloggers have lost engagement on their pictures because Instagram limits the exposure of professional images (read: anything not taken on an iPhone).
The newest change to Instagram’s algorithm is that now, hashtags don’t work on these images either! What do I mean by this? Literally what I have just said. Hashtags may be irrelevant for professional quality images.
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The phenomenon has been dubbed the “Instagram shadow ban” because Instagram has not come forward with it officially, and you won’t know you have been shadow banned unless you check your own profile through a different account.
What Is The Instagram Shadow Ban?
If you are serious about your Instagram and are using it for professional purposes, chances are you are using hashtags to increase your reach and audience. Every single “How to grow your Instagram” article on the web tells you that hashtags are important, and not just any hashtags, but specific and niche tags that take lots of time to research.
Except that they aren’t. With the new changes on Instagram, hashtags that are attached to images that are shot on a professional camera do not rank in the algorithm AT ALL according to some photographers.
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