November 2, 2019 Featured, social media No Comments

Don’t get caught using banned hashtags on Instagram

 

Planning content for social media can be time consuming… When uploading your golden posts, you really want to make sure they get in front of as many eyeballs as possible. 

Consider what hashtags you are using. Not all hashtags are equal. In fact, some won’t give you ANY visibility at all and can actually slow down the reach of your post. Not cool. The Instagram algorithm is always one step ahead and it’s programmed to pick up posts which include those unfavoured hashtags.

Banned Hashtags

There are a few banned hashtag lists doing the rounds. Here are two lists which we found helpful at when developing content for our clients…

 

How to spot if a hashtag has been banned?

  • Type the # into you’re the search bar.
  • If you’re hashtag does not show up in the search, it has most likely been banned.

 

What happens to your content/account when a banned hashtag is used?

You can get shadow banned – ie. blocking a user or their content from an online community such that the user does not realize that they have been banned. Your post will drop in engagement and reach. You may even see a decline in your followers. Any activity from your account which Instagram deems to be ‘spammy’ can cause your account to be shadow banned.

Tips to come back from a shadow ban?

  • Give your account a cool down period. approx 1-3 days
  • Commence using unique hashtags which are relevant to your brand/target audience.
  • Check any 3rd party apps that could be upsetting Instagram’s Terms of Service.
  • If all else fails, report the issue to Instagram and tell them your content is not showing up in searches.

Need assistance putting a sound hashtag strategy together for your business? Get in touch for a chat.

Contact us today

Written by Tracey Jarvis