August 7, 2021 7 minutes readEntrepreneur contributors do not necessarily agree with the opinions expressed.Your account could be blocked for many reasons. There are simple fixes, such as removing abusive hashtags or avoiding automation that will get you off the list.Use banned hashtagsYou can use hashtags to communicate a powerful message and increase your reach beyond your followers. Hashtags make it easier for users find relevant information and make your content more easily searchable. Instagram does not allow some hashtags to be used anymore. This is because people misuse otherwise innocent hashtags such as #beautyblogger for inappropriate content, which can be sexually suggestive and racially insensitive.#gloves #gloves #besties #customers #gloves #gloves #like #skype #workflow are all banned hashtags. Use of banned hashtags can cause your account to be shadowbanned and your ability not to reach others.Some cases may result in a permanent ban. You will need to remove all broken and abusive hashtags from any posts if you're already in the shadowban club. It is not possible to edit hashtags in comments. You will need to delete all comments that might have been affected by a shadowban. You can go through your posts and see if you've been using the same or similar hashtags. If so, you will need to modify them. Use unique hashtags. For example, you can change #alone from #aloneathome. You should use hashtags that are descriptive and relevant to your content as a rule.Stop using botsFake Instagram accounts and Instagram bots can be used to stimulate user activity and increase engagement. Users who use bots could face account suspension and ad fraud penalty. Shadowbanning users who fake engagement is a good idea. You should not be using automated services to save time and get quick results. If you unfollow and follow the same person 10 times in a matter of days, they will notice and report you. You are also spamming your followers by using a bot that comments on your behalf. This is in violation of Instagram's community standards.Automating comments and posts is a bad idea. It's like posting an emoticon about a sad story with a train on it. Some automation tools can be spammy. For example, some that allow you to find hashtags that will increase your visibility. Unsolicited bulk messaging, however, is spam. You should immediately stop using bots to increase your following. It is impossible to engage with bots and they cannot replace human interaction. You can log out of all automation services and delete them. Then, think about other ways to increase followers, views, likes, and engagement. You can do this by running Instagram ads, assigning social media tasks to other team members, or hiring a virtual assistant.Related: 15 Tips to Optimize your Instagram ProfileFollow the rules of InstagramThis may seem obvious, but it is important to follow Instagram's Community Guidelines and Terms Of Use. Failure to comply with the rules can lead to being reported quickly. Infringing copyright, spamming, impersonating other people and posting inappropriate content are all examples of violations to the Community Guidelines. You can also violate the guidelines by posting copiedrighted images that are not yours, as well as sharing harmful or offensive content.You can review your posts if you've been subject to a shadowban and ensure they are suitable for different audiences. Instagram claims it is a neutral platform that accepts diversity. It is safe for children, seniors, and adults of all races, religions and beliefs. Instagram joined Reddit and Pinterest in banning white nationalism groups, anti-vaccination content and self-harm images, as well as terrorist video streams. Inappropriate content, such as violence, hate speech and graphic sexual content, can be blocked from Instagram quickly.Do not post or comment too fastIf you post too many content, your followers might become content fatigued. While it is important to post relevant and interesting content, you could lose followers if you spam everyone's feeds. It is easy to get your Instagram account banned by commenting, following and posting too fast. These behaviors can cause a rapid drop in visibility, which will limit your exposure to new audiences.Related: Why you should share your Instagram post on InstagramFake engagements are not to be believedInsta engagement pods are groups that connect in chats and forums to exchange likes, comments and followers. There can be 50 to over 1,000 users. You can also choose the type of content that you want to post and the number of followers you have before joining.Engagement pods are against Instagram's rules regarding inauthentic activity. Shadowbanning can be used to ban you from joining a pod. You could also be hacked if you join groups that contain inappropriate, unsafe, or spammy content. Fake likes and comments can make it harder to determine who your target audience is.Send an email to Instagram describing the problemIf all else fails, you can report the problem to Instagram. Support can be reached via the online Help Center, via phone or through your Instagram app. Although it can be difficult to contact them, they will help you if all other avenues have failed to work.Safe ways to increase engagementYou don't have to risk your Instagram account by increasing engagement and brand awareness. There are many ways you can increase brand awareness. One of the best ways you can reach a wider audience is to use relevant and unique hashtags. Visitors should also be able to interact with you through contests or giveaways. You can offer contests such as scavenger hunts and stories, trivia, and photo caption contests to your visitors. A trivia contest can help increase brand awareness and attract new followers. Ask questions about your brand, products and services like:What products are associated with Company X?Who founded company X?What is the most popular product of company X?You should offer a prize to visitors who sign up to participate in a contest. The prize should be worth more than the effort and time spent entering the contest. This could be a gift card or spa gift certificate, a dinner for two, or a package that includes scuba diving. It all depends on what niche you are in. No matter what prize you offer, ensure it is relevant, useful, and unique. Value-based prizes encourage people to take part and draw attention to your company. Your target audience must be attracted to the prize and your product or services must be featured. It's both an incentive and an advertising tool.Shadowbanning has a twistShadowbanning targets content that is vaguely offensive or borderline, fake engagement, and the use automation services. This is an Instagram, TikTok, and Twitter cross-platform moderation technique that prevents accounts from being found in search. While users can still comment, like, and comment on other people's posts, their content will not appear in anyone's feed. They may not be aware that they have been shadowbanned.Twitter and Facebook, social media giants, have been reviewing their moderation algorithms in an effort to provide more transparency. Birdwatch, Twitter's pilot program, allows users to comment on misleading comments and cast their votes on submissions from other users. However, user-driven moderation systems such as this run the risk that they will become mob rule. On the plus side, transparency efforts will allow users to see more of what they have done wrong and why they were flagged.Related: 3 Organic Insta Marketing Strategies to Help You Survive the Pandemic
