Getting started as an Instagram influencer is tricky on its own. You have to navigate establishing your brand and business, creating fresh and innovative content, engaging with users, and setting up brand deals. The last thing you want is having to deal with Instagram’s strict rules and policies on top of those challenges.
While Instagram is a fantastic tool for people to monetize their audience, it’s also one of the trickiest social media platforms to publish content on because of the strict guidelines regarding what is allowed to be posted on the app. Here are a few tricks to help you understand if and why you’ve been banned, how to fix it, and how to avoid getting a ban at all. Better safe than sorry!
How to know if Instagram banned you
There’s one obvious way to figure out if Instagram has banned you, which is that they will contact you and let you know that your account has been suspended. You won’t be able to log in, and a message might show up when attempting to do so. Having your account disabled usually comes without warning.
Instagram rule violations can also lead to a temporary block, which will limit your profile’s functions. Comments, likes, follows, and direct messages may be unavailable to you for a specific period of time, which can vary depending on the infraction. Your posts will also be hidden from hashtags. This can last anywhere from a few hours to a few weeks.
In some cases, accounts may be permanently suspended. Adult entertainment influencers often deal with this problem and find themselves having to start over from scratch more often than not. This is what makes Instagram a tricky tool to use for business when it comes to adult content, but when you’re able to stick to guidelines, it’s more than worth it!
You might also be familiar with the concept of a shadowban and wondering how to know if you’re shadow banned on Instagram.
A shadow ban refers to limiting a user’s content so that they don’t show up in general searches. Your profile is still visible to your followers but won’t show up in the search bar, and your content won’t appear to users on the explore page or as suggested content. Only people who already follow you will be able to view your posts.
This usually happens if a specific piece of content recently posted triggered a high number of reports, is deemed inappropriate, or violates community guidelines.
To know if you’ve been shadowbanned, try using hashtags and seeing if your post shows up on hashtag feeds. You can do it from a secondary account or ask a friend to check for you, as it has to be done by a user who doesn’t already follow you. Other people might also inform you that you’ve been shadowbanned.
You can also keep an eye on your Insights and be wary of a sudden, steady drop of follower increase. This can indicate a shadowban.
How many reports to get banned on Instagram
Unfortunately, there are no set amount of reports needed to get banned or suspended on Instagram. Any number of reports from other people can trigger a review, leading to being banned, blocked, or disabled. There are also no current tools available to avoid this possible outcome.
Instagram may also ban your account on its own without the need for reports or complaints. If there is suspicious activity or your post or business clashed with any of their guidelines, it might lead to your account being suspended. Here are a few things to look out for to avoid getting a ban or block on the platform.
Why do I keep getting banned on Instagram?
A few different actions or activity might cost you your profile.
The first reason you might get your account banned or blocked is violating copyright by posting content that isn’t unique or of which you aren’t the owner. Music and videos can also raise a copyright flag, so if you plan on using background music in an Instagram Reel, for example, make sure to use a copyright-free track.
Banned hashtags that go against guidelines can also quickly get you blocked or disabled. If hashtags refer to or encourage violence, nudity, or anything that goes against community guidelines, your post will be taken down, and your account might get banned. Misusing or overusing hashtags that aren’t relevant to your content are also actions you should avoid.
Running a quick search to find out which hashtags are currently being overused or banned is a good practice to implement in your content creation routine.
Reaching for engagement and connecting with your followers and new users is crucial to creating a brand, but don’t overdo it. There are limits when it comes to how many likes and follows you can get through on an hourly basis, and if you go over these limits, you can get your account limited or suspended pretty quickly.
Engaging with other accounts and connecting with your followers or other influencers is essential, but keep in mind that you can quickly be suspected of spamming if you go too far. While some sources list 350 likes and 20 follows an hour as the limit, others mention 150 likes and 60 follows, so keep an eye out and be wary of not exceeding an organic amount of engagement on an hourly basis. Make sure to keep comment activity to an organic level as well.
In the same vein, mass following or unfollowing people can harm your account are generally not preferable actions to grow a solid follower base. Any action similar to bots activity can trigger a ban.
A good practice to implement is also to post manually from your phone or desktop rather than using bots or automated apps to do the job for you. Publishing a post or comment manually is sure to keep Instagram off your back and your account safe from being banned.
Overall, inappropriate content is generally the biggest red flag that might get accounts banned on Instagram when it comes to influencers. Focus on more family-appropriate posts on Instagram. Creating a premium website or using platforms like Twitter to publish more risky content is a good alternative and allows you to widen the reach of your business.
Keeping an updated list of banned hashtags on hand can also be helpful, especially knowing that simple hashtags such as #curvygirls, #dating, #hustler, #loseweight, and other consumer-friendly topics can trigger a suspension.
What to do if your Instagram account gets banned
As mentioned previously, account bans are usually permanent and can’t be undone. Still, there are actions that can be taken to help you out. You can attempt to recover your account by heading to the Facebook help center and reporting your account as having been hacked. Fill out the form and submit it for review.
If you still can’t recover your account, starting from scratch might be your best option. A trick to help you in the future is to keep a backup account on hand with more appropriate or safe content and build an audience on that account in case your main profile gets banned. This prevents you from having to start over entirely in case of a ban.
If you want further advice on creating the best content for your preferred social media platform, our FansRevenue digital marketing experts will be happy to help you get the most out of your audience. Use the best tools available to get the best outcome!
