Sup, it’s Jordan Kruk, your Marketing Plug.
I’ve done over $4.5M in revenue and hired over 50 people.
And in this article, I’m going to give you the keys to 9 insider secrets.
It’s like having Instagram’s source code 😉
🔴 You’ll know exactly how to diagnose if you are shadowbanned.
🟡 How to fix it. OR when you should create a new Instagram account.
🟢 And how to prevent it from ever happening in the first place.
For instance, did you know that #hardworkpaysoff is a banned hashtag on Instagram?
And could get you shadowbanned…
Crazy right?
I mean…
There are a plethora of creators out there who promote ‘hard work’ and might use this caption.
Using hashtags where Instagram is hiding posts can lead to
- Poor account health
- Or even a Shadowban.
So I created a list of these banned hashtags for myself and my team.
So we don’t get Shadowbanned by using the wrong hashtag.
I recommend you do the same.
You can access my list of 87 Banned Instagram Hashtags for Free here.
It might save your account from a Shadowban.
Here are 3 tests to check if you have one already.
Test 1: The Account Search.
Start typing your username with a different account…
If your account does not show up when almost fully typed out.
Like @imangadzh
This could be your first sign that there’s something wrong.
Test 2: The Account Status Check.
You may check this page in the Instagram Settings right now and consider doing it regularly.
Test 3: The Engagement Metrics Review
If you see a sudden drop in your analytics, then that could be a sign.
Of course, considering a lot of factors, you post the same things, etc.
PS: I’m still working on an automated Instagram analytics dashboard.
I will share it in our group chat when it’s ready.
Now, let’s talk about what NOT TO DO.
1. Obviously, don’t use bots.
Instead, you can consider paid story promotions.
Smart creators like Dan Koe did this before they peaked.
“To get me off the ground, I’m going to network with people and I’m going to implement some form of paid growth strategy. Like either on Twitter or Instagram, I like paid retweets and story shares because they are the most authentic to me.” ~ Dan Koe (source)
2. Before using any hashtag, search it on Instagram
If you see a pop-up like this saying something like “recent posts are hidden”, don’t use it!
Tip: Ask your team to regularly check the hashtags you use.
A hashtag that’s fine today could be banned tomorrow.
And create a list of words that should be bleeped or censored by your editor during video editing or by your social media manager in the captions.
Free access to my A-Z list of 66 Words to Censor here.
Now, let’s talk about fixing a Shadowban.
1st, Review your linked apps.
Then Google each one that shows up + “Instagram API compliance”.
If it hasn’t been updated in the last three months, consider unlinking it.
Outdated apps can trigger red flags.
2nd, Taking a 3-14 day break from posting can help lift a Shadowban.
During a break, still engage with other accounts.
It shows Instagram that you’re a normal active user.
When you start posting again, use this overlay if you don’t use it already and send it to your editor to make sure that your captions, face, and graphics are not covered by Instagram’s UI.
To prevent your posts from not being picked up by the algorithm.
Adam Mosseri (Instagram CEO):
“That’s why captions are so important. That’s why you’ve got to make sure your captions are visible in the feed, not just in the full-screen view. One of the classic mistakes is to put your captions where you don’t even see them until you expand the video.” (source)
BUT IF after all of this, you still have the question…
“Should I start a new Instagram account?”
Then do it unless you have already created 5 Instagram accounts on the same phone or IP address.
And avoid the following: “Having too many devices and too many IP addresses all logged into 1 account.” ~ Logan Forsyth (source)
There are rumors that Instagram gives new accounts a “honeymoon period”.
Where they boost your content to test its performance for the first few weeks.
Is it true?
I don’t know.
To answer the question once and for all…
Find out if a new account is worth it FOR YOURSELF.
For instance, what you can do is to improve the editing of your best-performing reels on your main account and post those new versions on your secondary account. You can compare if your new account performs better.
Is this worth your time?
Again, the only way to know is to find out yourself…
So that’s what I did and followed the steps to make sure that I will reach a US audience even though I live in Europe.
If you want to know the steps to create a US account properly.
I plan to share it in my newsletter soon.
Tip: if you decide to create a new account, you may use Instagram’s close friends feature to have your most engaged followers or friends follow your new account…who are obviously better for your engagement than ‘normal followers’.
And to get the MOST engagement focus on their new DM flywheel.
Adam Mosseri talks more about it in this video.
Watch The Full Presentation here:
PS: if you want to work with me one-on-one, you can email me ([email protected]) or schedule a call here.
