Has Your Instagram Engagement Dropped? It May Not Be the Algorithm's Fault
If you've noticed an unexplained drop in engagement on your posts, the algorithm might not be the culprit. It's possible that your Instagram account is a victim of a shadowban.
A shadowban is a method used by Instagram when the platform detects an action that doesn't respect its rules. This can result in:
- A general loss of visibility
- Demotion of content in the feed
- Restrictions on accessing certain features
- Or even content removal
What factors can lead to a shadowban? Any action that goes against Instagram's terms of use or community rules can result in a loss of visibility. Here are some examples:
- Hate speech, violence, nudity, harassment, fake news
- Failure to respect copyright, identity theft, stolen content
- Fake interactions (followers, likes, comments)
- Promotion of dangerous products, hidden advertising...
Within Instagram's settings, there's a dedicated tab to check if your account is experiencing forced visibility reduction (see image 1). To access it, follow these steps:
- On the Instagram app, go to your profile
- Tap the three horizontal lines at the top left, then scroll through the tabs until you see "Account Status" and click on it
- Within this tab, Instagram informs you of any sanctions taken due to rule violations. You can, for example, choose "Demoted in Feed" to see if one of your posts has been impacted
If your content has been negatively impacted without a valid reason, you can submit a review request for the social network to reconsider its decision.
