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Everything You Need to Know About the Instagram Shadowban

April 21, 2017 by Ty Merkel 11 Comments

Everything You Need to Know About the Instagram Shadowban

If you are reading this article then you’ve probably heard of the next big Instagram plague— far worse than the non chronological feed debacle and a thousand times worse than the infamous Instagram purge of 2014. The shadow ban. It’s here and it will seriously wreck your precious Instagram account. Whether you’ve been affected or not, read on to discover what causes it, how you can avoid it, and how you can un-shadowban your account.

What is an Instagram Shadowban?

The Instagram shadowban is when your hashtags become unsearchable, undiscoverable, and for all intents and purposes, invisible to anyone outside of your current followers.

You can still use hashtags and from your perspective everything seems dandy. When you click through your tags, your photos pop up where they should. Although, when a stranger searches for a hashtag that’s linked to your photo, like #pnw for example, your post will be totally missing on the gallery page, while other people’s photos are still displayed.

This hashtag specific ban means you will have a difficult time gaining a following, especially if you are a smaller account. Reversely, if you have painstakingly built a fantastic profile with a large fanbase, that account might become stagnant.

How do I know if I’ve been shadow banned?

Believe it or not, some people’s accounts have been banned for months and they are just noticing. Other users notice almost immediately. The primary sign is that you’ll see a drastic drop in engagement, and upon more investigation you’ll realize that virtually all of your likes and comments are coming from your current followers.

If you’ve noticed this downward trend, then you can conduct a hashtag test. You simply put up a new post and tag your photo with an underused hashtag that doesn’t get many updates. Then while you are still on your own account, click through to the hashtag gallery and look at precisely where your photo is located.

Then log onto another account that doesn’t follow/ interact with your profile. If your hashtag pops up, congrats, your account is in the clear. Sleep easy. But if the photo doesn’t show up where it should, you might be shadowbanned.

Update: Now you can use this shadowban checker.

Why did my account get shadow banned?

So you might be asking, why? Why me? I’m not a robot, I don’t use any third party apps, I don’t post nudes —I’m a maternity photographer for goodness sake!

Instagram hasn’t acknowledged this shadowban, let alone stated what actions will land you in time out. After exhaustive research, here is what might be causing your shadowban:

#1 You are using a broken or banned hashtag

We all know that certain tags like #booty is banned. Yet, sometimes perfectly innocent hashtags get overrun with so much spam and nudity that Instagram decides to nix the entire hashtag rather than sort through the rubbish. For example, #Newyears, #Instagirl, #eggplant and even #kansas are banned tags. Also, if you incorporate one banned hashtag into your post, it can essentially poison your entire set and render you invisible on all other legit hashtag galleries.

#2 You are using the same hashtags over and over again

Do you use the same set of 30 hashtags every time you post? Do you only switch up the last tag or two? Well, that might look a little spammy, as Instagram flags any repeat comments (or captions) you post.

#3 You’ve gone on liking sprees and mass following/ unfollowing

Instagram has a limit on how many actions you can make in an hour and if you go on a spree, IG will eventually block that action and say that you can’t use that feature for a while. But even if you don’t go over the limit, Instagram might recognize these surges of engagement as an Instagram bot on a liking rampage.

#4 Other users have reported you

Anyone you interact with can report your actions to Instagram HQ, and this is the one area of IG customer service where they act swiftly. So if you have been spamming, following/unfollowing rapidly, posting nude photos, stealing photos, or posting weird comments— some people might report your inappropriate behaviour, and you could be shadow banned instead of having your account outright deleted. Also, if you have been using the following/ unfollowing method you might be following/ unfollowing the same person a bunch of times, so much that they notice and report you.

#5 Using any kind of instagram automation software

This goes without saying but any service that claims to boost your account or perform any actions on Instagram on your behalf might be sabotaging you. In simple terms, anything automated is directly against Instagram’s terms of service. But maybe you have the automation set to slow speed, to mimic human actions on IG? Well, Instagram will find out anyways, because one minute your automation service is liking photos from an IP address in Washington then a few minutes later you comment on some posts from an IP address in New York. The algorithm will immediately recognize all of that as shifty behavior.

Is this a glitch or is Instagram doing it on purpose?

Instagram has released a statement vaguely addressing the invisible hashtag issue…

Screen Shot 2017-04-13 at 7.37.41 PM

As you would guess, not many people are happy with this answer (and that’s putting it lightly).

The gist is that you should simply not lean on hashtags for growth and instead focus on other avenues, like creating good content and reaching out to potential followers. But hashtags are the main discovery mechanism on Instagram and growing your account without them is like going back to dial up internet.

Additionally, from what we’ve researched no one has personally heard back from Instagram if they reported this issue on the app. So for now, we are in the dark and at the mercy of the Instagram gods. But there are three valid theories which will help you make sense of the hysteria.

#1 Since this summer, Instagram has been changing their algorithms. Why? To crack down on automation services and Instagram bots. So one possibility is that the system is a little overzealous and is incorrectly punishing regular accounts. If this is true, the problem will be remedied when Instagram “gets the resources” and makes their algorithm smart enough to differentiate between bots and normal users, like yourself.

#2 Some people suspect that not enough business users are paying for ads on Instagram, especially considering Facebook’s acquisition of IG. So this could be the beginning of a pay-to-play system that has already been implemented on Facebook for businesses. Where your engagement is lowered automatically by the algorithm and you have run some ads to bring engagement back up.

#3 Many people suspect Instagram is deflecting from the issue, and will just continue to silence various accounts that appear spammy or don’t “behave well” via IG’s mostly unwritten engagement rules. Never communicating with the accounts as to not cause alarm. Scaring people straight with the constant threat of a shadow ban seems like an effective way to punish users who use get-followers-quick tactics.

How can I get my account back to normal?

We know, it sounds hopeless. Instagram’s customer support is notoriously silent in these sort of situations. But here’s what some other users have done to get the hashtag rights reinstated:

#1 Immediately stop suspicious activity

That means no more sprees of any kind. Make sure to do everything in even measure. What seems safe is to engage for a few minutes (5-10) every hour, like a few photos, post a unique comment specific to the post or photo, follow a new user, and like another photo in that order essentially. Don’t move too fast and don’t perform too many actions in a row or excessively.

#2 Revoke API permissions

Remember that one time you signed up for a follower tracker app and gave them your login info? Well, that could be the sole reason you are banned. So log onto your account and make sure that no other applications have access to your account. Additionally, if you have dabbled in any automation services in the past, they won’t show up on this authorized permissions page, because automation programs don’t use Instagram’s API in that way. If you can’t remember what service you used, or you are roped into some godforsaken annual plan, you’ll have to change your password to cut off the automation service.

#3 Switch from a business account to a personal account

It is possible that Instagram is trying to coax you into using ads. Businesses rely on engagement to increase sales, so decreasing reach could definitely force people to use sponsored posts. Reverting back to a personal account might be a way around this.

#4 Take a sabbatical

Take a few days off. Sign off and don’t log back in. No liking, no posts, and no following. Then when you get back on, ease back in slowly, and engage like you are being watched (because you probably are).

#5 Avoid growth hacks and engagement groups

Using 60 hashtags in your comment and caption? Following and unfollowing people by tracking them with a tracker app? Joined up with an engagement group that promises to like each other’s photos at a certain hour, in a certain way? Stop. It. All. These hacks may work for a brief second but if you get shadow banned then it’s all kind of pointless right?

#6 Delete questionable content

If you have posted anything that might be deemed questionable (this applies for hashtags too) go ahead and delete it. Getting rid of banned or reported clutter on your page might do the trick.
In the end, what matters is that you avoid anything spammy or questionable. If you follow these rules and recommendations there’s a good chance you can get your account back to normal. Have any of you been banned? Have any of these solutions helped? Anything that we missed? Let us know in the comments below!

Filed Under: Featured, Featured1, Friday Feature, MOTIVATE, ONLINE, SOCIAL, TIPS & TRICKS, Ty Merkel, USA Tagged With: Hashtag Glitch, Hashtags, Instagram, Shadowban, Shadowbanned, Social Media

INTRODUCING- 3 INCREDIBLE WOMEN

March 16, 2015 by The FCA Leave a Comment

INTRODUCING- 3 INCREDIBLE WOMEN

A short while ago I posted a notice to recruit an intern for the FPA and I was completely overwhelmed with the amount of people that replied!

A huge thank you to everyone who applied- every single one of you were amazing and I could have hired you all! It was SUCH a tough choice and it truly took me a long time to decide, but after a while these incredible applicants really began to stand out to me as being ‘the ones’.

And more than that – these ladies are so talented at what makes them special I couldn’t give them the name Intern anymore – it felt like I was completely under-describing them and their capabilities, as well as the role they are going to play in the FPA!

So I am so happy to announce you to the FPA Brand Ambassadors. Read on to find out who they are, what they will be doing, and how they will be helping you.

 

Cat Hepple

If any of you have witnessed Cat Hepple‘s progress recently you are probably a little in awe of her achievements – as am I!

Cat has recently launched her first book, an entire website dedicated to the art of persuading your clients (including posing but it is so MUCH more than that), has been appointed to teach a class on Posing at the Click Away conference over in Texas in September, and is now guest blogging for Professional Photographer Magazine.

Her own photography work is beautiful and she is now attracting more and more of the client she loves – and destination bookings too, which I know she adores! She is also a very valued member of the Shining Lights group and VIP program and her sharing and contributions to both are always generous and encouraging.

But not only that. Almost everyone who applied is accomplished in their own way. But I know the struggle Cat has overcome to be able to do what she is doing and be where she is right now.  I’ve seen her overcome a nasty car accident that even now, months and months later, still leave her in pain.  I’ve seen her fight the overwhelming emotions and physical injuries that have followed from that. I’ve seen Cat work through periods in her own business that have seemed overwhelming or stressful.

When Cat came to me for mentoring last year I saw a woman entirely ready for complete transformation in her business + life, and she has literally taken everything I have thrown at her (and I tend to throw quite a lot at my VIPs and those in my one to one programs)! and she has literally let nothing defeat her.

There has been no resistance, no struggling, no ‘well I’m not sure how this will work for me’.  She accepted, considered, reflected, applied herself, and is now seeing incredible results, because she has put in the work necessary.

I chose Cat because she is an inspiration – she works hard, is technically great, and has overcome probably more struggles than we truly know about in order to achieve what she is achieving now.  She has also constantly told everyone who will listen how great the Shining Lights program is, which obviously made her a natural contender, but it is the sum of all of these things that have made her a true Shining Light in her own right, and so I’m so happy to announce that Cat Hepple is the FPA Brand Ambassador for UK / Europe.

 

2015-03-16_0004

Now Kendra Swall‘s application was a completely unexpected one for me.  In fact, I had almost decided on someone else, when right at the very last minute, Kendra’s application swooped into my inbox and stole both my heart + the position.

Kendra admitted on her application that she knew her business skills and photography technical skills need work (and part of the remit for the position is that the applicants receive one on one coaching with me to grow their business). (personally I think she was being modest, her work is really pretty)!

So why did I choose Kendra? Because of a few things I will describe shortly, and because I just had this FEELING like she was the one!

I know- a successful business based on a hunch, said no successful businesswoman ever.  And hunches don’t sell. And hunches aren’t ‘feet on the ground’ ‘solid business decisions’. Right?

Wrong. Being great at something is all about getting that idea- that hunch- out of your head and out in the world living and breathing and then WORKING at it until it becomes great.

These positions for me weren’t created for ‘the best photographer’ or ‘the best’ anything, other than the potential to be the best person in this role, for the FPA, at this point in time.

And for me, this person was Kendra.

I felt supremely connected to her as a person- I feel she is vibrant and alive and honest. And I feel she has a unique gifting at connecting people –

Kendra has set up a group specifically for female photographers in her local area, and that group has grown to over 300 photographers, and she is also a teacher.

I know how hard it is to grow ANYTHING to over 300 people! It takes a lot of work and Kendra has made it look easy!

And that is what make up part of the heart of the FPA – the strength that grows as being part of a group, and community.  Sharing hearts + minds + ideas + clients + knowledge.

Kendra already understands the power of a community in bucketloads, and that for me was definitely my tipping point in me choosing her- aside from the fact that we both come from teaching backgrounds and have a passion for encouraging others and sharing knowledge.

I also love that Kendra’s love of being a Mother shines through in everything that she does – it’s the first thing I noticed about her facebook profile. Again, that’s not a strictly business decision, but it’s a connection that speaks strongly to who I am as a Mother, and how this beautiful business of photography can be so easily bent and shaped to suit family life, or other great loves + passions.

I want the FPA to help you to understand that ANYONE can make a success of their business, and that our pathways + purposes are unique. There is no ‘right’ or ‘wrong’ way to work, but there is a huge wealth of knowledge out there that helps to make our journeys easier, and with the help of Cat + Kendra we plan to make sure that we help you as much as possible to get what it is you need from the FPA.

 

Maxeen Kim

I also appointed a Summer Internship to the lovely Maxeen Kim Duncan.  Maxeen is another member of Shining Lights whose work for the beautiful lifestyle blog B.LOVED impressed me – plus last year I mentored Max and her business and have seen her whole business direction + style evolve and change as a result. I am very proud of Max and her achievements!

She is smart, hard working, and loyal, and I am very much looking forward to working with her over the summer, right here in beautiful Cyprus! Oh, and her work is so beautiful!

 

How These Incredible Women Will Help You

The exact tasks for the Brand Ambassadors are still in planning for now, as it is a mainly self-directed role-  you will be updated of all the progression!

But right now I CAN tell you that if you are in (or can get to) the UK or Texas in the US, you might want to keep an eye on your inbox – details of official Shining Lights Meetups will be announced soon, as this is something that Cat + Kendra + Max are keen to get underway, and that many of Shining Lights have been requesting! Well, your wish is my command.

{Not a member yet? Join us here}

2015-03-16_0001

Please do join me in giving these gorgeous girls a warm welcome to the FPA, I am beyond blessed to know them + be working with them, and I hope that they are going to be bringing great things your way very soon!

Welcome Cat, Kendra, + Maxeen!

Filed Under: NEWS & REVIEWS, UK, Uncategorized, USA Tagged With: fpa intern, intern

EXHIBITION – Anne Collier (Chicago)

July 31, 2014 by The FCA Leave a Comment

EXHIBITION – Anne Collier (Chicago)

Anne Collier November 22, 2014 – March 8, 2015 Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago

anne collier

Anne Collier
Negative (California), 2013

Anne Collier is the photographer’s first major exhibition, tracing her career from 2002 to the present.

Encompassing around forty works, the exhibition presents several themes that have dominated Collier’s (American, b. 1970) practice during the past decade, including pop psychology, the clichés and conventions of commercial photography, autobiography, and the act of looking or seeing.

These recurring themes provide insights into pressing issues photographers often face today, especially an artist working in the powerful wake of feminism. For instance, Collier shows how a leering sexism has long guided the advertising of photographic products as well as the culture of photography magazines.

Elsewhere, in the long-standing series Woman with a Camera, she highlights a certain type of film heroine, who is suddenly empowered when a camera is placed in her hands.

Marilyn Monroe, Faye Dunaway, Jacqueline Bisset, even Cheryl Tiegs—all heavily photographed subjects—turn the camera back on the viewer in a feminist reversal of “the male gaze.”

Collier usually photographs images that already exist in popular culture—such as record-album sleeves, magazines, coffee-table books, Hollywood film stills, and pictorial calendars—set against neutral studio backdrops.

In many ways, her work can be understood as following a conceptual artistic tradition inherited from Marcel Duchamp, Andy Warhol, and Douglas Huebler of pointing at the ironic and content-laden artifacts of our media age rather than creating new objects.

Collier’s cool and detached photographic style, manifested in large-scale color prints, eliminates any unnecessary artifice between viewers and the material she finds so fascinating.

Organized by James W. Alsdorf Chief Curator Michael Darling, the exhibition is accompanied by an illustrated catalogue with essays by Darling and Whitney Museum of American Art Anne and Joel Ehrenkranz Curator Chrissie Iles, and a creative essay by the novelist Kate Zambreno.

As the exhibition and book attest, the broad range of Collier’s work provides a poignant commentary on the considerable influence that photography wields in society at large.

Collier negotiates the personal and the universal in a fluid and sophisticated way, with an unusual depth but also a generous accessibility. For these reasons, as well as the sustained intelligence and energy of her work, she has emerged as a major voice within the field of contemporary photography.

Museum of Contemporary Art

220 East Chicago Ave Chicago, IL 60611 Exhibition details via Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago Website

Filed Under: LISTINGS, USA

Upcoming Exhibition – Women of Vision (Michigan)

July 26, 2014 by The FCA Leave a Comment

Upcoming Exhibition – Women of Vision (Michigan)

Women of Vision

September 14th – December 31st 2014 

 

exhibit_wov

Exhibition details from: www.wovexhibition.org

For 125 years, National Geographic has documented the world and all that is in it with stunning photography and images that capture the soul of a story. Some of the most powerful and impactful stories of the past decade have been produced by a new generation of female photojournalists. They are as different as the subjects they cover but all share the same passion and commitment to storytelling.

Women of Vision features the work of eleven photographers. From the elegant landscapes of the Mongolian steppes and American West to war torn battlefields of Iraq and Afghanistan; from the last great wildernesses of Africa to the lives of people from the Arctic to the Jersey Shore, their stories explore modern realities and what it means to be human in the 21st Century.

Cranbrook Institute of Science
39221 Woodward Avenue
Bloomfield Hills, MI 48303-0801

September 14th – December 31st 2014 

Monday-Thursday: 10am-5pm 
Friday/Saturday: 10am-10pm 
Sunday: Noon-4pm

Cranbrook Institute of Science
39221 Woodward Avenue
Bloomfield Hills, MI 48303-080 Admission charges apply

Filed Under: LISTINGS, Uncategorized, USA

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