| What actually happens when Instagram doesn’t like your content? What are Instagram’s No’s? This blog we hope outlines some of the reasons Instagram may downgrade your content and what you can do to avoid this happening. What does Instagram not like? In essence, anything that goes against their guidelines, which we have ‘agreed to’ when we sign up for an account. Obvious areas such as hate speech and explicit content are very obvious, but sometimes you may feel none of you content has violated anything obvious, so sometimes we may need to dig a little deeper. How does Instagram detect violations? In this day and age, in reality there aren’t people sat there flicking through your posts making decisions in your content, instead the system is always scanning captions, images and even your DMs to see if anything needs to be flagged. It can therefore sometime get it wrong, which can be frustrating for every day business users. What is the result of this? Best case? Your reach drops. Worst case? Shadowban or full account removal. Reduced reach – Meaning Instagram stops showing your posts to as many people. Shadowbanning – Your content is still there, but it’s practically invisible to non-followers which will impact on your growth long term. Sometimes, these actions from Instagram can lead to full Account blocking Meaning your profile gets locked, suspended, or wiped off the platform completely. The added issue is though sometimes, we don’t always get informed what we have done! |
| What can get your Instagram reach cut Instagram doesn’t just punish outright rule-breaking, it also limits the reach of certain types of content, quietly often without warning. We have outlined some of the most common content things to consider that might get your flagged. Please note these lists are not final, and can be subject to change. Here’s what we already know can get your content pushed down in the algorithm or even flagged for review: Medicinal products – Prescription drugs, unapproved treatments, or misleading health claims. Even mentioning certain medical conditions in captions can get your post restricted. Alcohol and tobacco products – Images of people smoking, drinking, or promoting related products. Even non-branded content showing alcohol can be flagged, especially if it looks promotional. Discrimination based on race or gender – Any form of hate speech, derogatory remarks, or content that promotes inequality. The algorithm is extra sensitive to words and phrases in this category, even in a sarcastic or humorous context. Dietary supplements – Especially exaggerated claims about weight loss or health benefits. If you say a product will help someone lose weight “fast” or “effortlessly,” expect reduced reach. Weapons and explosives – Including images or videos of guns, knives, bombs, or even threats made in jest. Even some children’s toys that look realistic, can be an issue. Adult-oriented products (18+) – This includes sex toys, adult entertainment services, or explicit content. Even if the content is educational, it can still be restricted. Adult content – Bare shoulders? Deep necklines? A swimsuit shot? Instagram’s algorithm has a habit of randomly deciding what’s “too much” – especially for women. Even breastfeeding a baby can flag!! Promises that are too good to be true – Scams, pyramid schemes, and any deceptive business practices. Overpromising results in coaching, investments, or “get-rich-quick” schemes can trigger flags. Violent content – Graphic violence, gore, or anything promoting self-harm. Even posting about serious issues like mental health awareness can sometimes accidentally trigger restrictions. Profanity – Yes, even in memes. Certain swear words or “coded” versions of them (like replacing letters with symbols) can still cause problems. Images of children showing exposed body parts – This includes seemingly innocent photos, like a child in a nappy, which can result in a shadowban or post removal. Misinformation – Anything Instagram considers false news, conspiracy theories, or unverified claims about health, politics, or public safety. This will likely become less stricter in the future update of community guidelines Illicit activities – Hacking, cybercrime, or any form of lawbreaking. Even discussing cybersecurity tools in a neutral way can sometimes get flagged. Social media platforms, (not just Instagram) are always adjusting their settings and in recent times they have started to review a wider view of content and take action against it, many of these are relatively under the radar and aren’t always promoted as potential issues, so worth checking through to see if it could impact your content. Instagram is always adjusting what it considers “problematic,” and this year, a few more types of content are getting quietly pushed down: Using AI generated content and not disclosing this. There’s been a big push for transparency around AI, and some accounts have already seen restrictions because of it. Accounts that constantly repost trending content with no additional value added may also see some shift in their visibility, as the platform wants to keep originality and quality at the heart of what they show. Clickbait style hooks – are not well liked by Instagram, they want to encourage genuine engagement, rather than tricking people into watching videos for longer than they need to Overuse of tagging products in single posts, now can be limited views by your users, again Instagram want the appeal of the commerce side to be less cluttered an aggressive. Unmarked sponsored/AD/gifted post, if Instagram suspect a post is one of these and it isn’t marked up as, it could impact on visibility. So lots to consider as we move forward with social media. We have to be aware that the platforms aren’t doing this to make our lives difficult, all of the above are there to protect our audiences and make the platforms a nice place to be. But being ‘wrongly accused’ can cause issues for you when running your business on social media, but hopefully these tips will help you to make a proactive and positive start, if you are new to social media, or review what you have posted in the past and see if reach and engagement has been lacking , this might explain why. We are going to follow up this blog with another in the series, focusing on another large area related to this blog about the words Instagram doesn’t care for. Watch out for it coming soon. If you have concerns about your content in relation to some of the issues raised here, please drop me an email at [email protected] to arrange a powerhour to discuss what steps can be taken to get your accounts back online. |
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