What You Need To Know About the Instagram Shadowban

BEWAAAAARE THE INSTAGRAM SHADOWBAN.

You’ve heard the rumors, the whispers, the scary stories told by firelight. “Watch out or it could happen to you,” they say. “It will appear when you least expect it and heartlessly snatch your likes in the night.”

Maybe it’s even happened to you or someone you love. One moment, you’re hashtagging with wild abandon, watching your followers grow, not a care in the world…then BAM! It’s like you never existed. Your likes plummet, you disappear from all your well-worn hashtags, and you’re left wondering, “WHO AM I ANYMORE?! IF NO ONE CAN DISCOVER ME, HOW CAN I DISCOVER MYSELF??? WHY GOD, WHYYYY?”

This is a tale of the Instagram shadowban. Some say it isn’t real, that it’s all in your head. But you’ve seen things. You know things. You can’t help but believe.

Never fear, Awkward Marketing is here. And in this episode, I’m not afraid to look in the mirror and say “shadowban” five times fast. I’ll be breaking down:

  1. What it is
  2. Why it happens
  3. What to do if it happens to you

Rachael Kay Albers

Rachael Kay Albers is a creative director, business comedian, and brand strategist gone wild. She writes and performs about branding, pop culture, tech, and identity. When she’s not muckraking about marketing, Rachael runs RKA ink, a reinvention studio and branding agency for businesses that burn the rulebook. She's also on Instagram a lot.