COMMON INSTAGRAM MISTAKES | INSTAGRAM MISTAKES | INSTAGRAM GROWTH STRATEGY

1. Understanding Shadow Banning on Instagram
2. The Dangers of Fake Engagement on Instagram
3. Spotting Broken Hashtags and Its Impact on Instagram Growth
4. Unmasking Inauthentic Growth Methods on Instagram
5. FAQ

Understanding Shadow Banning on Instagram

Okay, so you might be watching this video because you might be like, "Oh, I keep on getting shadow banned by Instagram," or like, "Oh, no matter how many of these tips and advice I learned from different YouTubers and different gurus, like, my Instagram isn't growing." And you're probably hoping that this video is going to tell you how to stop getting shadow banned. Unfortunately, this video is not going to tell you that because I really don't believe that shadow ban is like a real thing. I feel like it's this Instagram myth that people have made up. And for those of you who don't know what shadow banning is, basically, it's this idea that Instagram is restricting your reach. And the way that you check if Instagram's restricted your reach is by using a hashtag and then looking at the hashtag to see if your photo is in like the top nine or, you know, top 20 photos on that, right? The reason why I don't really think shadow banning is like a legitimate thing is because you checking to see if your photo's under your hashtag and it not being there doesn't mean that Instagram's restricting your reach. It might mean that Instagram's decided that your content isn't, you know, up to par with other content using that hashtag, and that's why it's not been, you know, shown. But that would be the reason why you're not showing up on that hashtag. It won't necessarily be because you're on Instagram's naughty list. However, having your content restricted from Instagram and, you know, experiencing different issues on your Instagram, like if you're trying to like a photo or you're trying to follow someone and you get a message popping up saying that you can't do that anymore, all of that is real.

The Dangers of Fake Engagement on Instagram

The second thing I want to talk about I'm going to put it under a broad group because there's a few things that fall into this category, right, is fake or inauthentic engagement. So if anyone who doesn't know what I mean by engagement is, literally the stuff what people do to engage with your content. So it's liking, it's commenting, it's sharing, it's saving, all that lovely stuff. All of that is engagement. And fake engagement comes in a bunch of different forms. The most obvious form is when people actually purchase likes from companies who own a load of bots and who send those bots out into the world to like and engage with your content in exchange for some money from you. And this, for obvious reasons, is not a good thing to do. Instagram has very strict rules on how you use their platform, and one of the main rules is that they don't like you using third-party apps, and, you know, they don't like you using bots. So anything that involves bots in general is a huge no-no. But another reason why this is actually going to hurt your growth, and not just because Instagram is going to purposely restrict your content, and it's because the engagement isn't real. And if you're, right, so if you're a budding influencer out there, because I know a lot of people who subscribe to my channel are kind of budding influencers. If you are a budding influencer out there, and you may not know this, but there are so many programs out in the world which brands use to, you know, basically run audits on your page. And these audits will tell them if you've purchased likes from a bot or if you use a third-party app. Like, technology is crazy. You might think, "How would someone ever know that I'm doing this?" But, trust me, they have ways of finding out. Instagram has ways, and other companies have ways. So please don't ever think that you're pulling a fast one over a brand's eyes because the chances are you're not. And even if, for some reason, you do manage to actually pull the wool over their eyes and get a brand collaboration, there's a really big chance that that collaboration isn't going to go well or drive any results for that brand because your engagement is fake, which means that that brand isn't gonna have a good return on investment, and they're never gonna work with you again. But on the flip side, you know, I also know that I speak to a lot of company owners out there, or like, service providers or product-based companies, boutique owners. And the same kind of goes for you guys. Like, faking is, but, you know what, even more so for you guys because your whole purpose of having your Instagram page, correct me if I'm wrong, is so that you can generate leads, build a community, and, you know, make some sales. If all of your engagement is fake and made by bots, those bots aren't going to purchase things from you because they're not real people. So what is the point if they're not going to become your tribe or your advocates or, you know, promote your brand and drive your word of mouth or purchase from you and all that marketing buzzword bollocks that, you know that I like to use on every single video? And then what is the point of having them? There's literally no point. So that is one form of kind of inauthentic engagement. Another form, which is a lot more common, and because I think people think this doesn't involve bots, so it's okay, but it's also not okay, is engagement groups and that kind of stuff. So for those of you who don't know what they are, they're basically private groups which people can join and, you know, you have to like engage with everyone's content in the group. So people share posts from the group and in order to be part of the group, they have to like all of the content in that group from the past like 24 or 48 hours or something, right? And so what that basically means is that you have this huge job of liking loads of people's content, which is going to mess up the algorithm for you. And Instagram is not going to know what you actually like because all of your engagement is fake. So that's one issue. And then in return, you really get a lot of people liking your content. The problem and the issue with this is, right? And again, these people liking your content, they're not liking it because they actually like your content. So it doesn't mean anything. It's not going to help you grow because it isn't real engagement. It's not going to help you grow your business. It's not going to help you get brand collabs. It's not going to help you at all because it isn't real engagement. It's not going to help you grow your business. It's not going to help you get brand collabs. It's not going to help you at all because the people who are liking your don't actually like your content. They're doing it because they have to, basically. So please avoid any form of fake or inauthentic engagement. Another flip side of this that you knew I had to talk about.

Spotting Broken Hashtags and Its Impact on Instagram Growth

Okay, so the first thing that you might be doing or you might be considering doing without even realizing is using broken hashtags. So this is actually a really good tip because it really isn't the most obvious one and there's probably a lot of legitimate accounts out there who are making this mistake without even realizing. So what are broken hashtags? They are hashtags which Instagram does not like. They have restricted their access. They have banned them. They're very much on their naughty list. Like Instagram doesn't like them. Okay, and when you use them, Instagram is going to flag your account and your content and it's going to impact your reach. So what is the most interesting about this, right, is that you're probably thinking, "Okay, well, that's probably not going to affect me because I'm not using these ridiculously, like, I don't know, garish. Is that the right word to describe it? Just these ridiculously offensive and awful hashtags. I'm gonna be fine." But there are so many hashtags on their broken hashtag list that you would not have guessed would be banned. So an example, right, costumes is a broken hashtag. Dating, desk, desk is a broken hashtag. Elevator, hump day, happy Thanksgiving. Like, what are people doing with these hashtags which is making Instagram want to ban them? I don't know, but they're ruining it for everyone else. My point being and that you need to do some research and just get familiar with some of the hashtags that you might potentially be using because there's a big chance that some of them might be broken. And just in case you're wondering how you know if a hashtag is broken, you can search a hashtag on your Instagram. Just do an example. So I've just searched hashtag costumes, right? And it says underneath, "Recent posts for hashtag costumes are hidden because some posts may not follow Instagram's community guidelines." So it's not saying, "I'm definitely going to hide your content," but it's saying, "Look, I might." And if you ask me, that is enough of a risk to not do it.

Unmasking Inauthentic Growth Methods on Instagram

There's this ad on YouTube and, you know what, I bet you the second I get monetized, and I bet you money that this ad is probably going to be placed on this video. So, you know, tell me when you're watching, you might know exactly what I'm talking about. There is an ad going around where they basically say, you know, "Are you struggling to grow on Instagram and you don't want to use bots?" But, like, the reason why bots don't work is because they're not following Instagram's guidelines. Like, you need a method or a service which is going to adhere to Instagram's guidelines but still help you grow. And basically, I'm sure there's a few companies that do this, but what they do is, like, they set up, they still use bots, but the way they use bots is that, and they direct message people asking them to follow your account. Don't get me wrong, I'm sure this, I'm sure people have experienced growth with this, don't get me wrong. But I need to just flag it because it's, they're masking themselves under this disguise of like, "We follow the guidelines," but you're a third party app, so you still don't follow the guidelines. The guidelines, what Instagram want you to do, is to be authentic with your engagement, and they want you to earn your following and your likes. If you're taking any shortcut to get there, it's not gonna work, and Instagram are gonna notice and eventually crack down on you. So it might be that Instagram isn't cracking down on you for this type of stuff yet, but they will, trust me. Okay, so that is it. I'm concluding my two-part series on why you might not be growing on Instagram. I'm probably gonna do more of these in the future because Instagram is always changing their rules. People are always coming out with new bots and apps and stuff, which are gonna claim that they're gonna help you grow, and they're not. So I'm gonna keep a keen eye on those type of things, and I'm gonna be sure to update you with new tips or walls or guidelines that's gonna help you on your organic growth journey. Thank you so much for watching. If you were interested in this video and you found it useful, don't forget to hit the like button and subscribe. But also check out this video. It's all about how you can hit Instagram's Explore page, which is going to make a huge difference to the rate of your growth. So be sure to check it out if you're interested in growing your Instagram channel.

FAQ

Q: What is shadow banning on Instagram?
A: Shadow banning on Instagram is the idea that Instagram restricts the reach of certain accounts. It is often believed that Instagram limits visibility for accounts that violate its guidelines or use specific hashtags.
Q: What are the dangers of fake engagement on Instagram?
A: Fake engagement on Instagram, such as purchasing likes from bots or participating in engagement groups, can harm your account's growth. It violates Instagram's guidelines, can lead to a poor return on investment for brands, and may hinder your ability to build a genuine audience or community.
Q: How can broken hashtags impact Instagram growth?
A: Using broken hashtags on Instagram can negatively affect your account's visibility and reach. Instagram bans certain hashtags and using them can flag your account, potentially limiting your content's exposure.
Q: What are inauthentic growth methods on Instagram?
A: Inauthentic growth methods on Instagram include using bots, third-party apps, or services that violate Instagram's guidelines. While these methods may initially show growth, they can lead to penalties from Instagram and harm your account's long-term success.