Reasons for Shadowbanning

• Violations of Community Guidelines: Users who repeatedly violate a platform's terms of service or community guidelines may be shadowbanned as a form of punishment.

• Spam or Bot Activity: Accounts engaging in spam, automated activity, or promoting harmful content may be subject to shadowbanning.

• Low Engagement: Accounts with low engagement or interactions may be less likely to appear in users' feeds.

• Algorithmic Penalties: Some platforms may use algorithms that prioritize content based on engagement and relevance, potentially leading to shadowbanning for accounts that don't meet these criteria.

• Use of Engagement Pods: You might have seen these before, account that always see the exact same people commenting on their posts really quick after posting. Besides of course true followers, fans, etc. This could also indicate the user being a member of an engagement pod.

Detecting Shadowbanning

• Decreased Reach: If your posts are not appearing in as many users' feeds as before, you may be shadowbanned.

• Reduced Engagement: A significant drop in likes, comments, or shares can be an indicator of shadowbanning.

• Shadowbanning Detection Tools: There are online tools that can help you check if your account is shadowbanned. Haven’t (had a reason to) test(ed) them. So cannot recommend any.

Avoiding Shadowbanning

• Follow Community Guidelines: Adhere to the platform's rules and guidelines to avoid being penalized.

• Quality Content: Create high-quality, engaging content that resonates with your audience.

• Engage with Your Audience: Respond to comments, messages, and mentions to foster a positive community.

• Use Relevant Hashtags: Use relevant hashtags to increase the visibility of your content.

• Avoid Spamming: Refrain from excessive posting or spamming.

• Don’t use Pods: Not only do they put stress on you, it looks inauthentic, which it is.

Shadowbanning can be a frustrating experience for users who are unaware of the practice. By understanding the reasons for shadowbanning and taking steps to avoid it, you can help ensure that your content reaches your target audience.