Visibility is key for business pages. Whether you choose to work with Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, or TikTok, getting your content in front of the right audience matters. However, there's a lurking menace that can hamper your social media success – shadowbanning.
Understanding Shadowbanning on Social Media: Shed Light on an Opaque Practice
Also known as "ghost banning" or "stealth banning", shadowbanning is a discrete form of censorship practiced by social media platforms. It involves making a user's content less visible to others, without their knowledge.
You see your page, and posts still active, but the reach, engagement, or link clicks suddenly reduce significantly.
Different Shades of Shadowbanning
The most common form of shadowbanning involves a post that contains restricted or banned hashtags. These posts will have minimum visibility in search results and Explore pages so that potential new followers do not see them.
In this scenario, posts are suppressed, and the page becomes less discoverable. It is often a consequence of repeated policy violations or suspicious activities.
Why the Shadows Creep In: Understanding Causes
How to Observe the Shadows: A Key to Recovery
If you suspect that, for unknown reasons, your account has fallen prey to shadowbanning, follow the below steps.
To check if your account has fallen prey to shadowbanning:
Be careful with spammy behavior - if you follow over 60 people or like more than 150 posts in a short time, you might be viewed as inappropriate. Moreover, make sure that you delete the content that you consider might have been misleading.
*Although on LinkedIn it is said that shadowbanning is not practiced, some experts claim that you might trigger visibility limitations by making many follow requests, promoting fake news, tagging people against their will, or using keyword stuffing. Stick to business-related topics and engage thoughtfully.
Steering Clear: Strategies for a Safe Social Media Journey
Although it is not claimed as official, shadowbanning might haunt your social media journey. By following best practices, you can have a smooth and safe stay in the world of social media.
Ethical and authentic content is the torch that guides the way to results and helps you connect with your audience genuinely and sustainably.
Posting on social media might not be as easy as it seems. You can avoid the above situation by following our recommendations. If you also want the desired results for your business, you might need specialists. Check out our social media management services and let’s have a chat!
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