[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Ok so let’s talk about hashtags.
Hashtags are a great way to drive traffic to your Instagram. If you are using the correct hashtags then this makes your brand more discoverable and defines its place within an industry.
Planning and strategizing which hashtags to use should be an essential part of your social media marketing in order to maximise your content performance.
There are many errors people can make when using hashtags – a common mistake we see often is copy and pasting the same hashtags onto each post. Not only does this limit your audience reach but it can also mean your account can be ‘shadowbanned’.
If your account is shadowbanned, your hashtagged content will not be seen on the Explore Page to anyone but your followers, drastically restricting your visibility.
Your engagement will reduce and your ability to grow organically will be compromised.
Another common issue we see is that people have been unknowingly using banned hashtags. Yep – some hashtags have been flagged by Instagram and any post that uses one of these hashtags will be hidden.
Unfortunately, Instagram does not release an official list of what hashtags are currently on their banned list – so that is why articles like this one exist – you’re welcome.
Take a look at the complete list below, some of them will definitely surprise you!
(P.s, sorry if you are offended by some of these hashtags but we are merely the messenger here!)
The List of Banned Instagram Hashtags from A-Z
A
- #abdl
- #addmyonlyfans
- #addmysc
- #adulting
- #alone
- #always
- #armparty
- #asiangirl
- #ass
- #assday
- #assworship
- #attractive
B
- #babyrp
- #bacak
- #baddie
- #balenciaga
- #beautyblogger
- #beautyblogger
- #besties
- #bikinibody
- #boho
- #brain
C
- #costumes
- #curvygirls
- #customers
D
- #date
- #dating
- #desk
- #direct
- #dm
E
- #edm
- #eggplant
- #elevator
G
- #girlsonly
- #gloves
H
- #hardworkpaysoff
- #hawks
- #hotweather
- #humpday
- #hustler
I
- #ice
- #instasport
- #iphonegraphy
- #italiano
K
- #kansas
- #kickoff
- #killingit
- #kissing
L
- #loseweight
- #lulu
M
- #master
- #mileycyrus
- #milf
- #mirrorphoto
- #models
- #mustfollow
N
- #nasty
- #newyearsday
- #nudity
O
- #overnight
P
- #parties
- #petite
- #pornfood
- #prettygirl
- #pushups
R
- #rate
- #ravens
S
- #saltwater
- #samelove
- #selfharm
- #sexworker
- #single
- #singlelife
- #skateboarding
- #skype
- #snap
- #snapchat
- #snowstorm
- #sopretty
- #stranger
- #streetphoto
- #sunbathing
- #swole
- #shower
- #shit
T
- #tag4like
- #tagsforlikes
- #tanlines
- #todayimwearing
- #teens
- #teen
- #thought
U
- #underage
- #undies
V
- #valentinesday
W
- #workflow
- #wtf
Y
- #youngmodel
What do you do if you think you have used a banned hashtag?
Instagram is constantly updating and adding to the list of banned hashtags, as it is based on reports from users. So it is difficult to know for sure every hashtag that is banned.
If you think you might be using a hashtag that is banned, just search the hashtag and see what comes up. If it says “posts hidden”, then you know it is definitely banned and you can stop using it asap.
The situation is also possible that the “posts hidden” message does not appear, but it is still banned. So just to double check, take a look over the posts that appear and see if there are any recent posts. If not, it is likely banned.
A good idea is to get your friends to check and see whether your post in the hashtag feed. If not, it has probably been blocked.
Ok so you’ve established that you accidentally used a banned hashtag, what now?
Just once or twice, your account is not likely to get shadowbanned. So as long as you realise soon enough, you should be fine. If you have used them too many times then yes you might be shadowbanned.
If this happens, this is far from ideal, but there are things you can do to take back control.
Here are some tips on what to do:
- Remove any 3rdparty apps that have access to your Instagram account. If you can’t remember which apps these are, just check in your phone settings under ‘Apps and Websites’.
- Reach out to Instagram support! It seems obvious but you would be surprised how many people overlook this. Just describe what is happening and how this is affecting your growth. Maybe don’t mention the word ‘shadowban’, Instagram has a tendency to deny it even exists (although evidence would prove otherwise) so they might not be too open to discussing it.
- Lay off the interactions for a while. Instagram wants to make sure you are not a bot. So any type of spam – like activity is not going to go in your favour. Just be your normal human self.
- Take a break. People have found that avoiding Instagram all together for between 2 – 7 days has resulted in their ban being lifted. It is worth a shot!
To Conclude
If you know anything about Instagram, you know hashtags are basically a must. Having a well thought out strategy for what hashtags to use if so important to not only enhance your reach, but also build your reputation, track your competition and learn about your target audience.
While Instagram does have some rather random banned hashtags, the majority of them are quite obviously not hashtags a professional company or brand should be aligning themselves with anyway – so you should generally be OK.
If you need help developing your content and growth strategy for Instagram, our experts are more than happy to offer advice and guidance – just fill in our contact form and we will get back to you!
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