What the what?
Banned hashtags you say?
Yes I say. Banned hashtags are a thing and they may be messin’ with your reach, and screwin’ with your social media marketing plan.
Here’s the scoop:
Banned Hashtags are hashtags that Instagram users have reported because the posts using them go against Instagram’s guidelines. Seems simple enough, but you wouldn’t believe some of the hashtags that are banned (see below for a list of the 10 most surprising ones)!
What does this mean?
It means that if you use a banned hashtag, your post will be hidden. Like, hidden-hidden. Disappeared. People will only be able to view the post by actually going to your profile page. Not good.
Also, if you use too many banned hashtags or use them too often, it’s possible that Instagram may flag your account, shadowban it, or remove your account completely! This is possible even if you’ve been using them by accident.
How can you avoid using a Banned Hashtag?
Check ‘em once, check ‘em twice, and check ‘em often.
Banned Hashtags are always changing and Instagram doesn’t release up-to-date lists. What I'm saying is that you need to do your own research. It’s easy though. Here's how you can check:
Open Instagram and Click on the Search box.
2. Type in the Hashtag you are checking.
3. Choose the "Tags" option at the top.
4. Click the Hashtag you're checking.
5. If it's banned, your result will look like this:
6. If it's okay to use, your result will look like this:
The good news is there are lots of Instagram accounts and blogs that are dedicated to keeping up-to-date banned hashtags lists. That being said, I still check mine on a regular basis. "Better to be safe than sorry" as my Mom always says!
Also, keep in mind that just because a hashtag may be banned now, doesn't mean it will be banned forever. Example: "books" was recently a banned hashtag, but has recently been re-instated.
The 10 most surprising Banned Hashtags I could find:
# besties
# ice
# instasport
# lulu
# mileycyrus
# pushups
# saltwater
# skateboarding
# valentinesday
# workflow
Whaddya know eh? Crazy ol' internet.
It's hard keeping up with ever-changing social media rules, guidelines, hashtags, trends, and algorithms. Follow along my Instagram account: @withmel.social for more tips, tricks & hacks.
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