How To Get Unshadowbanned on TikTok: What To Do
There are few things worse for content creators than getting shadowbanned. Whether you had a ton of success that has been stripped from you, or you’re a new creator stuck in 200-view jail, it is discouraging to feel like the algorithm overlords aren’t smiling upon you.
Luckily for you, the shadowban is not a life sentence. If you work hard, create good content, and play your cards right, you might just be able to escape the dark corners of the TikTok algorithm and start to grow your following like a pro.
We’re going to walk you through some key steps you can take to help sprinkle some of that algorithm magic over your TikTok channel. Keep reading, follow this advice, and watch your view count rise!
How Did I Get Shadowbanned?
First, let’s talk about the source of the problem — if we accurately diagnose what went wrong, we can better come up with a solution. There are essentially two types of shadowbans. Let’s talk about each one.
Inappropriate Content, Behavior, or App Usage
The first type is a shadowban on creators who violate the Community Guidelines or post content deemed inappropriate for TikTok. This is essentially a punishment from TikTok for breaking the rules. This is the true shadowban.
You could get shadowbanned in this way for a number of different reasons, but the most common one is posting content that the app deems inappropriate for its users, including but not limited to nudity, hate speech, drugs, bullying, misinformation, and racism. All of these types of content are prohibited on TikTok and could result in a shadowban or an outright suspension.
TikTok has an obligation to protect its users from harmful content, so its punishments can be harsh. When it comes to inappropriate content, this app has higher standards than most other social media platforms.
Then, you have inappropriate behavior or app usage. These shadowbans are less common, but they still happen. They typically result from people improperly using the app to falsely grow their platform or get engagement.
This type of ban could result from a user buying bot followers, spamming follow/unfollow, using third-party apps, or using forbidden hashtags.
Both of these shadowbans typically last about two weeks, but sometimes longer. It is a conscious decision by TikTok. The app removes your content from the For You page and the search function. Your content will be much harder to find, and your view count will likely drop significantly.
Unsuccessful Content
The second type of shadowban is not a true shadowban, but many users still report being shadowbanned in this way. Essentially, many people report that their views and follower count will start dropping for no reason and without warning, even if they did not violate any community guidelines.
It is part of TikTok’s policy to shadowban people for inappropriate content, but TikTok itself has claimed that they do not shadowban people for any other reasons. Many users claim otherwise, stating that TikTok shadowbanned them for no reason. Some even claim that they were shadowbanned for speaking out against TikTok or for taking a certain political stance.
There isn’t any evidence that TikTok is shadowbanning people in this way. If this sounds like you, it’s more likely that your channel is just going through a dry spell. Sometimes, your content doesn’t do as well, but that doesn’t mean you can’t turn it around and get your groove back.
What Can I Do?
Luckily for you, there are steps you can take to get unshadowbanned from TikTok. With a little bit of discipline, you can get your channel back to its former glory. Here’s what you can do if you’re experiencing a true shadowban.
Clean Up Your Content
The very first thing you need to do if you’re shadowbanned is to make sure that all of your content from now on is clean and suitable for the TikTok audience. Your channel might be on thin ice, so it’s very important that you follow all of the community guidelines so your channel doesn’t stay flagged for long.
You should avoid bullying, post no violent content on your page, avoid drugs, ensure zero nudity, and not use hate speech or engage in prejudice in any way.
In addition to these things, you may also want to avoid using certain words associated with those types of content. This will help to make sure that your content doesn’t get flagged so you can exit the shadowban cleanly.
Use the Platform Correctly
If you’ve been banned for using TikTok improperly, it’s time to do away with that sort of behavior. If you bought followers, do whatever you can do to end that and make sure that all of your followers are real people and not bots.
Make sure you’re avoiding spamming follow/unfollow. Don’t get involved with improperly publishing any video or using somebody’s music without permission. And don’t use any prohibited hashtags.
Use the platform as it’s meant to be used. If you want to grow your platform, do it the right way so you can have longevity on the app.
If you have experienced a true shadowban and you follow these steps, eventually, your channel might be able to get back to its normal engagement rates. Just make sure that you take a look over the TikTok Community Guidelines so that you know how to stay in the app’s good graces.
How To Boost Your Channel
If you’re experiencing a soft shadowban, your content just isn’t doing great, or you’re stuck in 200-view TikTok jail, you might not be getting actively suppressed by TikTok. But there are probably some things you can do to authentically boost your engagement. The best thing to do is make high-quality content so that people can’t help but hit that like button. Here are some tips:
Follow Those Trends!
The TikTok algorithm loves trends. Trending audio, hashtags, and dances are the backbone of the platform. Dueting or “stitching” popular or controversial videos is another great way to go. Certain types of videos do massively well across the entire platform. Hopping on those trends at the right time can be a great way to get some views.
Of course, those massive trends are fantastic, but you should also engage in trends that are a bit more niche than that. You likely have a specific corner of TikTok that your content falls in — within your niche, there are bound to be a ton of great trends.
Make sure you lean into those as much as you can! The TikTok algorithm shares your video with your followers first, and if it does well there, then it makes it to the For You page. So, use those trends that your followers will love so you can get passed along to the For You page successfully and potentially go viral on TikTok.
Find Your Niche
Speaking of niches, if you don’t have one, you need to get one! Today, it is just about impossible to make content that appeals to every audience on the internet. So, you should focus on content that you love, that’s authentic to you, and that relates to a specific audience.
The TikTok algorithm rewards videos that do well amongst your followers, so it’s important to cater to your core audience or demographic so that each one of your videos has a good viewer foundation.
Decide what niche you want to fall into and start by making content designed for that niche. At the end of the day, if you make content that you’re passionate about, people will see your authenticity and latch on!
#Hashtags
Hashtags are one of the core elements of the TikTok algorithm. They help users find your content, and they assist TikTok in sorting your content into a niche. Make sure you use hashtags that are relevant to your niche and content so new audience members can start flocking to you.
Collaborate With Other Creators
Collaborations do very well on TikTok. It's exciting to see two or more of your favorite creators team up to make content together. Not only is it super satisfying to your fans who like both creators, but it’s a way to expose yourself to a new audience that is already in your niche. It’s a great way to boost your following and get views in one fell swoop.
Be Consistent!
One of the most important things about posting on TikTok is doing it consistently. TikTok rewards your diligence, so keep feeding the algorithm your quality content, and eventually, you might have something blow up.
Ideally, you should be posting once or twice a day on TikTok. This might not be feasible for you, but get as close as you can. Just make a realistic posting schedule and stick to it. Don’t make an unattainable goal for yourself. Just do what you can and keep grinding!
Break the Shadow Ban for Good
Shadowbans can be insanely frustrating, especially if you rely on TikTok for income as a content creator. But if you keep your content clean, follow the Community Guidelines, and follow these tips to make quality content, the algorithm just might show some love to you again! So keep grinding, stay diligent, and you might just go viral.
For more advice and tools that can help you with content creation, check out Powder's blog and see how AI can make your life as a creator so much easier.
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