Shadowbanning for Paid Ads and Are Social Media Platforms Forcing You to Buy Ads

If you are a content creator, influencer, or a brand promoting products on social media, you might have seen a trend where the organic reach of your content is declining. If that's the case, you are not alone. Social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, X, and TikTok constantly change their algorithms, making it harder for businesses to reach their target customers.

Some social media users even claim these platforms are shadowbanning accounts to minimize their content’s reach, forcing users to buy ads. In this article, we look into these claims on whether social media platforms are shadowbanning content to force users to purchase ads and give tips on increasing your social media reach.

How the Organic Reach on Social Media is Declining

Organic reach refers to the number of people who see your posts without using paid promotions. Over the past few years, organic reach has consistently decreased across social media platforms. This can be attributed to the evolving social media platforms focusing on user experience over brand exposure. This is also attributed to the push by the platforms to allow brands to buy ads. Here are a few examples:

Facebook's Decline in Organic Reach

Facebook's organic reach has been declining for some time now. In 2012, it was 16%, then dropped to 6% in 2014. Similarly, a 2019 SocialFlow study indicated that Facebook's organic reach declined by 52% within one year. 

By 2018, the Facebook algorithm started prioritizing posts from family and friends over those of content creators and brands. This resulted in a significant drop in organic reach, with some sources suggesting it dropped to about 2%. By 2025, it is estimated that Facebook's organic reach will be at 1.57%.

Declining Organic Reach on Instagram 

A Trust Insight study conducted in 2019 suggests that Instagram's organic reach has dropped by 25% in the last year. Another report by Hootsuite showed that the Instagram engagement rate on a post declined by 23% between 2019 and 2020. In 2025, the organic reach of Instagram had fallen to 4%. Out of that organic reach, you can expect an engagement rate of 3.5%.

Twitter Visibility Problems

A 2018 Edelma study found that the Twitter algorithm was causing a significant drop in tweet visibility from influencers and brands. Another 2020 study by Social Media Today found that the engagement rate on Twitter was also declining due to algorithmic changes and higher competition for attention by 2024. Twitter's organic reach is estimated to be as low as 1.66%.

How Shadowbanning Negatively Affects Your Organic Reach

Unlike what many think, shadowbanning doesn’t only affect rule-breakers. It can also affect users who are playing by the platform's rules. This is especially true when someone creates content that conflicts with the platform’s goals. When shadowbanning happens, the visibility of the user's content decreases without the platform notifying them.

While users are still allowed to post and engage on the platform, the visibility of their posts is usually hidden in the search results. They may not be visible on the followers' feeds and hashtag groups, which means their content is no longer visible to the broader audience. It becomes harder for them to get higher engagement and visibility. According to a 2024 study, 30% of social media users suspect they have been shadowbanned at one point, particularly on platforms like TikTok and Instagram.

Social media platforms like TikTok or Instagram discreetly reduce the reach of harmful or disruptive content by shadowbanning content. This enables them to avoid the backlash resulting from a full account suspension. On top of violating the platform guidelines, shadowbanning can be caused by:

• Spammy behavior that makes your account look like a bot.
• Overusing hashtags.
• Cross-promoting on other platforms.
• Frequent violation of social media policies.
• Algorithm updates.

How Shadowbanning Affects Your Business

When you get shadowbanned on social media, the visibility of your content takes a hit. Remember that your brands must engage with current customers and reach new ones. For that to happen, you need your content to show up when people search for hashtags in your niche and appear in the Explore feed. 

Shadowbanning For Paid Ads: Are Social Media Platforms Forcing You To Buy Ads?

When your content's visibility decreases, so does engagement. According to some business owners on Instagram, their engagement dropped by ⅔ after they were shadowbanned. Therefore, as outlined in our guide, you must take steps to overcome shadowbanning.

Other Causes of a Decline in Organic Reach

While shadowbanning is one of the reasons for a decline in organic reach, it's not the only one. Other factors can affect the reach of your content, such as:

• Algorithm updates. Social media platforms update their algorithms several times every year. Recent updates prioritize content from family and friends, making it harder for brands to be seen on social media platforms.
• Content saturation. The volume of content published on social media increases daily, resulting in stiffer competition for the user's attention.
• Revenue generation. Social media platforms are driven by profit. They often limit the reach of organic content to encourage brands to resort to paid ads. This proves that they also shadowban content to force users to buy ads.

Final Thoughts

While social media platforms have denied claims of shadowbanning content, it is clear that this happens. While this often happens because of violating the community guidelines and policies, it may also occur because of reasons beyond your control, such as an algorithm update. 

Social media platforms have also been reducing the organic reach of content to make brands pay for ads. Therefore, you must combine organic content with paid ads for a successful social media marketing strategy. You can also read our guide on mastering reels for maximum engagement.