This article was initially sent out as an article in my newsletter, The Winning Edge. However, the post I created to share it on my Contest Queen Facebook Business Page was deemed to be spam!

What?!

Meta owns both Instagram and Facebook, but the article’s Instagram post was identical and not flagged. Hmmmm. Of course, I hopped on Streamyard and live-streamed to YouTube and Facebook, talking about the problems sweepers are experiencing entering Instagram contests.

That video stayed up and created quite a discussion. I also received great tips and strategies from fellow contestors, who permitted me to share. Those posts also generated quite a debate. It only made sense to share all three here so you can implement some of the strategies before Sweepstakes Season begins.

MY STRATEGIES

What has been happening with Instagram?!

Many of you are experiencing blockages (short and long), and bans, and some have had their account deleted, all from posting simple comments on a contest post or tagging a friend.

Landing in Instagram Jail isn’t new. It seems to happen en masse every December when every sweepers is entering the 100s of holiday giveaways. The usual suggestions are:

  1. Use your phone vs your computer, as IG was created as an app, not a website.
  2. Type out the name of the friend you want to tag and select them from the pop-up list, vs cutting and pasting.
  3. Add emojis and/or text to each tag to slow you down and make you look less like a bot.
  4. Limit the number of people you tag. 5, 10, 20, but not 100!

However, those aren’t always working now. WHY?!

I believe it’s because Meta recently switched to AI. I couldn’t find any articles stating such, but TikTok recently laid off hundreds of moderation staff and replaced them with AI, so it’s not a leap to assume Meta has done the same.

Many sweeping buddies have stated they weren’t even contesting, just saying something nice on a post, and instantly received a community guidelines moderation blocking them for days or weeks. They then dispute it. Sometimes, that works, and sometimes, it doesn’t. Some have even had their entire account removed. Another created a new account only to be blocked from IG forever! (I am guessing they tracked her IP address to instigate the block on the new account.)

So what am I suggesting you do?

  1. Make entering social media giveaways the last thing you do when entering. Online sweepstakes should be your priority.
  2. Create a backup IG account now. If you get blocked, begin using your backup right away.
  3. When entering on IG, follow my initial 4 points above and cross your fingers.

Have you had any issues with Instagram?

JULIE’S IDEA

Julie posted this on her feed. I should have thought of that, as I believe the current problems on IG have been caused by AI monitoring. What do you think of the advice?

THIS IS FROM AI
Tips to Avoid Getting Blocked on Instagram During Sweepstakes

If you’re finding yourself frequently blocked on Instagram while entering sweepstakes, here are some effective strategies to help you avoid this issue:

1. Keep Your Profile Public: Make sure your Instagram profile is set to public. Sweepstakes sponsors need to see your entries, and a private profile can lead to disqualification or blocking.

2. Engage Authentically: Maintain an active and genuine presence on Instagram. Regularly post content, complete your bio, and engage with others by liking and commenting on their posts. This helps establish your account as legitimate and reduces the likelihood of being flagged as spam.

3. Avoid Rapid Actions: Be mindful of how quickly you comment or like posts. Rapid actions can trigger Instagram’s spam detection. It’s advisable to wait a few seconds between comments or likes to avoid being flagged.

4. Follow Sweepstakes Rules: Always adhere to the specific rules of each sweepstakes. This includes following the sponsor’s account, tagging friends correctly, and ensuring your entry meets all requirements. Non-compliance can lead to being blocked from future entries.

5. Limit Your Entries: Try not to enter too many sweepstakes in a short period. Excessive entries can be seen as spammy behavior, which may result in temporary blocks.

6. Monitor Your Account Activity: Keep an eye on your account for any warnings or notifications from Instagram. If you receive a warning about your activity, take it seriously and adjust your behavior accordingly.

By following these tips, you can enhance your chances of successfully participating in Instagram sweepstakes without facing blocks or restrictions.

AMANDA’S STRATEGIES

I was having loads of issues on Instagram, so I dug around on the web to get some answers. I found an article on Meta policies that helped. Instagram New Rules and Instagram Restrictions
I also noticed that when I left non-tagging comments, I would get flagged for community violations when I phrased them in a way that could be interpreted as soliciting Likes (which is against their guidelines). For example, a common comment that gets flagged is “Love this!” We might mean that we love the post, but the algorithm sees it as asking people to heart our comment or heart the post.
I was getting put in IG Jail once a week, but after these changes, I haven’t been in IG Jail for months (knock on all of the wood!).
  1. Keeping my separate Follows, Likes, Tags, and Comments all under 20 per hour.
  2. Being careful about how I word my comments to appease the algorithm police.
  3. When Following accounts, open up a post on their feed and scroll for a moment, click the Follow button within the feed, and wait for it to change to Following. The opening and scrolling make the Follow behavior a more active engagement for the algorithm.
Hoping that might help someone!