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As they say, can’t live with it, can’t live with out. That’s a phrase that most sexworkers and models have used when talking about Instagram. At the time of this writing Instagram has 1.35 billions users, that’s right, billions with a B. With all those users Instagram is a platform that you can’t live without. There aren’t many platforms out there where your content has the potential to reach that many eyeballs. The problem with Instagram is that the platform notoriously hates sexworkers and models, even if they follow every rule in the book. Many a sexworker has been banned for showing far less than Kim Kardashian, but the reality is you’re not Kim Kardashian, therefore the tolerance level goes way down for anything you post. It’s a cruel reality and it’s not fair, but that’s how Instagram operates, so if you want a fighting chance of staying on the platform we’ve outlined some simple tips below, both curated from our experience and experiences of other sexworkers like yourself.
Tip #1
Don’t post nude photos. That may sound simple enough, however the definition of nude gets stretched further than what you would think. Don’t share anything bare, that includes your boobs, ass or vagina. That also applies to anything implying your nude. Don’t post a nude picture of yourself with a censor box covering any of your private parts. The only content we’ve seen recently that may be acceptable is sheer tops. We’ve seen numerous pics of sheer tops, but that’s a risky bet and if you dare to go that route we suggest the sheer top is just that, sheer, and not completely see through.
Tip #2
Don’t link to your fan site or any other XXX site in your bio. Instead take the safe route and link to your links site, like linktree. This is an excellent strategy that will get those Instagram visitors to your paid sites, via an Instagram safe channel.
Tip #3
Don’t add hashtags to your bio or photo caption. Instagram uses hashtags as a form of search and a way to discover content. Unfortunately hashtags play a double edge sword. While the hashtag will help bring visitors to your post, it will also bring Instagram bots which are sure to doom your account. It may be tempting, especially when you’re firs starting out, to add hashtags, but don’t.
Tip #4 – Create a Backup Account(s)
Plan ahead and make yourself an insurance policy by creating a backup account. In fact depending on how much you plan, create a third account. Creating multiple accounts ensures if one is suspended or deleted you already have a backup that your fans are following. Starting from scratch is extremely painful, so while maintaining multiple accounts is tough, it’s worth it in the long run.
Tip #5 – Words Matter
Be careful what words you use in your captions. Similar to hashtags, steer clear of words that may be flagged as sexual in nature or inappropriate. Remember, there are 1.35 Billion Instagram users and there aren’t enough humans to manually search through all the content so Instagram counts on bots to do the initial flagging. That leads us to the next tip.
Tip #6 – Think Like A Bot
With over 1.35 Billion users and multiply that number by 100 (at least) when it comes to actual photo and video uploads, that amounts to a ton of content. There aren’t enough humans in the world to manually view/moderate all the content that gets uploaded on a daily basis. To help out the humans, humans have created bots that systematically comb through content and flag it for humans to manually review. Think like a bot when you upload content and think to yourself, “is there anything I’m posting, either the picture/video, or text that would get flagged by a bot”? It’s not an easy thing to do, but it will help you in the long run.
Even if you follow all the tips we outlined there’s always a chance your account may be suspended or deleted. While it’s a long shot, if your account is suspended or deleted there is a an appeals process through Instagram to try and get your account reinstated. More times than not it’s easier just to move onto your backup account rather than fight Instagram, but it has been done before and there are cases where the sexworker won.
You can see Instagram’s community guidelines here.
