Nolan Hensley If you have an Instagram account in Canada, you’ve certainly seen Instagram’s recent and very abrupt shift of hiding user likes.
Instagram has opted to hide the number of likes a user receives on each of their photos in a new test that has only been pushed out in Canada so far. It’s unclear what this means for you as an Instagram user or a business owner with an Instagram account.
We’ll try to offer you an idea of what to expect in this piece, as well as what this means for your social media marketing plan and why this decision was made in the first place.
What’s so “Likeable” about not seeing “Likes”?
So, why would Instagram bother hiding a post’s amount of likes in the first place? First and foremost, it’s important to note that they’re simply hiding your cheap instagram likes from your followers, not from you.
To see your own likes, though, you must first go through your feed to check who liked your various photographs and videos, and then manually tally each like to get at the final amount. Essentially, this makes seeking the amount of likes your Instagram post receives impractical and time-consuming. So, what’s the point, and what do you “like?”
Some experts on the impact of social media on mental health believe that this shift is beneficial. They are eager to point out that public analytics were never used in Instagram marketing in the first place. They go on to say that making the total number of likes on a post the ultimate measure of its influence on the public is significantly distorted.
As it stands, many users only post when their content is most likely to receive the most likes. The point being made by these industry experts appears to be that by hiding your total amount of likes, Instagram users would be compelled to focus more on producing high-quality content rather than stuff that is geared solely to attract the most likes.
So the point here is that your material will no longer be judged by its like count, but rather by you — and the whole audience — for its quality, usefulness, and ultimate ability to attract attention.
Users may be able to submit more personal and engaging posts instead of carefully crafted ones aimed to garner likes if they forget about the stats. It remains to be seen whether this will actually result in a significant change in user-generated material.
What Does Hiding Likes on Instagram Mean for Brands and Instagram Marketing?
What does this mean for your Instagram marketing efforts on a daily basis? Will this have an impact on the quality of your upcoming social media initiatives, either positively or negatively?
Similar to the trend in SEO, the move may drive business owners and influencers to evolve their social media presence in a more “genuine” manner. They may begin to consider other measures, like as reach, saves, and impressions, as the ultimate indicator of a post’s effectiveness.
Another — and perhaps more telling — rationale stated in support of the shift is that it may lead to business owners depending less on influencer marketing and relying significantly more on paid advertising. This would have no effect on the quality of the information, but it would certainly draw the attention of business owners in a new direction.
A move in this direction would almost certainly boost the quantity of Instagram ads paid for by businesses.
Aside from business success and strategy, many people believe that hiding the “likes” option could be a good thing for those scrolling. This concept stems from the idea that likes provide users a false sense of validation, and that users can become obsessed with gathering the most ‘likes,’ connecting this with public acceptance.
The removal of this function, according to Instagram CEO Adam Mosseri, is an attempt to create a “less stressful environment where people feel comfortable expressing themselves” without being concerned about statistics.
The Impact of Instagram Hiding Likes Is Still Unknown
The most essential thing to remember from all of these developments is that the outcomes are still being defined. Keep in mind that the removal of Instagram likes is currently limited to Canada. Even said, this adjustment has only impacted a small percentage of the tens of thousands of businesses who have Instagram accounts.
This is only a test for now. The great majority of Instagram users will be unaffected – at least for the time being. And, because the test isn’t finished yet, it could be months before Instagram has a final verdict on the results.
For the time being, if you use Instagram for business, you should embrace these changes and use them to boost the effectiveness of your social media content marketing.
