Instagram has been testing hiding likes from posted photos after announcing it three months ago at this year’s Facebook’s annual developer conference with a motive to lessen the pressure on the platform. Instagram has been a platform for contesting for popularity and the giant photo-sharing social network initiative of hiding likes will let its users post more authentic posts rather than posting the perfect photo to garner more likes.
How does it actually work?
Posts will still get likes but the number will be hidden from public view. Only the people who posted the photos get to view the number of likes their photo got.
This is what you get to see.
People are loving the hidden likes
Instagram started testing hiding likes in Canada and then expanded it to other countries including Ireland, Italy, Japan, Brazil, Australia, and New Zealand.
Regular users of Instagram have so far liked this move as they can now post photos and videos without worrying about how many likes they got. Some users who had stopped using the app are now coming back since the photos they post aren’t pre-emptively being judged based on the likes count.
Users in Canada who talked to the Verge say that using Instagram is now refreshing as there’s less pressure to post the perfect photos and videos and they can now feel free to post whatever content they want. This includes people who previously shied about posting photos worrying it won’t get enough likes.
“Before it felt like one huge competition and now it’s relaxing and freeing.”
Will this hurt influencers?
Short answer, No. Likes have always been used to validate content posted on Instagram and when news of this test went out, people were more concerned about how this will affect influencers with publications saying that this new move will wreck Instagrammer Influencer’s careers and that they’ll have to shift tactics.
rip to “instagram influencers” with the new update of hiding likes 🥴
— julie (@julie_ui) July 18, 2019
This isn’t the case.
Regular users and Influencers can still view the likes their posts garner plus they also have access to Instagram analytics that they can share with brands.
Ignore headlines that say hiding IG likes will harm influencers. We don’t get paid per like—we negotiate a flat fee upfront. After the ad runs, we provide analytics so the brand can evaluate our performance. IG analytics aren’t going anywhere, @CNBC 🤷♂️ https://t.co/6aaOih6CQ6
— Matt Crump (@crump) July 22, 2019
https://twitter.com/TaylorLorenz/status/1152212004335054850
I doubt it and I don’t think that is what brands care about from the constant conversations I have had with them.
I’m sure you both will agree that the actual creative and deliverables as well as conversions matter more to them.
Not to mention reaction in the comments.
— Roberto Blake 🇺🇸🇵🇦 Creative Entrepreneur (@robertoblake) July 19, 2019
Instagram hiding likes won’t hurt Influencers and saying that it will is giving Instagram too much credit.
