Instagram and its parent company Facebook would like you to believe that your mental health is something that is very important to them. As a result, they recently stopped showing ‘Likes’ on some feeds.
The account holder is still able to see how many likes they have, but a visitor will not be able to see how many people clicked the heart icon. The trial was started in Canada, but has now been extended to Brazil, Canada, Ireland, Italy, Japan and Australia and New Zealand.
One one hand, this is a positive step. ‘Vanity Metrics’ such as likes have promoted all kinds of schemes to try and seem more popular and new users or less popular users may seem intimidated or disenfranchised if they can’t measure up.
Why is Instagram Hiding Likes?
- Facebook say they are creating “a less pressurised environment” on the Instagram app. This is intended to make Instagram feel less “like a competition.” It’s probably true that people see 100K likes and decide to like as well. If they see 1 like, they might not also like.
- Some speculate that this decision is to push users to use Instagram stories more than the ‘feed’. Stories do not currently show likes. It’s not immediately obvious why they would do this – and it’s a very 1st world approach to product development – great if you have 4 of 5g, but what if you don;t have a data plan that enables unlimited video upload and playback – what if you are roaming.?
- Money. Let’s face it – Facebook is not some altruistic, make the world a better place kind of company. Maybe they are upset that influencers are getting paid and they are not. The bottom line is that Instagram uses every opportunity to get you to promote or boost your posts. Pay us… Promote this… give us money…
- Better content. Perhaps the folks at Facebook want content to be judged on its merits and not on the group effect. Maybe this will force content creators – and influencers – to work harder to create content that people like for the content and not the same effect as people seeing others in a restaurant.
Noticeably, Instagram has not trialled this concept in somewhere like the Middle East where Instagram Influencers would howl with protest at the thought of their egos being deflated in such a public way. Remember, this is the market where the so called influencers won’t even use the #ad hashtag.
This change to the Instagram product is a reminder that things change. Especially in the GCC, this is a wake up call that Instagram can change the rules at any time, that you don’t own the platform, that you need other ways to do digital marketing.