Instagram recently announced that they are testing hiding likes in the United States. As Instagram’s biggest market, this is a big deal and it wouldn’t surprise me if this was to be made a permanent change on the platform. There has been a lot of discussion, drama and debate about whether this is a good thing for Instagram, and in my personal opinion, the change is positive! But do you think the same? Are you excited about the change, or are you worried it will affect your success on the platform? Impact opportunities for brand deals and business? Or worried removal of likes will knock your reputation?
In this episode of Her Life By Design, I talk about why I think it is a good change to the platform, and 4 ways that we as Influencers and small business owners can adapt.
Why is removing likes a positive change to Instagram?
In this episode, I highlight the four reasons why removing visible like counts will be a positive change to the platform. The main benefit I see is the one Instagram led with: to improve users’ mental health and decrease comparison. No matter what kind of user you are (a young teenager, an average user, an influencer or a small business owner), you have experienced the dark hole of comparison that Instagram sometimes causes you to go down. Just this simple change of removing like counts will help to combat that.
In the episode, I delve into three other reasons why the change will be a positive one, including that it will allow us to post more freely. I also discuss why this change will bring about originality and creativity on the platform like we’ve never seen before.
If likes aren’t important, then what metrics are?
In the episode, I explain that, “Likes are a completely meaningless vanity metric that people put way too much stock and emphasis and thought into. The more likes you get doesn’t equate to the level of engagement you’re getting, the money you’re making, or how successful you are.” Metrics such as shares and saves are far more valuable and meaningful than likes because they are a true reflection of how engaging your post is.
One of the best ways to increase the saves and shares that your post is getting is by micro-blogging in your captions. For example, if your photo is of a cafe in London, your caption could list the 10 cutest cafes in London. Or if your page’s content is focused on entrepreneurship, a micro-blogging caption with 5 ways to increase your productivity is sure to get saved for later.
For many more tips on getting your posts saved and shared, listen in to the episode!
What will change in terms of how brand collaborations work?
First of all, the influencer marketing industry is poised to be a 10 billion dollar industry in 2020, so please don’t worry about brand collaborations going away or even slowing down. Influencer marketing is growing and growing with no signs of slowing. But brands are going to need to get smarter and more thorough with vetting influencers. Since they won’t be able to see visible like counts, it’s likely that there will be more requests for screenshots of non-visible metrics.
Do I need to change my Instagram strategy at all?
Instagram’s decision to remove like counts is a reflection of a cultural call for more connection, authenticity and community. With this change, we as influencers and business owners need to change too. Listen in to the episode for SO many actionable tips & strategies for what you should start doing differently on the ‘gram.
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