Are you worried about Instagram removing likes? Read this and know if you really need to worry!
We all have grown so much fond of Instagram by the time since it has launched in 2010 as we like the kind of engagement and features that it offers, be it likes, comments, likes on messages, and recently launched pinning our favorite comments on our posts.
On the note of features, Instagram has started launching the removal of likes on Instagram which was tested in November 2019. Now, to some of you it might seem like the end of the world but relax, and keep reading.
In the movie, “The social dilemma”, it is shown how likes and comments of people in your Instagram community can affect someone’s mental health and with such validation, we have seen the uprising need of seeking validation by either using fake filters or some other way and removing likes from Instagram is claimed by Instagram CEO Adam Mosseri to be a move towards such façade.
However, is it really going to be like that? How it is going to affect you or is it going to affect you? Let’s hop on to answers to these questions.
How does it work?
Removal of Instagram likes does not mean the total removal of the feature i.e. the heart shown under any post on the feed. It merely means the “number” of likes will not be shown because of which you will never know what the exact number of likes on a post is.
But hang on, there is a catch.
Though for a few number of likes per se 100 or less, it might curb the measurement possibilities, for the likes above 100, the number of likes will look as given below:
Table 1.0
What will it do?
Hiding the number of likes will surely affect the influencer market as the brands and businesses will not be able to judge the performance accurately
Accurate numbers are an easy task who get enough number of likes but now, the competition will now be for the display column shown in the table above
More emphasis will be laid on Comments, Share and Story strategy for engagement
Why it is implemented?
A number of reasons are given and suspected for the removal of likes on Instagram. As said by CEO Adam Morris, the reason for this is to focus on mental health by depressurizing Instagram.
Other reasons stated by various sources such as CNBC are:
It will entice the marketers to spend more on Instagram Ads for accurate results
People will spend more time on Instagram
Instagram has never said anything on these claims but however, assumptions will always be there.
Can you still see the number of likes on posts?
The only reason for this is that the update has not reached your area yet. The removal of likes started in Canada from May and has extended to countries like Australia, Brazil, Ireland, Italy, Japan, New Zealand, and very recently in the United States and will soon reach to other areas
Bright Side for Influencers:
I know you all must be reading this everywhere that removal of likes will affect influencer business harshly and would divert marketers towards Instagram Ads but, take a breath!
There is something for influencers. It might become a bit hard, but you know that where there is a will, there is a way.
Here are some points that will help you to still show your credibility and reach better:
The better the display
Numbers might not be there but having “thousands of others” or “hundreds of thousands of others” or “millions of others” is still legible, right?
So, you keep doing your hustle, when the results appear, you can surely get some benefit out of it.
Public likes are hidden so, promote private likes
True that your followers won’t be able to see the number of likes you get on a post but you can see the number for sure. That means, you still have a weapon to promote the basic number of likes that you get on a post.
Promote and Shine!!
Start emphasizing on comments
We all know that comments have always got an upper hand over likes, and I am sure, you have been working to get more comments since the start. So why worry now?
From now on, emphasize a little more on comments to get engagement.
Likes are not the only numbers
Calm down! ‘Cause likes are not the only numbers for you. Comments, Share, Followers are still in the picture in the same way as they were before. Change your strategy to get the numbers churning on other types of interactions.
With insights, you can see a lot of metrics that prove the interaction you got on your feed, stories, and now reels and you can show the same to your clients.
Google, the savior
It might be not possible for marketers to see likes on Instagram mobile but it can be still seen on desktop. How? The answer is Google. Google has rolled out a Chrome extension that can be used to bring back the number of likes on Instagram.
This plug-in is known as “The Return of the likes”. So, now with this, marketers can easily see the number of likes on your posts and you can also keep an eye on Instagram likes your competitors are getting.Evolving is a crucial part of any successful business and you need to evolve too ‘cause smart business people always find their way.
The Essence
Technology changes and it changes rapidly, but you need to keep your pace aligned with these changes and in the world of Social Media, the changes are done and introduced daily. What you need to do is find a way to use those changes for your benefit instead of thinking of it as regulation or restriction.
