R.I.P Instagram Likes

Beginning last April, Instagram began hiding “likes” in Canada, Japan and Brazil. In 2020, Instagram will begin hiding likes for some users in the U.S., their biggest single market with over a 100M users. 

Exact details of the change are not public, but like counts will be hidden on posts showing up in your feed, while the person/company posting will be still be able to see how many people are liking their content.  

Why do this?

Instagram says it wants to “depressurize” the platform because it has become too much of a competition for likes. Echoing this, Instagram’s CEO Adam Moseri stated that he wanted to  “reduce anxiety and social comparisons” for young people. Responding to public criticism to make Instagram a mentally and socially healthier platform is important, but business concerns are also driving the change. 

Likes on Instagram have devolved into an increasingly meaningless vanity metric. Common practices, like speed scrolling while double tapping and “like for like” tags have gamified the user experience. Bots and click farms have commoditized likes and interactions—think, “fake social media.” These activities dilute a like’s meaning and discourage users from meaningfully interacting with content. 

Instagram’s actual customers are not users, but marketers and advertisers. Vanity metrics may impress some users, but empty likes bring individual ad and post performance metrics into doubt, and make brand managers question the entire influencer ecosystem.  

Influencers are a mainstay of marketing on Instagram. Today, many are seeing the inflated numbers of followers and calling foul. Instagram’s changes to its algorithm in 2019 and hiding likes are all part of keeping the platform a strong and attractive platform for marketing activities. 

Return to quality.

Empty likes has reduced message salience and creativity on Instagram. Hiding likes will likely have a positive effect on both user experience and content. Brand managers will now need to step up their content and engagement game to reach Instagram audiences.

Innovative and creative content isn’t worth the effort when it’s ignored because it doesn’t have enough likes. In a world where likes are hidden, content connects when it creatively engages with users, not because it’s popular. Look for better, sharper and more targeted content and ads.

Connection and relationship will also become more important when likes are hidden. In reality, popularity has never been as important as community connections for social media. It’s just been easier for social media managers and marketers to value large numbers than has been to actually connect with customers. Look for a return to more active engagement with followers, especially in content showing up in the stories feed, which connects directly to a brand’s followers.

Influencers currently operate in a very opaque market with severe distortions. They will face increasing pressure to prove their ROI to marketers. They won’t go away. However, the days of equating audience size to influence are over. Influencers will have to prove audience engagement and link it to value.  

Healthier interactions, better content and less market distortion, are all great things for Instagram, its users and customers. Hiding likes is the right move.