Instagram Removes Likes From Posts
Transcript below:
Hey guys. Dominique here, from Splash & Co Creative. You’ve probably heard the news by now, but if not I’ll loop you in…Instagram is trialing not displaying likes on posts in Australia and a few other countries!
Now, I’m seeing a lot of discussion around this online, and so far the response seems to be very mixed. There are huge sighs of relief from some but then there are also people freaking out that this is the beginning of the end of Instagram!
So I wanted to jump in front of the camera and share my thoughts on this.
Personally, I do not think that this is the beginning of the end of Instagram for a number of reasons:
Instagram is only trialing this at this stage. They will not roll something out if they think it will negatively affect their platform.
This trial has already rolled out in Canada and Instagram has said that they are excited by the early results of the Canadian trial, so clearly the results were positive!
So, if you have a business account on Instagram. What does this mean for you?
Firstly it removes the barrier of entry for new businesses looking to launch on Instagram. We hear from a lot of business owners that they’re too scared to post on Instagram as they’re worried and embarrassed about not getting enough likes. This new rollout removes that pressure and now new business owners can feel more confident about posting on Instagram.
Secondly, it brings the focus back to delivering quality content and harnessing true, authentic engagement. What does a like even mean? In reality, a like actually signals to Instagram’s algorithm that you want to see more posts from this account. With the new update you still have the option to like posts, Instagram just won’t display the total number of likes. Was this feature bringing any real benefit anyway?
At the end of the day, if you’re a business using Instagram you want to be focusing on driving sales and creating real conversations. Personally, I believe that this update is just what Instagram needs to bring the focus back to what’s important.
What are your thoughts on the update? Do you think it’s good or bad?