On the social media platform, new features are regularly tested from time to time. Instagram has recently tested a new feature related to posts in some selected countries. It hides the likes on the post from the audience, but the post creator can see likes. Out of so many features test of this has expended, which indicates the seriousness of social media platforms to consider this feature. The main purpose of launching behind this act is to remove social pressure for acquirement more likes on social media platforms.
Some people were unwilling to launch this feature because influencers are judged based on likes and comments on their posts, and it might hurt influencer marketing. But in this article, you would get to know about four reasons which would describe that without likes, influencer marketing could flourish and would not get hurt.
Professional Influencers Do Not Depend on likes only
Almost all social media platforms have APIs through which some software can count the number of likes on the post of their interest. Due to this ability to get followers on Instagram, performance assassination for influencers and their posts is possible across a wide array. Not only like counts, but the rate of engagement and cost per engagement could also be calculated with the help of this software. This is an automation kind of situation to count a post’s likes.
Only those interested in part-time influencer marketing put their time and efforts to scroll accounts for the posts of their interest manually. This situation clearly shows that most people are concerned about their interests and not about the image of an influencer. If influencer’s content is of the audience’s interest, they would consider it despite more or fewer likes on their post.
Like Option Is Not Eliminated
We all are humans, and we like to get appreciation. On social media platforms like Instagram, like button is the synonym to appreciation. Every influencer feels positive if they get more likes on their Instagram posts. But it could also create pressure on you to get more credibility as an influencer. To hide public like counts could release that pressure on them “to have only five likes” while still being able to feel the positivity of likes.
What we like more on Instagram gives a signal to Instagram’s algorithm about what we want to see more, whether we genuinely want to see it more or not. So, to hide public like count would help influencers to stay positive throughout their work, while likes to be still present on their posts.
Relativity of Engagement Rates
Many likes on Instagram are not just for what content we like, but they are also a kind of nod to their friend’s posts. Many influencers even try to get more Instagram likes just to present their posts more engaged. If the algorithm hides public count of likes, a race kind of situation to get more likes would stop. It would also decrease total likes from posts. Suppose if an average post gets 100 likes, it might only get 80 likes. A shift in like counts on posts would also create a shift in engagement rates and the scale of more desired content on Instagram.
Likes Are Not the Only Measure of Success
Nowadays, business results earned through influencer marketing are more critical than just likes on that influencer’s posts. Many improvements have been done to measure the outcomes of influencer marketing. To track a brand’s sale and an increase in demand and popularity of the promoted brand is the primary important measure of success.
Social media conduct different tests regularly to improve their features and algorithms. Likes to get hidden from the posts on Instagram is one of them. There is a strong possibility of it to get successful as well due to the reasons mentioned above, and it might also put an end to the race to get Instagram likes and followers.
