The Latest Instagram Update: Removing Likes

Instagram is currently testing a new feature where users will no longer see the total number of likes or views on a post. The trial update started rolling out across Australia in July 2019 and will extend to Japan, New Zealand, Italy and Brazil. The purpose of the new feature is to reduce pressure on its users while allowing people to focus more on content.

For some users, the number of likes can have a strong impact on their self-esteem, especially for young teenagers. According to the Royal Society of Public Health, Instagram is the most detrimental social media network for young people’s mental health. For this reason, it may be considered as the right direction for Instagram.

But what does this mean for businesses?

Users who have a business account (including social media influencers) will still be notified of their likes and can access their account ‘insights’ page to see their profile visits, website clicks, reach and impressions. Businesses or brands who rely on the number of organic ‘likes’ as one of their key metrics may be affected, however, businesses that run ads will still be able to access metrics in Ads Manager.

To leverage off the update, it will be important for users to be ‘authentic’ and encourage a higher level of engagement with comments while building a strong sense of community. However, this major update may either reduce or increase the number of monthly active users and a decision will be made at a later date on whether or not the update will be made permanent.

To learn more about this new update and how it will affect your business, contact us today.