What’s Happening with ?
On November 8, 2019, Instagram Chief Adam Mosseri announced that the will start hiding “likes” on some U.S. posts. The , which has already been in beta in seven other countries since July 2019, began in the U.S. during the week of November 11.
Why Are Getting Removed?
The move was made to “depressurize” Instagram and to help users’ mental well-being by taking the off of the of their is getting, according to Mosseri. It’s important to note that the will not include all Instagram accounts, and it’s not clear the of accounts this will affect. Instagram has also not indicated when the will transition into a full roll-out, either.
It’s important to note that this does not indicate the end of “likes.” Accounts that are part of this can still see the of “likes” on their own posts (in the user’s Insights section), and are able to like other users’ posts; they just can’t see the of other users’ likes. Instead, under the where “likes” would typically appear, they will now see “[name of Instagram account] and others.”
What’s Instagram Saying About Removing Likes?
“The idea is to try and depressurize Instagram, make it less of a competition, give people more space to on connecting with people that they love, things that inspire them,” Mosseri said in the Wired25 event in San Francisco.
What Does Instagram Removing Likes Mean for Other ?
The move away from metrics is sweeping the landscape. Instagram isn’t the only jumping on the trend – both Twitter and YouTube have made recent changes to de-prioritize publicly viewable subscriber counts, with YouTube rolling out abbreviated subscriber counts for in September.
Similar to Instagram Chief Adam Mosseri’s sentiment around users’ well-being, when addressing this , YouTube also mentioned “addressing creator concerns about stress and wellbeing, specifically around tracking public subscriber counts in real time.” Unlike Instagram’s however, YouTube’s to abbreviate subscriber counts also applies to the ’s API, meaning any that uses YouTube subscriber counts will lose access to the full listing.
What Does Instagram Removing Likes Mean for the Industry?
As mentioned previously, this is not the end of “likes” in the as we know it, but an evolution of the . Not only will and still have access to analytics (particularly for Business Accounts), but engagements are still an important indicating metric for marketers and brands. The move is ultimately a good one for marketers as it will lead to several key shifts that will unlock capabilities and insights to advance and maximize the ROI of on all .
Download this guide to discover the six key shifts we will expect to see and how this will ultimately benefit marketers and .
