This weekend, Instagram’s CEO Adam Mosseri let us in on some game-changing news that we wanted to share.
Beginning in April 2019, Instagram has been testing hiding like counts from followers in seven different countries. On Friday, Mosseri announced the same rollout would be tested in some parts of the U.S. this week. The goal of this potential new update is to elevate the connection between users, much like Facebook’s algorithm updates that are focused on family and friends and less branded content. While you will be able to see your own like count, other users on the platform will not.
This test also fits with Instagram’s goal to lead the fight against online bullying. Mosseri and his team want to make Instagram less of a popularity contest and more about great content. The Instagram CEO said this idea is focused on young people using the platform. He even mentioned he’s personally spent a lot of time on this specific update.
Still, there are questions about how this will affect influencers and the newfound marketing platform the feed has created.
Social Media Today reports how influencers have been affected in the seven countries since testing began in April, and the majority had a significant decrease in engagement.
Instagram hasn’t announced the areas in the U.S. it will be performing the tests, but from our experience working within Facebook Ads Manager, these rollouts can be unpredictable.
We’re on the edge of our seats waiting to see what happens next. On the one hand, the entire platform’s engagement could decrease as users come back to the feed to see their favorite influencers. This rollout could change how millions of companies are spending their ad dollars, and we’re not sure if Mosseri and Zuckerburg are up for that big of a change. But, on the other hand, the WIRED magazine crowd applauded when Mosseri announced likes would be hidden from all users at their 2019 summit. Many people are fully supportive of this update and Instagram’s goal is to enhance the platform’s anti-bullying stance.
We’ll continue to keep you all updated as this will certainly change social strategies, content creation and partnerships with influencers. Please let us know if you all see like counts disappear from your personal feeds.
See more about the rollout from TechCrunch.