The possible elimination of the number of «likes» has generated a great stir on Instagram. Especially content creators and influencers, who will see their metrics affected by the new modification. Since the social network made official its extension to 7 countries of the test that entails the «disappearance of ‘likes‘”, some digital marketing experts have questioned how these new changes will affect those who obtain their profits from this type of digital platforms.
In this sense, although Instagram’s objective is to prioritize the quality of content over the quantity of «likes», the elimination of this metric greatly hinders the way brands and influencers measure the response that a publication has had.
By eliminating the number of likes, it is more difficult for a brand to know what the engagement has been like in the publication of a user they work with. In this way, brands will be forced to depend on other data such as the number of followers or the number of comments. However, this data can be easily manipulated by bots and does not really show the reception that an influencer’s publications may have.
Hand in hand with this, it also raises questions about how the Instagram algorithm will work from now on. This is because the algorithm was based on giving priority to the publications with the most likes, so, by eliminating the number of likes, it is not possible to know what metric the social network will use to highlight a publication. This could mean that Instagram will give more priority to posts that are reposted or with more comments, turning this data into the new metrics of importance.
The problem with these modifications in the algorithm and in the way of prioritizing Instagram content in general, is that it makes it difficult for new influencers to rise, or for smaller content creators who are looking to emerge in the digital landscape.
In addition, the elimination of “likes” could also redirect the attention of brands and influencers to other formats on the platform, such as Stories. This makes a lot of sense if you take into account the strong commitment that Instagram has made to promote this product.
Already a fact, moving primary content to Stories encourages brands to bet on ads on this platform, which is already becoming a reality with the arrival of more advertisers from Facebook to Instagram Stories.
In general, the elimination of “likes” represents a positive bet in favor of the authenticity of the content and the platform in general, avoiding numerical comparisons and generating less social pressure within the platform. However, this could also be a dangerous move for Instagram, which could face massive migrations of users in search of other platforms that continue to provide this virtual «validation».
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