So you post a content on social media and check the content every 5 mins to see how many likes you are getting. This is pretty normal for some while not everybody enjoys this. This is why apps like Instagram and Facebook have rolled out the hiding likes feature which allows the users to hide all the likes count for all posts or even hide likes for a selective post.
How does this feature affect users, content creators and brands in whole?
Hiding Likes On Social Media
Talking about the hiding-like feature on Instagram, Adam Mosseri, the CEO at Instagram mentioned the significance of the hiding feature and why it was introduced for the users. He wanted the users to feel easy and reduce the burden and pressure that creators face while on the app.
The aim of this update was to inspire creators to create a positive and competition-free content sharing.
If you are still unknown to this update, here’s how you can turn ‘hide likes’. This is how Instagram shared the update with the users:
https://www.instagram.com/p/CPVvZAWBXQR
Open Instagram app, go to Settings > Privacy and Security > Hide Like and View Counts. Once you do that
This
Becomes
Surely you spotted the difference! The likes count is hidden in the second image and it’s replaced with ‘others’.
(also in another survey, after asking the users on ‘how they found this new update some people found it beneficial while others found it disappointing saying they aren’t able to figure out which post is trending and which isn’t)
Does this mean you can’t see the likes count on your posts?
Not at all. You can keep the likes hidden for others and still see the likes you get on your post.
How is the hiding likes feature helping or affecting the users? Let’s find out.
A Personal Choice
It’s a personal choice as to whether you need to hide the likes or not which makes this a free to use feature.
You can turn the likes off and see how it goes for a week.. If it helps you focus on your content and craft more then you can definitely give this feature a try!
On the other hand it would be difficult to judge a brand’s reputation and loyalty with hidden likes. You won’t be able to understand the overall audience feedback. However the content quality, brand responses to the viewer’s comments/query, and testimonials would make the brand reputation more reliable than just post likes.
Therefore, you can make the decision and see whichever works right for you.
Avoids anxiety
Nothing is worth more than your mental peace and health.
According to one 2018 statistic, 43% of the teens felt that they should post more ‘to look good’. An old statistic but yet something to think about isn’t it? A time when social media wasn’t as popular as it is now, 43% of the teens had the pressure to post more.
Therefore, social media is a proven place that affects mental health. Features like ‘hiding likes’ can keep your anxiety at bay, help you focus on the content creator, their content, and make you appreciate your content as well!
Algorithm remains the same
There’s no change in how the algorithm works. Instagram would still be able to access the profile engagement, comments and shares as it used to be. Thus, likes still remain an important part of Instagram journey and help in prioritizing the feed content.
With the hidden likes feature, brands would face the dilemma in choosing the right influencers and this is where influencer marketing platforms like Spreadd could assist the brands in carrying out a smooth marketing campaign for their venture.
That brings us to the end of this blog, hope you liked reading it through. If you have any queries or topics that you would like to blog about, send us them all here!
