How Is Instagram’s New “Hide Like” Feature Affecting Business Promotion

Instagram likes have been one of the many vanity metrics used to determine engagement on the photo-sharing platform. Buying free Instagram likes as well as free Instagram followers can give your brand’s profile a boost and set the foundation for establishing a strong brand personality.

The announcement in 2019 to hide Instagram likes brought about a massive change to the platform. The new “Hide Like” feature on Instagram makes it possible for you to view likes on your own posts, but not on the posts made by others. The change was meant to create a healthier environment online and help users feel less self-conscious about the performance of their posts. But it did also mean changes for brands using Instagram marketing to gain more Instagram followers.

How has this feature affected the promotion of businesses on the social media platform? Here’s a rundown of what you need to know.

Shifting the focus from vanity metrics

Instagram likes have, for a long time, been considered to be vanity metrics as these don’t necessarily reflect how engaged Instagram followers are. The new “Hide Like” feature forces brands to shift their focus from the number of likes received on a post to other more reliable indicators of performance.

Tracking the growth rate in the number of Instagram followers, website traffic generated, engagement on Stories, as well as the number of Instagram comments gives a far more accurate picture of how engaged your audience is on the platform. Businesses are recognizing this and shifting their focus to track these metrics and make the most of the platform.

Focus on quality and brand integrity

Instagram likes don’t necessarily reflect a higher rate of engagement as they can always be bought. True engagement on the platform can be achieved by focusing on quality content that offers Instagram followers value. Brands are increasingly recognizing the need to shift their focus from the number of likes on a post to the creation of quality content. This has led to more meaningful marketing on the platform, with brands spending more time developing their message for their online audience.

Quality content sells itself and brands are tapping into this fact to increase real engagement on the platform. This has resulted in more behind the scenes content, better storylines for brands, well thought out captions, as well as communication of a strong brand personality to engage Instagram followers.

Taking advantage of Stories Ads and Videos

With the hidden likes feature, brands are relying more on the content shared through Stories, number of Saves, number of Instagram comments and Instagram views on the platform. It has also meant that more Stories Ads are being used to increase the content reach and direct Instagram followers to landing pages, the company website, or product pages.

Videos are a great way to increase retention of information. So, brands are making use of video marketing a lot more on the platform through Stories, Reels, and even the IGTV feature for more Instagram views and increased engagement on the platform.

The change in influencer marketing

The hidden likes on Instagram has also resulted in a change in influencer marketing for brands. Brands would often use the number of Instagram likes an influencer gets to determine whether they want to go ahead with influencer marketing. With the change, they’re forced to make their selection process a lot more detailed so that they can rest assured that they’ve chosen the right influencer for their niche. Relying on more meaningful metrics as the basis to select influencers also means that brands get access to a loyal audience and can make a bigger impact on Instagram followers.

Conclusion

Businesses must embrace the change and continue to deliver quality content if they want to benefit from promotions through Instagram marketing with the new hidden likes feature.

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