Instagram's preferences have become one of many nonsense metrics used to determine engagement with the photo sharing platform. Buying free Instagram likes as well as free Instagram followers can boost your brand profile and set the foundation for establishing a strong brand personality. The announcement in 2019 to hide Instagram preferences has brought 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 posts made by others. The change is intended to create a healthier online environment and help users feel self-conscious about the performance of their posts. But it also means changes for brands that use Instagram marketing to get more Instagram followers.
Instagram's likes have, in the long run, been considered trivial metrics because they 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 performance indicators. Tracking the growth rate in the number of Instagram followers, website traffic generated, engagement with Stories, as well as the number of comments on Instagram provides a more accurate picture of how engaged your audience on the platform. Businesses are recognizing this and shifting their focus to track these metrics and get the most out of the platform.
Instagram's likes don’t necessarily reflect a higher engagement rate because they can always be bought. True engagement with the platform can be achieved by focusing on quality content that offers value to Instagram followers. Brands are increasingly recognizing the need to shift their focus from the number of likes in a post to creating quality content. This has led to more meaningful platform marketing, 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 with the platform. This has resulted in more behind the scenes content, better storylines for brands, well-thought-out captions, as well as the communication of a strong brand personality to engage with Instagram followers.
With the hidden feature of choice, brands are increasingly relying on content shared via Stories, number of Saves, number of Instagram comments and Instagram views on the platform. It also means that many Story Ads are used to increase content reach and direct Instagram followers to landing pages, company websites, or product pages. Videos are a great way to increase information retention. Thus, brands are using video marketing more on the platform through Stories, Reels, and even the IGTV feature for more Instagram views and increased engagement with the platform.
The hidden likes on Instagram have also resulted in a change in influencer marketing for brands. Brands will often use the number of Instagram likes an influencer has obtained to determine if they want to continue influencer marketing. With the change, they were forced to make their selection process more detailed to make sure they had selected the right influencer for their niche. Relying on more meaningful metrics as the basis to select influencers also means that brands are gaining access to a loyal audience and can make a huge impact on Instagram followers.
Businesses must embrace innovation and continue to deliver quality content if they want to benefit from promotions through Instagram marketing using the new feature hidden like.