Instagram Testing Expands
Last week, Instagram chief, Adam Mosseri announced that Instagram will be extending its test of hiding total “Like” counts to users in the United States. Instagram’s hidden like counts test has caused a huge debate in the social media world, with some seeing it as a win for platform health and others are questioning how it will impact social media influencers and marketers. SocialMediaToday talked about the initial test beginning in Canada back in May and then in July it expanded to the following seven more countries: Australia, Brazil, Canada, Ireland, Italy, Japan and New Zealand.
It was reported that the influencer marketing platform HypeAuditor recently published a study, that appeared to suggest that the total like counts have dropped in the regions where the test was going on, at least for the influencers that were part of the study. HypeAuditor used the UK, where the test was not active, as the yardstick for regions where the like counts were active. Overall, it suggested that the change has had an impact on user’s activity. However, the test is isolated to influencers only, so it is not 100% clear whether the trend reflects all users yet. With the test you can expect that you will likely expect to see a drop in your total like counts from Instagram users.
Mosseri said, ” It’s about young people – the idea is to try and depressurize Instagram, make it less of a competition, give people more space to focus on connecting with people that they love, things that inspire them. But it’s really focused on young people.”
The key focus on this Instagram testing is the mental health of the young users when sharing their photos and videos. Mosseri says that the team has to see how it affects how people feel about the platform and how they use it. The fact the Instagram announced it is expanding the test to American users would suggest that the test is generating results but it is not known officially what the impacts will be. A user in Australia, where the test has been active, says it is worth noting that the test is not as extreme as some may think. You are still able to tap on the “and others” notification under any post and see the full list of people who liked it, while you can still view the total like counts for your own posts. As shown from the results, it does appear to be causing a drop in total likes when people share their posts but there needs to be further testing and monitoring of measurements.At Bold Media we provide social media services to educate and entice the public towards your goods and services. Want a professional to help you get started on reaching your audience better? We’re here to help! Reach out to us with any questions by calling (248) 477-5994 or contact us online today.
