Facebook has join Instgram and Youtube in testing whether it should begin hiding public-facing like counts, and there are signs it’s been successful so far, since it’s
been expanded to more countries. People who are part of the test seem to like it, too. While the like has been a key Facebook feature for a decade, users have increasingly
complained that it can make them feel bad, as people get caught up worrying about whether their posts get enough likes. People may not post things they fear won’t get likes,
or they may delete things that didn’t perform well. Removing the public-facing like count could resolve some of that pressure. If that leads to more posts on Facebook,
been expanded to more countries. People who are part of the test seem to like it, too. While the like has been a key Facebook feature for a decade, users have increasingly
complained that it can make them feel bad, as people get caught up worrying about whether their posts get enough likes. People may not post things they fear won’t get likes,
or they may delete things that didn’t perform well. Removing the public-facing like count could resolve some of that pressure. If that leads to more posts on Facebook,
and more time spent on Facebook, then we’re likely to see tests like these continue to expand.
Instagram’s test of hiding “likes” on posts just expanded to more markets around the globe. For influencers, or individuals who work with brands to promote services
or products on social media, this will likely mean a continued shift away from “vanity metrics” — such as likes or follower counts — and a focus on actual sales.
The potential change could also mean that influencer content will need to become higher quality, since users won’t be able to lean on the amount of likes their posts
are receiving when a brand considers working with them. Marketers will still be able to look at an influencer’s follower count, but that metric doesn’t mean much in
the way of showing how “engaged” a user’s audience is.
or products on social media, this will likely mean a continued shift away from “vanity metrics” — such as likes or follower counts — and a focus on actual sales.
The potential change could also mean that influencer content will need to become higher quality, since users won’t be able to lean on the amount of likes their posts
are receiving when a brand considers working with them. Marketers will still be able to look at an influencer’s follower count, but that metric doesn’t mean much in
the way of showing how “engaged” a user’s audience is.
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