Instagram Becomes More Likable by Removing 'Likes'

In case you've been partaking in a social media cleanse, you may not have noticed that the popular social media platform, Instagram has made a serious update. Gone are the days of opening (and reopening) your app to see how "popular" you (think you) are. Why? Because Instagram got rid of (ok, it's still there, but in a kind of muted way) their "'ike' button.

...and we're not mad about it. Honestly, we think this is a step in the right direction. Don't get us wrong, we love social media marketing! We love sharing photos & information and engaging with people from across the world through social media. However, we do not love the underlying pressure and the "fake friends" that Insta's infamous 'like' button brought. Most of us are under enough pressure just in keeping a healthy work/life balance as it is, am I right?

So What's The Deal?

Remember how you used to be able to see the exact number of people who liked a post? Now, Instagram has hidden the number of likes an account has from public view. Only the owner of the account is able to see how many 'likes' they've accumulated.

Photos (L to R): old Instagram 'likes' versus updated Instagram 'likes' (Photos courtesy of social media influencer The Bucket List Family)

This is big deal for social influencers who #LiveForTheLikes. Now the influencer community will need to adjust their marketing strategies and deepen their relationships and engagement with followers. Gone are the days of purchasing 'likes' for insta-fame! However, users will still be able to measure the success of a post internally due to account owners still being able to view how many likes they earn- which is great news for marketing teams who still need metrics to gauge the success of marketing campaigns.

Let us know what you think! Do you love or hate the new update?