Instagram revealed that it has already started testing the removal of the “likes” visibility in the US and Canada. The social media has also shared that it is planning to test the like visibility removal in other countries across the world, too.
At the time when the information was shared by Instagram officials, influencers, celebrities, artists and even regular users of the social media have shared their concern with the measure, discussing both the positive and negative aspects of the upcoming changes. One of the issues that have caused most turmoil was associated with organic content and the possible impact that the like visibility removal could have on such content.
The change is to affect the gambling sector, too, and respectively, organic gambling content. Just like the other types of content uploaded on Instagram, both positive and negative effects associated with the move for the global gambling industry are expected to occur.
Currently, the importance of creativity and authenticity of the content on Instagram is very high, and considering the planned changes, it would become even higher. If the likes visibility is removed on a permanent basis, all brands, companies and influencers, including the ones related to the gambling sector, would be forced to upload more meaningful content in order to guarantee better engagement.
There Would Be Positive Sides of the Change, Measure’s Proponents Say
One of the main reasons why Instagram took into consideration the potential removal of the number of likes under each post on the platform, was the increasing concerns associated with a lack of authenticity on the social network. This is easily provable, as every Instagram user has seen similar pictures uploaded under various hashtags or geotags. This feature of the social network’s platform, on the other hand, is closely connected to originality.
In this context, in case the removal of likes becomes permanent, gambling brands could see this move as an opportunity to creating a place where their followers need to be more creative. According to some analysts, this could help the brands that have an innovative and original presence really stand out more easily and reach more potential customers.
Some popular brands and influencers from different sectors have shared their concern that the removal of the number of likes would make it harder for them to measure their audience engagement rates. However, proponents of the change have insisted that the comments section is actually more important than the “likes”, as they demonstrate the actual levels of engagement of the brand’s audience.
Some supporters of the likes removal measure say that the move would allow influencers, celebrities and various brands, including gambling companies, to focus on creating more meaningful connections with their followers.
Brands Visibility, Including in the Gambling Sector, Would Be Affected
There may be some positive aspects of the recent decision of Instagram to test the removal of likes, but analysts say there would be some cons, too.
According to reports, the past year has seen some posts of a large number of influencers and brands pushed down in users’ feeds. This basically means that their content is viewed by fewer people, which on the other hand, leads to smaller visibility and engagement rates. Visibility has always been important to gambling companies, as they are using the social media platform to reach more people. The lower the visibility, the lower the engagement rates, which would hurt the popularity of the brand.
Technically, Instagram users will still be able to like content on the social network. If implemented on a permanent basis, the change would mean they just would not be able to see the other people who have done so, unless these people are on their friend lists. Reportedly, the change would make other Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) more important than the mere number of likes.
The intention of Instagram to hide the number of likes on its platform has fuelled discussions regarding the social media metrics. According to preliminary expectations, the change could bring more difficulties for smaller brands from different sectors, including gambling. In case such brands gather a large number of likes, they would get better visibility. However, the changes that are planned to be brought by Instagram could make these brands struggle, as the number of likes would no longer be displayed and the overall visibility of the companies and influencers would be hurt.
