In an effort to make Instagram a less pressurised environment, the platform is beginning to experiment with hiding like counts on posts as well as possibly making follower counts less prominent on profiles, Adam Mosseri, Instagram's head of product, announced during an event on Tuesday. It's
a logical step following Instagram's recent increased efforts to prioritise mental health and encourage more mindful usage of the app.
Like count is an important metric by which influencers can determine follower engagement and broker deals with brands — the value of which drove an egg to international stardom in January when it garnered 35 million likes and thus usurped Kylie Jenner 's throne for most-liked Instagram photo. But it's not the only metric that brands value when it comes to partnering with influencers and creators.
Influencers and creators can earn big paycheques on Instagram — thousands of dollars for throwing an #ad in a caption. Mediakix, an influencer marketing agency, told Refinery29 last year that influencers with fewer followers and lower engagement rates can earn $444,000 a year, while those with higher numbers can earn closer to one million. It's not unusual for brands to pay as much as $15,000 for a post.
"We understand that [like count] is important for many creators, and while this test is in exploratory stages, we're thinking through ways for creators to communicate value to their partners. We hope that by making the number of likes private, people will be able to focus more on the photos and videos posted in Feed, and that this will ultimately drive deeper engagement," said an Instagram spokesperson in an email to Refinery29.
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