If you use Instagram for business, you’ve probably been spending the past few weeks trying to contain your inner rage.
Instagram has rolled out testing of removing likes in Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Ireland, Italy, Japan and Brazil.
If you’re in the biz, I’m sure you’ve heard about it already. Even if you’re not, this news has been EVERYWHERE. Which means this blog post should come as no surprise. And I don’t have any new insider information to tell you in this either (though I do have some tips and tricks in this post)…! I do, however, want to stress the importance of keeping going with a positive attitude and why you should always have five alternative go-tos for your business.
Instagram have removed the likes under the concept that they are taking steps towards looking after the mental health of their users. In hopes that removing Instagram likes will alleviate that keeping up with the Jones’ culture. Instagram will feel less like a popularity contest.
What Instagram have said:
In a statement, Instagram said to the BBC, “We hope this test will remove the pressure of how many likes a post will receive, so you can focus on sharing the things you love,” Mia Garlick, Facebook Australia and New Zealand director of policy. The goal, she adds, is that users feel less judged and to see “whether this change can help people focus less on likes and more on telling their story”.
I kind of get it, but I also kind of call bullshit on this one.
Because the problem doesn’t sit just with the likes. It sits with how people use it and use social media in the first place. And that is actually down to personal preference. If I fill my feed with celebrities, I may not feel the best about myself… but it is my choice to do so. If I fill my feed with fashion bloggers with the latest Chanel while my bank account balance is mad at me for buying coffee… it’s still my choice to do so.
Personally? I like using Instagram for doses of reality, luxury and inspiration. The people I follow don’t lead the same life as me, they certainly don’t always look like me and I’m 100% OK with that. Because I like variety. And diversity. I like surrounding my life with so many different, wonderful, interesting people. And this is what we should be teaching and preaching instead of worrying about “likes” as the problem. The problem isn’t necessarily down to likes, it’s how we’re consuming our media. And it’s how we use it in the first place.
It’s about changing kids from thinking they need to use filters to make themselves look better. Really, it’s no different to knowing that photoshopped magazines exist. But I’d argue that with access to Instagram, we have access to such a wider demographic and reaching different people. We have access to more “real life” and less fake content. Sure, it’s out there. But it’ll be out there on any platform. Hell, it’ll be out there in the real world too. Should we focus on educating first and foremost on how to find content that makes you happier versus what causes a negative impact towards you personally?
Finding a solution is all about starting at the root of the problem.
When I was younger, I found problems with social media and inadequacy. I had a boyfriend at the time who was speaking to other women… on Facebook. I felt horrible about it, I compared myself to them. But to be honest? I’m glad that social media existed back then for that reason. Sure, I felt bad about it at the time. But what if social media hadn’t exposed who he really was? What if I didn’t know until years down the line? I am thrilled for the existence of social media. Sure, it doesn’t bring out the best in everyone, but that’s the point. We need to address how we consume and use it in the first place.
I have found social media and Instagram specifically to be incredibly empowering. And I discovered confidence in myself both mentally and physically that I never had before. I have created a group to follow that cheers me on rather than focuses on my failures. And mostly, I am happy to have created a business for myself within it. But that’s a self-taught environment. Just like how we learned what kind of books we liked by exploring the library when we were younger, we need to learn how to use social media too.
I’ve found a way to use social media responsibility and so have many others. This is the kind of usage it needs and I think it’s important that we too, share our message of how social media has impacted our lives for the better.
Thoughts on the removal of Instagram likes in practice:
In practice, for those of us who use Instagram as a business tool, getting rid of likes is a bad idea. I understand competitive comparison culture, I really do. And for anyone who thinks I’m not understanding the negative impact that it can have, I do. I understand. However, I’m not sure how Instagram changing this is going to have that desired effect when there’s so much more we could start with.
Instagram as a business tool is about measuring engagement. It’s about being able to engage what works with your audience versus what doesn’t. It’s about showing a brand that yes, while I may be a small blogger or influencer, I have power behind what I do and people who support me.
With the removal of likes, we risk the rise of bought followers once again. Because there is no longer a public measuring system to hold people accountable. Which in turn, hurts smaller bloggers and businesses.
In the past, I have worked for numerous companies who have told me that they wanted to buy their social media following. I have tested out follow and unfollow apps at their request. It is not the answer.
It’s harmful towards your business in the long run. But we like short term results, don’t we? With the removal of likes, people and brands will become less accountable. And that’s something that doesn’t sit right with me.
What YOU’VE said on the situation:
So I asked on my Instagram stories questions about your thoughts on the matter. Because it’s not just my opinion that counts. And to be honest? It was a pretty 50/50 split. People are happy that the removal of likes can lead towards better mental health. You like that there’s a priority on the content created rather than the popularity of the post.
On the other hand, I had responses that flipped the other way. You’re worried about engagement dropping or brands no longer wanting to work with you. And are concerned it’ll be easier to buy followers and fake engagement.
It’s all valid. I think if we found a way to address how we use our social media from the get-go this would be the game changer we’re after!
So what should we do about the ~future~?
Instagram is an app that we don’t own (unless you’re Mark Zuckerberg reading this – which I’m going to say is unlikely). Which means that we shouldn’t be relying it as our sole social source. That means yes, it’s time to start spending a little bit of time elsewhere. Or at least taking time to get your other channels some TLC.
If Instagram likes are disappearing, we need to make sure that’s not all we’re relying on in our business models.
1. SO IMPORTANT IT’S ALL CAPS: MAKE SURE YOU HAVE A BLOG OR WEBSITE!
I’m talking about domain name ownership and rights to absolutely everything that is published on there. Some people may find that blogs are a waste of time when you can make more money on Instagram. But blogging is the reason I got into this business in the first place. I love writing, learning and exploring. Blogging is what allowed me to meet and make so many friends in this country. Without my blog, I wouldn’t be me or have founds the friends that I have today.
From a practical standpoint, it’s place to own your content, copy and images. No one else has control over what goes on there. If Instagram and all your other social channels cease to exist – you will still have your blog! This is of utmost importance. Sort. It out.
If you need a helping hand on where to start, I self-host with Bluehost and they’ve always been super easy to work with – but do drop me a note if you’re starting out and need a guideline!
2. Start making a list, a mailing list, that is
Even I’m not a pro at this one. But mailing lists are a great resource for keeping people informed on what you’re up to. The latest posts and content that you’re putting out there can be kept nicely to inform your audience about what you’re doing. At the moment, I only send out emails automatically when a blog I write is published. That’s all anyone signs up to when they sign up to stay in the know on my website. It’s a tool that I can explore in depth later – and plan to later this year.
I’ll keep you posted with more on what I learn, but there are very handy articles out there. One I like especially is this one by Vix Meldrew.
3. Pinterest isn’t just for recipes, time to take your Pinning seriously
Again, I’m a total novice when it comes to Pinterest, but I’ve been using it semi-steadily now and I’ve seen an increase in traffic to my website! YAY. Which is super great!
It means that my pins are getting seen and more people are inclined to click through to my website. It’s a fun great place to discover wonderful imagery, plan travel itineraries, outfits and recipes. I used to use Pinterest as a personal place. It was for my own ideas only, but now I use it with a business focus too. Sharing my own content, sharing content that is relevant to my blog (alongside the other fun unrelated stuff too). Basically it’s one of my favourite and underrated social media channels out there. It’s also not owned by Facebook, so a little variety!
Be sure to follow me on Pinterest too, of course!
4. Get your ass back on Twitter!
Twitter is a place for quick chats and sharing news. It’s also one of the few platforms not owned and operated by Facebook yet. But I envision (queen of speculation) that it’s going to become more photo orientated over the next few years.
If Instagram use does decline and there’s no “new” app on the market, I think we might see more on Twitter. So start sharing over there too. And have discussions. Unfollow old accounts that make you feel “meh”. Mute the ones you can’t bring yourself to unfollow too. Figure out a way to make it feel like the good old days and work on replicating that experience. I definitely need to work on this one too. We’re in this together.
5. Keep doing your thing, chicken wing
Honestly, things are always going to be changing up and down in this new industry of social media. We can complain about it all we want, but we’re unlikely to be the ones with any decision making capabilities at headquarters. So let’s focus on supporting each other and continuing to be all about creating our very own brilliant content!
If you have any tips, suggestions, or advice too… let me know below!
Kelly xx
