While a great deal of punters were stoked to learn that the battle for Instagram likes was over as the social media app removed the like count, there’s certain people who are livid, I repeat, LIVID at the news, purely because they’re the most affected. I am, of course, referring to that particular group known as the influencers.
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Perth-based fitness and food influencer Jem Wolfie said Insta’s new manoeuvre is “demotivating” for her and her fellow ‘grammers.
“It’s something they do for the larger accounts,” she told Hack. “They said they’re doing it to take the competition out of posting – I’m not in competition with anyone on Instagram, I’m here to run a business.”
She adds, “They’re taking a tool away that’s really important for us. I’m still going to keep posting as much as before, but it’s demotivating for me.”
https://www.instagram.com/p/Bw50IXvAmwc/?utm_source=ig_embed
When reports of the forthcoming update circulated a few months back, a photog asked Aussie influencer Tammy Hembrow, “What happens when Instagram gets rid of the likes?”
Hembrow responded, “Then we’ll delete Instagram from my life!” Adding, “Fuck Instagram!”
https://www.instagram.com/p/B0EnjK3nzeL/
Another influencer by the name of Zak Hasleby said the changes would take away the “backbone” of influencing.
“I think it’ll be really hard to start being an influencer,” he said.
“You won’t have any backbone to show you have heaps of likes, and businesses won’t be able to see the likes.”
Married At First Sight star Jessika Power tried to remain calm about the sitch, however, insisting that it won’t affect her social media persona at all.
“It’s okay because our income works off of the analytics,” Jessika said via Daily Mail.
“It won’t affect my work in any way. The likes are more like a drug to some people.”
She adds, “It’s that feeling of love and acceptance, but I couldn’t give two hoots if I’m honest.”
Fellow MAFS star Martha Kalifatidis had a similar approach, saying that: “I don’t really care, it won’t change [my] life. I’m still going to post fire pics on the regular.”
Not all the MAFS goons are zen about the matter, however. Nasser Sultan unleashed a furious rant on Instagram.
“It is outrageous that I don’t look like a celebrity now and people can’t see how popular I am with my posts,” he shared.
Instagram announced on Thursday that it would be running a test that hides the total number of likes and video views seen by people using the app in seven different countries – including Australia and New Zealand.
We’re currently running a test that hides the total number of likes and video views for some people in the following countries:
✅ Australia
✅ Brazil
✅ Canada
✅ Ireland
✅ Italy
✅ Japan
✅ New Zealand pic.twitter.com/2OdzpIUBka— Instagram (@instagram) July 17, 2019
Mia Garlick, the Director of Policy at Facebook Australia & New Zealand, said the change has been made to make Instagram a place where “people feel comfortable expressing themselves.”
