Instagram’s ‘Like Ban’ Has Some Considerable Marketing Ramifications
Over the last few weeks, residents of Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and several other countries have been using a different kind of Instagram: one where the number of likes and views on their friend’s Instagram posts are hidden. This change — now being referred to as the ‘like ban’ is a move by the Facebook-owned company aimed at “reducing anxiety and promoting mental well-being” for its users by shifting focus from the numbers to the content.
“We want people to worry a little bit less about how many likes they’re getting on Instagram and spend a bit more time connecting with the people that they care about,” – Instagram CEO, Adam Mosseri
This change is currently still being tested in those few territories, but it’s not a far-fetched idea that they may decide to eventually implement it globally. It may not happen soon — or at all — but I do like being prepared, so let us explore the world of Instagram without counters. What does it mean for marketers, and how do we thrive under the new regime?
Fundamental shift
While the move has some altruistic purpose to it, the biggest change is the almost indiscernible shift in the core operation of the platform. See, with the absence of likes, marketers have to look at other ways of measuring performance of their posts and campaigns. So instead of focusing on vanity metrics — number of followers, likes per post, etc — which are quite easy to fake, we will have to look at other aspects that tell us about fans’ sentiments regarding posts.
One source of gauging fans’ sentiments is the comment section. It is often overlooked compared to likes, but it tells you a lot more about a page than anything else. Notice how the pages that really connect with their followers often get not just many likes, but comments as well. Comments will tell you who bought their followers, who has an engaged following that is excited about each post, and who’s hardly connecting with their followers. Not to mention that they’re not as easy to fake.
This means that marketers now have to churn out more content focused on getting more comments than likes. Your posts no longer have to just look good, but they also have to provide so much value to your audience that they fell compelled to add some words along with the like they delivered. Instagram’s algorithm already takes engagement into account. Posts that get higher engagement in terms of comments vastly outrank posts with large likes and are generally shown earlier to your followers.
Success Metrics
A simple way I use to judge the performance of an Instagram page is by analyzing the Likes:Followers ratio of their last 5-10 posts. The higher the L:F ratio, the stronger the page. But L:F ratio is only useful up to a point, since as accounts grow in followings, their L:F ratios drop. Case in point: the biggest Instagram accounts (@cristiano, @kyliejenner) have a L:F ratio of about 0.8%, while average accounts with 10,000 followers have L:F ratios of anywhere from 15-30% depending on the quality of the content. With the like ban the L:F system might soon be extinct, but don’t worry, because…
I also like to look at the Comments:Followers ratio. Because whereas even the worst posts can generate likes, the number and tone of comments usually tells you much more than likes ever can. Pages with engaged followers are consistent with their comments, whereas non-engaged followers rarely ever leave comments. A good C:F ratio ranges from 0.1% to 0.0001% depending on the size of their following. A page that consistently does over 0.05% C:F is pure gold.
Post saves are another judge of success. People typically only save meaningful content, so keep an eye on that too. Although to be honest, there’s loads of other ways to track performance on Instagram: for example, customizing campaigns and tracking them to sales. If your company makes use of influencer marketing, give each influencer a unique discount code for their followers to use. Sales attributable to each influncer can then be matched to their code. If you’re a marketer sifting through options of influencers to partner with, comments should be your guiding tool.
Key takeaway
The like ban coupled with Instagram’s declining organic reach makes it imperative for marketers to create content that resonates with fans and actually gets them engaging with it. The focus should shift from vanity content and focus, to quality content that informs and educates and expands your fanbase. You want people to have a conversation in your comments in reaction to your posts, sharing your posts on their stories and tagging their friends, not just liking them.
The findings of Instagram’s test could bring some major changes, to not just their app, but other social media platforms as well. Mental health concerns over social media use have increased in recent years, and as the platforms get more proactive in tackling this issue, we may see similar moves by other social media giants in coming months.
Are you looking to scale your Instagram and use it to make money? Talk to usfor a free 30-minute personalized strategic session.
The 7 Cardinal Sins of Social Media Marketing
Beware of these mistakes while going about your social media marketing activities. Tread carefully, and remember that the internet never forgets.
Social Media Marketing – Is It Worth It?
Over the last few months we have spoken dozens of business managers about the advantages of social media marketing. Being users of social platforms, they are able to appreciate the impact that a well-thought-out campaign can bring, but a lot of them are hesitant to adopt such a structure in their organizations.
After a while we noticed that their fears, worries, and reservations were mostly centered around the same things. We documented these objections in what we’ve come to term as our “rebuttal guidebook” in order to understand what factors were motivating them and to create solutions that solved these problems. Here are some of the more common objections we have received:
1. “We already have a marketing department”
Good heavens, mate! We don’t intend to overhaul or replace it, no. In fact, we like your marketing department so much, we’re going to be working with them to get you in front of thousands of eyeballs daily. It is actually easier working with an in-house marketing team (and cheaper for you too), as they understand the organization, its culture and have their finger on the pulse of the place.
The thing is, though, when did they finish school? If it’s more than 3 years ago they probably didn’t learn enough (if anything at all) about social media marketing in their college marketing classes. Then again, maybe they did. But how long ago was that? Things change so fast in the world of social media, that what was a sure money-making beast a few months ago will now only bring in small trickles of revenue today. You need someone who’s up-to-date on the latest tactics, and understands the subtle, frequent shifts in how the platforms operate, so your business can put its best foot forward. And that’s where external consultants come in.
2. “Advertising is too expensive”
An erroneous assumption carried on from traditional advertising. We know billboards and tv commercials don’t come cheap, and some people expect the same prohibitive cost with social media ads. When you tell them they can make profit with as little as a Ksh 350 per day investment, they have trouble believing you. I then usually pull up my Facebook Ads account and show them some stats:
These are results from one of our first eCommerce clients’ ad campaign for their online store. The total campaign budget was Ksh 180,000 for the 7-month period, and we made sales of Ksh. 940,000. We didn’t even have all the funds at the beginning of the campaign. We started off with Ksh. 500/day ads, then scaled up to Ksh. 1,000/day when we started making money from the first ads. At the peak we were spending about Ksh. 3,000 per day on Facebook ads, with returns of about Ksh 26,000 per day.
It doesn’t matter if you have a small budget – you just need to know how to deploy it wisely on the internet for maximum profit. Our Facebook Advertising program teaches about the basics you need to understand to run successful ads every time.
3. “We have a good thing going with TV and radio – why change it?”
First of all, congratulations on your achievements. You seem to have a good eye for picking out winning campaigns, and that is commendable. We’re not asking you to pull down your billboards yet, merely to consider another source of traffic for your business. One with no media wastage, and where you can match every dollar spent to the revenue it brought in, like so:
Traditional advertising still has a place in this world. When combined with social media marketing, however, the results can be downright lethal. You can keep crushing it with your billboards and commercials, while harnessing the power of connection of social media, which equals larger market share. For example, a well-organized Instagram challenge can very easily get picked up by the news, which then feeds back to itself, creating a feedback loop that elevates your brand recognition.
4. “The kind of business we do wouldn’t benefit from social media”
Do any of your customers use Facebook? Here’s a simple experiment:
Create a Facebook page and ask your customers to review it after checkout or a few days after purchasing your goods/services. Trust me, there’s more people like your customers on Facebook, and it can help you create a community of like-minded individuals who value what your business has to offer. Like Drake did with MySpace back in the 2000s when few knew him: he was able to create a cult following on the platform back then, who ate up his music and led to the distribution of his content on other mainstream sources. While everyone was fighting to get on tv, he focused on creating his community online, who then helped get his music to other platforms.
This is the kind of opportunity you leave on the table when you snub social media marketing. Honestly, whatever business you do (unless you’re a witchdoctor) your enterprise stands to gain something once you build a nice online presence.
So why should you set up a social media marketing channel for your business?
1. Social media marketing will get you seen:A social profile, combined with a nice-designed website, will get your brand in front of the people who search for it, on search engines and on social media platforms. The combination of a profile and a sales-optimized website can also lead to more leads and sales for your business.
2. Social media marketing will keep your customers coming back: a competent social media marketing professional can design a marketing funnel that keeps new and existing customers within your ecosystem, so that you’re always top of mind. This includes follow-ups, prompts, discounts, and giveaways. Their reviews will also help you establish your authority, and can be a crucial factor in bringing in new business.
3. A social media marketing consultant will enable you to focus on your core business:soyou don’t have to split your time between running your business and learning how to use Snapchat. You can leave your marketing needs to a professional whom you know will do their best to get you seen. This is someone who understands the system, and is constantly working to learn any new developments in the world of SMM. Such an individual/agency would make a valued partner, don’t you think?
4. Social media marketing consultants give you a fresh perspective:It’s easy to get your head stuck in a bubble, favouring tactics that have historically worked well, despite declining numbers. But what does your marketing and lead generation model look like to your competitors, clients and prospects? A fresh perspective is invaluable, especially if your wheels have been spinning without gaining much traction. A good SMM consultant will breathe fresh air into your marketing efforts, and will also conduct competitive research to find out where your competition is investing their time and money so you can keep pace.
Are you keen on growing your online presence and reaching more potential customers? Apply here for a free 30-minute strategy session with our consultants that will focus on how you can put your best foot forward.