Instagram is back at it again, testing some updates that may or may not result is some crying outbursts from brands and Influencers but it might not be so bad after all.
There’s been a lot of negative press around the effects of social media on mental health. I’d also argue that over time, Instagram likes have kind of taken over letting us know what’s cool instead of us making up our own minds. Weird but like kind of true. Validation is so 2018 anyway but people are quick to misinterpret this change “ IT’S THE END OF INFLUENCERS” , “IT’S THE END OF SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING”. Take a chill pill and let me break it down for you.
“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 they care about,” – Head of Instagram Adam Mosseri
How will this affect influencers?
HOPEFULLY, it will take some pressure off getting the most likes and leave some space to creativity but let’s be real, there is more than one metric to measure engagement. Comments will become the most valued metric, (it’s been that way for a while, hence why influencers ask questions in their captions or reply to every comment to get more comments).
Before working with an influencer, brands (and agencies like ours 66 AGENCY wink wink) will evaluate how many comments the influencers get and will ask to see their Instagram insights.
From the backend, the influencer will still be able to know how many likes they got, brands will shift their attention towards other metrics. Like Shares and Saves. It’s harder for influencers to “hack” their way into getting these types of engagement. People will only share or save your content, if it is truly memorable, out of the ordinary and gives them value.
How will this affect brands?
At OVRGRND we create content, manage accounts and deploy ad campaigns for many nationwide brands such as La Crémières, BRP, Mito Sushi and more. Over the last three years, we’ve been working hard to educate our clients about which KPIs matter when it comes to social media. Our clients are already very well aware that it isn’t about followers and likes. It’s about engagement, reach and impressions. Being seen and being remembered / creating a reaction.
Allocating a budget to your social media is now more important than ever. We work so hard to create the perfect piece of content, you can no longer rely on your followers to make sure the right people are seeing your content. Creating the right audiences that will enjoy and engage with your content is key. Imagine spending $15 to get in front of people 12,000 times. Definitely worth it. When you need to get a message across or when you create a $10,000 video you have to make sure it gets in front of as many people as possible to make it worth it and Facebook and Instagram ads allow you to do that.
In conclusion, I am hoping this test will result in some creative content, more people posting than just influencers and some positive vibes.
If you have any questions don’t hesitate to hit me up @arianetonka !
