Should you hide Instagram post likes?
You might have noticed an option when you post to Instagram: the ability to hide the likes on your posts.
Should you use this when posting? Let’s look into it.
Many Instagram users are reporting that their reach and engagement is down. Which in turn means your posts might not be getting as many likes as they used to.
In this case, it might seem obvious to hide your likes, so no one looking at your content will notice.
It’s a question I often get asked: “Should I hide the likes on my Instagram posts?”
My answer is almost always: no, you shouldn’t.
But before we get into why I don’t recommend hiding the likes on your content, here’s how to do it:
How to hide the likes on your Instagram posts
It’s quick and simple to hide the number of likes and views on your own content. Here’s how:
Go to create a post on the Instagram app as usual
When you arrive on the screen where you type the caption, scroll down to ‘Advanced Settings’ and tap on it.
In this menu you can toggle ‘Hide like and view counts on this post’
If you change your mind, you can go back and turn on the number of likes or views on the post.
So, that’s how you do it.
So let’s look at the reasons I don’t recommend hiding the likes on your content:
No one else is paying that much attention
It’s both sad and freeing to acknowledge that no one else is paying that much attention to your content.
I don’t mean this as harsh as it sounds, but it’s most likely that no one cares how many likes your post got!
It's common to feel self-conscious about your own content and how it performs. But, like with many things in life, no one is paying as much attention as you'd think.
It might be that you’re overthinking things. It's just social media, after all!
Hiding post likes could affect brand trust
When I see that someone has hidden the likes on their Instagram post, it does make me wonder, ‘What are they hiding?’
I know that 9 times out of 10 it’s purely self-consciousness around the number of Instagram post likes. But, sometimes it could indicate something else.
It could suggest that this user has decided to buy followers on Instagram. In turn, their account has taken a big decline in the engagement their content gets.
Why does this happen? It’s because the bot accounts won’t act like real followers, and will not engage with their content.
So, if you’ve got nothing to hide, why hide the likes?
What should you do if you have been hiding post likes?
If you have hidden the likes on your Insta posts in the past, here’s three things I’d recommend:
Accept the stats and move on.
Yes, the number of likes on your post might be lower than you’d hoped, but they are what they are.
No one is as close to your Insta stats as you are, and it's unlikely that anyone will take much notice (I mean that in a freeing way!)
Focus on weightier engagement stats.
I rarely pay attention to post likes. After all, it’s the least important form of post engagement.
Instead focus on Saves and Shares. Those are signs that your content has really hit hard and got some worthwhile engagement!
Generally we expect users to take only one action when they engage with a post.
Maybe instead of liking this post, users felt inspired to comment? That’s a stronger engagement than a like because it shows they took the time to write it out, rather than just tap one button.
Research ways to improve your post engagement.
As I just mentioned, I recommend focusing on other stats over likes. In particular: shares and saves.
There are ways to optimise your content to boost these types of engagement:
Using a clear Call To Action (CTA).
Focus on creating content that is shareable (such as memes)
Or create content that encourages saves (educational and value-packed content).
Remember: at the end of the day no one else is as close to your Instagram content as you are. Unless you've got a humongous and obsessive fan base like Taylor Swift.
If you have been hiding your post likes, refocus your efforts away from hiding poor engagement.
Instead, focus on improving the performance of your future Instagram posts.
Ultimately, I recommend that you keep the likes visible.
Focus on building trust with your audience, and providing loads of value through your content.
