All of us who share our work online expect to receive some feedback: likes, comments, constructive criticism. And who doesn’t like to have their images appreciated and loved by many? That’s all perfectly okay, but can it hinder our creativity? In this video, Evan Ranft discusses why it doesn’t matter who likes your photos and why you shouldn’t drive inspiration from your social media stats.
No one needs to see your photos for you to be a photographer
In this day and age, most of us share our photos online on various platforms. Most of us use Instagram, some can’t get over Flickr (yup, that would be me), and we have and all sorts of online portfolios. Somewhere along the way, the number of views, comments, and likes became one of the measures of our success.
But do we really need to have our work seen to be considered great photographers? Does the number of likes really determine how good we are? Alex of The Photographic Eye talks about this in his recent video and reminds you why it’s important to enjoy the process and believe in yourself regardless of anyone else.
You can now hide like counts on both Instagram and Facebook
Last month, Instagram CEO Adam Mosseri confirmed that hiding like counts was soon to become optional. Now the feature is officially being rolled out for everyone, but there’s more. Not only Instagram is letting you hide or reveal like counts as you please, but you can now do it on Facebook, too.
Are you chasing likes, comments and follows on your social media? Why?
Those who have been following me for any length of time will know that one of the most frequent questions I am asked is about likes and followers and how to ‘boost’ those numbers. There are a few questions I will always ask;
Why? Simple first question, what is your goal, why do you want more likes or followers, is it for personal reasons (for example an ego boost or a feeling of validation) or is it about making a living (you are looking to sell your brand and need those numbers to maximise potential sales).
Instagram now lets you hide or reveal public like count as you please
When Instagram rolled out hidden like counts, some users greeted the new feature, and others wanted them back. And now, you can choose if you want them to be displayed or not. In the latest update from Instagram, the company head Adam Mosseri confirmed that hiding like counts is soon to become optional.
Did Instagram hide ‘likes’ just to fuel your posting addiction?
While some may argue that Instagram’s test of hiding like counts is aiming to take the pressure of posting, a new report suggests that the real reason behind this move is to get you to spend more with the app.
A recent report by CNBC suggests that the reason behind Facebook’s Instagram’s recent test is not only a simple go at making the app a less stressful place. There may be another motive behind this effort. A hypostasis inside Facebook’s growth and data science teams suggests that getting rid of like counts motivates posting. It removes the bitter taste of having posts with a small number of likes.
Use this browser extension to regain view of Instagram like counts
Last month, Instagram went global with hiding like counts. For some of us, it was a welcome change and refreshment of the app. But for others, especially influencers, this was a disaster. But there’s a solution.
If you prefer seeing everyone’s like counts, The Return of the Likes comes to the rescue. This browser extension lets you see how many likes there are on other people’s posts, just the way it was before.
Instagram’s hidden likes test rolls out worldwide
After testing it out in seven countries in July and in the US earlier this week, Instagram’s now hiding like counts globally. It’s still testing the feature and how people react to it, but the company notes that the feedback has been positive so far. Maybe, then, this will ultimately end up being more than a test.
Instagram to start testing hidden likes in the USA this week
Instagram will begin hiding the like counter for some people in the USA this week, according to Instagram CEO, Adam Mosseri. The possibility that Instagram would implement hidden likes came about in April after a design prototype was leaked. By July, Instagram had turned off like counters for some users in seven countries.
The goal, they say, is to stop the jealousy that we often see on social media. Their plan appears to be working, as Instagram expands the test into the USA and even parent company Facebook plans to follow suit.
It’s official: Facebook follows Instagram’s lead and tests hiding like counts
Earlier this month, Reverse engineering expert Jane Manchun Wong discovered that Facebook was about to start hiding like counts. And now it’s happening: the social media giant is testing hiding like counts in Australia, and the experiment could expand to more countries soon.
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