April has been a busy month for updates and rumours from social media platforms. From Twitter reducing the maximum number of accounts you can follow in one day to reports of Facebook adding a news tab to users feed, there’s been a lot of news.
Two of the most talked about rumoured updates, none of which are being trialled publically yet, include Facebook shaking up the traditional newsfeed and moving towards a sleeker, Stories-like format and Instagram removing publicly sharing likes.
Facebook Stories-like Interface
Earlier this month Facebook revealed it was trialling a newsfeed style that requires users to swipe to see each individual post in their feed in the Stories format we’re used to on Instagram and Snapchat, instead of scrolling through updates.
But what does this mean for brands sharing both organic and ad content?
Firstly, it will make content captured on the ground and snapped on mobiles, easier to share as opposed to text-led feed posts. Technically, you wouldn’t even need text if the image tells a story.
In addition to this, unlike the current format, posts will take up the entirety of the users’ screen therefore gaining more attention. A bonus for adverts, providing us with more space to get our message out there, especially with unskippable Stories ads.
Instagram Removing Likes
In a bid to step away from vanity metrics and the potential negative impact on mental health, it has also been rumoured that Instagram is trialling removing all visibility of likes and follower numbers from profiles. This means that the only person able to see how many likes a post has received is the individual who posted it.
So how would this look on our profile? According to Jane Manchun Wong, one of the first researchers to uncover the feature, a little something like this…
This also ties into the ongoing conversation about the authenticity of content on Instagram and making the platform feel organic again, encouraging people to share what they want as opposed to what they think will attract the most likes.
However, this has raised questions about what this means for the future of influencer marketing and brand partnerships. What will brands now focus on when understanding what the influencer’s audience engage with and how can influencers pitch themselves to brands without publicly visible proof?
If Facebook and Instagram roll out these rumoured changes, both will totally impact the way in which we currently use the platforms for our clients and personally. But what do you think? Would the Facebook newsfeed update benefit advertisers? And with no ‘likes’ on Instagram would people really post differently? Let us know in the comments or tweet us @stripecom.
Read more on social media news from April: