Should Instagram Also Make Follower Numbers Invisible?

True story: I was at an event at my daughters’ elementary school, when a 9-year-old classmate of my third grader approached me with the following question: “Karin, how many Instagram followers do you have?” 

After pausing for a few seconds to get over my initial state of shock, I replied with the truth: “A bit more than 3,000.” To which the young girl responded, in a slightly taunting voice: “Oh, [so and so] has over 30K followers.”

I wondered: Is this the type of metric I now need to feel anxious about when speaking with brands and 9-year-olds?

Being asked this question in this context (and almost being shamed for my lower follower count) felt like the equivalent to asking me who else was coming to my birthday party — the ultimate playground-style popularity contest.

Has social media really come to this? 

Let's take a step back, here.

As a Canadian-based writer, I haven't been able to see others' likes on Instagram posts since the social media platform rolled out the test in May of this year (this test started out with Canada and has since expanded to six more countries: Ireland, Italy, Japan, Brazil, Australia, and New Zealand.) At the time of the initial announcement, Instagram said that it wants followers to “focus on the photos and videos we share, not how many likes they get.”

I understand the rationale behind hiding likes, due to the self-worth and sense of validation that can be attached to the number of likes. But what about an attachment to our number of followers?

Can content creators, founders and influencers be judged on the quality of their content rather than vanity metrics like number of followers, especially when quality doesn't necessarily guarantee high reach?

Of course it's human nature to want to follow the popular choices. In an era where a movie like this summer's Booksmart received critical accolades but not box-office clout (the financial equivalent to "number of followers" as a metric, or to Nielsen TV ratings in terms of reach), are we becoming too obsessed with KPIs or are they necessary when driving brand campaigns and sponsorships in the social media world?

Jasmine Takanikos, principal at the branding and design studio Candor and founder of BrandHuman, explains:

"The issue with putting a high value on followers is that there is not an understanding of quality of the person doing the 'following'. A bot or a spam account will not and does not equal engagement or sales."

So I asked other content creators and female founders for their thoughts on the topic. Here's what they had to say:

Jia Wertz, Founder, Studio 15, a socially-conscious fashion brand:

“The number of likes and followers on Instagram have become not only a popularity contest, but currency in the influencer and retail world. Besides the fact that comparing popularity on social media creates an unhealthy environment for younger generations, the stats might not even be accurate.

People and companies are often purchasing followers and likes or using apps to inflate their figures, in order to appear more successful. Meanwhile the only statistic that truly matters when it comes to social media from a business perspective is the level of engagement. A post can have millions of likes but if no one is engaging with the post – commenting, clicking through to make purchases, etc. – there is no ROI."

Katherine Sprung, Owner, Squish Marshmallows:

"Instagram likes and followers give clout on a superficial level, and fortunately, or unfortunately, serve as the barometer for whether some people choose to make a purchase with you or someone with a bigger following, because they view that as being 'better' even though it might be completely smoke and mirrors. Especially with the fluctuations in the algorithm, posts are often not seen, and, by default, won’t end up getting as many likes at all."

Kelly Ann Collins, CEO, Vult Lab social media agency: 

"For influencers, rates for co-branded partnerships (featuring a product in social media posts, doing a live-stream or attending an event) are currently based on the number of followers, combined with engagement, reach and demographics. So, many influencers are afraid that making Instagram likes and follower counts invisible will affect their sales. 

On the brand side, brands are concerned because they have worked hard to grow a following and a strong base of active, engaged followers, which has been expensive for most of them when you look at ad spending, influencer partnership spending, and more. 

There will always be analytics to determine an influencer's actual influence, so brands wishing to work with specific influencers will be able to gather insights in that way, even if followers and likes are hidden. So, even though it will be quite the transition for everyone, if Instagram's tests do lead it to abolish like and follower numbers worldwide, in the end it might be a good thing for Instagram since the platform has become overrun with fake influence.

Tillie Eze, Creator, Moon Me

"Instagram marketing is definitely a disadvantage for those without numbers. So much time is spent trying to drive traffic and boost numbers — pods, hiring outside help, posting at specific times, using the right hashtags, etc. As a business owner, it begins to feel like another job in itself!"

TeLisa Daughtry, Founder & CEO, FlyTechnista

"When the algorithms changed my likes decreased, due to my visibility. However, I noticed that my Instagram stories and website started to get more engagement and traction. So the new formula seems to be Visibility in IG Stories + Engagement = Social Currency, and opportunities to connect elsewhere."

Austen Tosone, fashion and beauty content creator at KeepCalmAndChiffon.com, and freelance writer

"My follower count on Instagram has worked both for me and against me. It was a weird feeling to celebrate hitting 10k followers a few months ago — not even because of the milestone itself, but because it activated the swipe up feature on the app. I think that even if more content creators were given access to that feature, it would slow down the desire to rapidly grow your follower count just for the sake of growth — rather than focus on the followers who are already there."

Michele C. Heyward, Founder & CEO, PositiveHire

"Too often number of likes or followers is confused with the number of people served. It really isn't! Brands have confused numbers with community and engagement. They are not the same.

The true value of Instagram is creating a community whom you engage with valuable content. My engagement is about encouraging and supporting other women of color by provide actual tools, tips and templates they can utilize to advance their careers. If you take away followers and truly focus on impact, which accounts will rise to the top?"

Time will tell what Instagram's next update will be. Some of the PR and agency people I've spoken to have assured me that brands are indeed looking for quality content, impact and engagement. In the meantime, I hope all of us who are using it — brands, individuals and even those who are too young to be on the platform altogether — will release the judgement attached to number of followers, and focus more on connection over conversion.