Instagram has introduced a feature that publicly displays the number of times a post has been shared, a metric previously confined to the platform’s backend and accessible only to brands and creators. The emergence of public share counts signifies a shift in social platform success metrics, highlighting the growing significance of sharing in overall engagement strategies.
This update includes the public visibility of share counts alongside the familiar paper plane share icon, allowing users to track how frequently a post has been shared. While some accounts have reported experiencing this feature, its universal availability remains uncertain.
The notable implication of public share counts is evident within the evolving social media landscape, reflecting a broader trend steering social strategy away from the traditional reliance on likes and comments. Insights from social and creator sources point towards an observable inclination towards prioritizing sharing and nurturing community engagement.
Katie McDonald, Head of Strategy at We Are Social, underscores the transformative potential of sharing in social media strategy, noting that it effectively transforms participants into brand ambassadors. This underscores the active nature of sharing compared to more passive metrics like likes and comments, aligning with evolving user behaviour on platforms like Instagram.
The heightened emphasis on shareability in social media strategy mirrors shifts in user behaviour, as highlighted by Instagram CEO Adam Mosseri, who notes that teenagers predominantly engage in direct messages (DMs), followed by Stories and the main feed. This underscores changing dynamics in user interaction, with regular users playing an increasingly prominent role in marketing strategies.
Traditionally, metrics such as likes and comments were pivotal in evaluating the success of organic social strategies. However, the landscape has transformed, with Instagram offering the option to hide like counts, and an increased awareness that likes and followers can be artificially manipulated. The availability of Instagram’s partnership ads has further diminished the importance of likes and comments.
As the focus pivots towards creating “group-chat worthy” content, the significance of shares and saves as key performance indicators (KPIs) gains prominence. The aim is to prioritize more active forms of participation, with comments potentially viewed as spammy and likes seen as a more passive engagement metric.
While the introduction of public share counts marks a broader shift in social media strategy, some questions linger. The precise definition of a “share” remains to be clarified, encompassing actions such as posting to the Story feature, sharing via direct messages, sending links outside the platform, or a combination of these activities. Additionally, the selective visibility of public share counts next to specific accounts remains unclear.
In summary, the unveiling of public share counts on Instagram underscores the evolving landscape of social media metrics, emphasizing a clear trend towards prioritizing more active and community-driven forms of engagement. As Instagram refines its features, marketers and brands must adapt their strategies, placing emphasis on content creation that resonates with audiences and encourages sharing.
