In November 2019, Instagram expanded its hidden likes test to some U.S. users. The move created anxiety for creators and brands that had used public like counts as a quick signal of influence. But it also opened the door to better, more serious measurement.

For SMBs, the shift was useful. Local and niche businesses often work with smaller creators where trust, audience fit and action matter more than public popularity. Hidden likes made it harder to overvalue the easiest visible number.

Influencer marketing needed proof beyond likes

A good creator partnership should be judged by audience relevance, content quality, comments, saves, story interactions, referral traffic, inquiries and sales. Likes can be part of the picture, but they should not be the whole pitch.

Brand Fuel Digital CEO/Founder Paul Burns saw the test as a reset. “If removing public likes makes a partnership harder to justify, the partnership probably needed better measurement in the first place.”

What SMBs should have requested

• Creator insights: Ask for reach, saves, shares and audience demographics.
• Clear campaign goals: Know whether the goal is awareness, visits, leads or sales.
• Trackable links: Use landing pages, UTM links or promo codes where possible.
• Content rights: Negotiate whether the business can reuse the content in ads.

Brand Fuel Digital’s View

Instagram’s hidden likes test pushed influencer marketing toward accountability. SMBs should choose creators for trust and audience fit, then measure the campaign with real business signals.

Sources: WIRED on Instagram’s U.S. hidden likes test and The Guardian on influencer concerns around hidden likes.