On July 17th, 2019, Instagram announced its newest updates to the widely popular social media platform. As part of their new image, users will now be unable to see the amount of likes on other people’s photos. This change to the platform is still in the experimental phase and has now been tested in two countries: Canada, earlier in May, and Australia, just over a week ago. One question we need an answer to is: who wins from this change? Instagram? Businesses? What does this mean for Instagram’s ad platform?
What’s the Issue?
Part of Instagram’s decision to remove the likes is based on information gathered and is something that isn’t new to the field of marketing. Influencers and businesses have come to a mutual agreement that implicates the number of likes being a metric of success for products. Instead of measuring success by the number of likes, businesses should have focused on firm marketing statistics, such as sales, information captured, actions taken by the consumer, and number of clicks on the product. Tack Media has been present from the beginning as a conversion optimization firm, with a goal of improving social media engagement instead of focusing solely on branding purposes.
The Mindset of the business owner
Tack Media is a full service Los Angeles online marketing company, a significant part of this business is focused on being an extended influencer Los Angeles digital marketing company. We partner with influencers to gain authentic perspective on brands, products, and services without a “Brought to you by” tone. Tack hears daily testimonials of how brands, startups, and business owners think about the “like” being a powerful metric to show the success of a post. When providing insightful metrics such as engagement, reach, and influence, business owners seem to be solely focused on average likes per post. We live in a “like” centered world where gratification is sought in the digital world of social media. For many businesses, this new like ban would mean changing the way products and brands are sold on Instagram. Many brands use their Instagram accounts for social proofing, or influencing the popularity of products by creating artificial or generated likes. For these businesses, the absence of visible likes could mean the dissolution of a brand perception or a severe decline in sales of certain popular products. If the “like” is removed, will businesses have a chance to recover? Is Instagram coming up with the next “like”, the next big thing?
The Mindset of the Influencer.
After the statement release and current implementation of the likes ban, many Instagram influencers vowed to delete their accounts if the ban is in fact a permanent facet of Instagram’s platform. Many claim that likes are a valuable way to promote their image and, of course, the products they are contracted to endorse. We won’t really see the effects of the likes ban until the platform implements the change in all countries. For now, we’re stuck with speculation.
The Mindset of the Marketer
So, why did Instagram decide to hide the number of likes on a platform built upon popularity and vanity? According to Mia Garlick, the Director of Public Policy for Facebook and Instagram in Australia and New Zealand, it’s all about taking the “competition” out of posting. What will this mean for your business and it’s digital marketplace? With Instagram rolling out the red carpet for the new photo-like system, people have been questioning what exactly that will mean for their business’s social media presence.
Tack Media’s CEO Kevin Tash explains, “One would assume the decision by Instagram to remove the number of likes on a photo will negatively affect a business’s online presence, if they are solely dependant on likes and these standard social media practices. Businesses look for likes to show that others are engaging with their posts, proving their product is relevant to their customers in their respective space. For a business, it is about being more competitive, agile, and creative. .” Tash goes on to explain that the blueprint of this new policy will mean that products will now be driven more by organic measure, and thus will disencourage the creation of low quality content, or fake like buying by businesses and more time getting creative in their messaging.”
Regardless of the personal indications, Instagram’s new like ban will affect more than just our own views of the platform. Once the new like ban is implemented on the platform across the world, influencers and businesses will have to rethink their social media marketing strategy. As part of a strategy to better your understanding of this new ban and how it can affect your business, Tack Media will be holding training seminars for all new and current clients in Los Angeles. Tack’s experts will define how to gain social proof through relevance, creativity, and authenticity. Contact Tack today to sign up for these seminars.
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Senior Business Intelligence Consultant
Dr. Carlos Canfield is a consultant at Tack Media with deep expertise in finance, B2B strategy, and business intelligence. He earned a Ph.D. in Administration from Tecnológico de Monterrey and a Master’s in Computer Science from Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, bringing together academic excellence, analytical depth, and a powerful research-driven perspective.His experience spans complex consulting and research initiatives in finance, economics, telecommunications, logistics, and strategic market analysis. His work has included studies on default trends in Mexican startups and the financial system, interconnection cost models for telecom operators, logistics optimization in the foreign trade sector, steel distribution research, and small business acceleration projects. This multidisciplinary background gives him a rare ability to connect data, markets, and strategy with precision. His core specialties include antitrust studies, telecommunications costs, finance, strategy, and economics.For Tack Media, Carlos develops advanced articles, benchmark studies, and intelligence-backed research that elevate the strategies we build for our B2B clients. By translating complex business, financial, and market data into meaningful insight, he helps companies make smarter decisions, sharpen their positioning, and identify opportunities with greater confidence. His contribution adds a powerful layer of sophistication and strategic clarity to our work, helping businesses grow through sharper intelligence and better-informed direction.
Turning Dreams into Reality | Social Media Video Editor
Meet José Albarrán, a skilled video editor and producer from Venezuela with over 10 years of experience creating compelling audiovisual content for brands across Europe, America, and Oceania. José’s journey into the world of video editing began with his childhood love for Dragon Ball, which fostered his optimistic outlook, relentless drive to improve, and determination to overcome any challenge.
A graduate in Social Communication from UCAB Guayana, specializing in Audiovisual and Corporate Communications, José brings both technical expertise and creative flair to every project. He’s also passionate about AI and regularly incorporates it into his work to optimize processes and elevate the quality of every project.
As a key member of the Tack Media team, José’s proficiency with tools like Adobe Creative Suite, motion graphics, and AI technology makes him an invaluable asset in turning client ideas into engaging, high-quality content.
José’s Expertise Includes:
With his experience, passion, and dedication, José is here to help bring your ideas to life through dynamic and captivating content.
Account Manager & Email Marketing Specialist
At Tack Media, Mariangel serves as the strategic architect of the agency’s sales and business development engine. As the head of the sales team, she oversees the entire acquisition funnel, from high-touch LinkedIn outreach and the development of high-conversion cold calling scripts to the final stages of the closing process.
Mariangel combines high-level project management with a mastery of the customer lifecycle, ensuring that every touchpoint in the sales journey is optimized for conversion. Her expertise goes beyond technical execution; she specializes in building multi-channel lead generation strategies that integrate automated email marketing with personalized human outreach. By aligning resource management with measurable ROI, Mariangel drives scalable growth for the brands she manages, ensuring Tack Media remains a dominant force in competitive markets.
Marketing Manager at Tack Media
Verónica Mejia is a Content Strategist and Project Manager with over five years of experience leading digital marketing initiatives, creative production, and brand positioning across international markets.
At Tack Media, she manages campaign execution, coordinates cross-functional creative teams, and develops structured workflows that ensure clarity, efficiency, and high-quality delivery. Her role bridges strategy and execution, translating brand vision into scalable digital systems.
With a background in graphic design and expertise in social media strategy, event production, and AI applied to business, Verónica brings a performance-driven mindset focused on measurable growth, strong storytelling, and operational excellence.
Senior Marketing & Project Manager
With over six years of experience in digital marketing and operations, Daniela leads cross-functional teams to deliver high-impact campaigns aligned with business objectives. She ensures projects move forward with clarity, structure, and accountability, keeping teams focused, aligned, and on track.
Daniela is known for her strong ownership mindset, problem-solving approach, and ability to bring structure to complex initiatives. She plays a key role in driving collaboration across departments, supporting leadership decisions, and maintaining momentum across multiple projects simultaneously.
Committed to continuous growth and innovation, she focuses on optimizing processes, strengthening team performance, and contributing to scalable, long-term strategic development.
Head of Marketing at Tack Media
With over 13 years of leadership experience in digital marketing, Stephanie has developed an expertise in driving high-impact communication and comprehensive marketing strategies.
Holding a Bachelor’s degree in Communication Science from Tecnológico de Monterrey and a Master of Science in Business Communication and Digital Media from Tilburg University in the Netherlands, her advanced research on eye tracking and AI positions her at the forefront of innovative marketing methodologies.
Since joining Tack Media in 2022, Stephanie has taken charge of the agency’s marketing division, leading a high-performing team of 33 professionals. She is responsible for the strategic oversight of marketing operations, executing large-scale B2B campaigns, analyzing market trends, and spearheading branding initiatives that resonate with diverse target audiences.
As a forward-thinking leader, Stephanie is currently pursuing a Data Science certification to integrate data-driven insights and AI into Tack Media’s marketing strategies, enhancing the agency’s ability to deliver exceptional results for clients across industries.
CMO & Board Member
Ranked globally as a top-tier marketing executive, Kevin Tash does more than design strategies—he redefines markets. As a core leader and Board Member at Tack Media, Kevin brings a high-performance growth mindset that has transformed organizations across diverse sectors, from SaaS to high-growth e-commerce.
Based in the Los Angeles metropolitan area, his proven track record includes spearheading global strategies for companies in the $20M to $100M range. He specializes in scaling complex operations and managing multi-million dollar portfolios, leveraging a global perspective to drive sustainable competitive advantages. Kevin’s leadership is defined by his ability to bridge the gap between visionary branding and rigorous operational execution.