HubSpot Guide to Hidden Likes on Instagram and Facebook

Social media marketers using HubSpot or any other platform have had to adjust to Instagram and Facebook hiding public like counts. Understanding what hidden likes mean, why platforms rolled out this change, and how to adapt your strategy is essential for sustainable social growth and accurate performance reporting.

In this guide, you will learn how hidden likes work, how to view your own metrics, and how to shift your reporting approach without losing insight into campaign success.

What Are Hidden Likes and Why Did Facebook and Instagram Add Them?

Facebook and Instagram introduced hidden like counts to reduce social pressure, fight unhealthy comparison, and encourage people to post more authentically. Instead of displaying the full number of likes publicly under a post, the platforms show a limited label, while keeping the full metrics visible to the post creator.

This change does not remove likes as a metric. It only limits the visibility of like counts to the broader audience.

How Hidden Likes Appear to Typical Users

On Instagram, users may see a label such as “Liked by username and others” instead of a specific number.
On Facebook, viewers may see reactions grouped together without a clear total number front and center.
Comments, shares, and other engagement signals still appear as usual.

The core idea is that casual viewers are less likely to judge content purely based on how many likes it has, while the creator still has access to detailed data.

How to Turn Hidden Likes On or Off

Both Instagram and Facebook offer controls that allow you to hide or show like counts on your own posts, as well as to hide like counts on posts you view from others.

Step-by-Step: Control Hidden Likes on Instagram

Open the Instagram app and go to your profile.
Tap the menu icon and open Settings.
Navigate to Privacy, then Posts.
Toggle the option to hide like and view counts on posts from others if you want to remove public counts from your feed.
When creating a new post, open Advanced settings and switch on the option to hide like and view counts on that specific post.
For existing posts, tap the three-dot menu on a post and choose to hide or unhide like counts.

These options let each user decide how visible engagement metrics should be, both for their own content and for what they see in the feed.

Step-by-Step: Control Hidden Likes on Facebook

Open the Facebook app and tap the menu icon.
Go to Settings & privacy, then Settings.
Find the section related to Reaction preferences or engagement visibility.
Select whether to hide reaction counts on your own posts, on posts from others, or both.
Save your preferences.

Once set, Facebook updates your experience across the app, while still tracking all the underlying analytics in the background.

How Hidden Likes Affect Marketers Using HubSpot

For marketers, the biggest concern around hidden likes is understanding whether campaign performance tracking or social proof strategies need to change. While some vanity signals are less visible to the public, the underlying data is still accessible to account owners and through analytics tools.

If you manage social channels alongside a platform like HubSpot, your goal should be to emphasize meaningful engagement and business outcomes instead of relying solely on public like counts.

Key Impacts on Reporting and Analytics

Public social proof decreases: Audiences see fewer large like numbers, which may lower bandwagon effects.
Private analytics stay intact: You can still see likes, comments, shares, reach, and click-throughs inside native platform analytics.
Shift toward deeper metrics: Savvy teams focus more on saves, shares, replies, and conversions.

These changes support a more strategic approach, where success is tied to business results instead of just public popularity.

Adapting Your Strategy: A HubSpot-Style Approach

Borrowing from a data-driven HubSpot methodology, you can reframe how you define success on Instagram and Facebook under the hidden likes system.

Measure What Matters Beyond Likes

Prioritize metrics that reflect user intent and deeper interest. Examples include:

Profile visits from posts and stories
Link clicks to landing pages or content offers
Comments and direct messages sparked by posts
Saves and shares, which often signal high content value
Down-funnel actions such as sign-ups, downloads, and purchases

Likes can still be helpful as a quick pulse check, but they should not be your primary indicator of performance.

Use Experiments to Refine Content

Instead of relying on visible social proof, run structured experiments to learn what works. For example:

Test different hooks in your first line of copy.
Compare short-form video, carousels, and static images.
Experiment with posting times and frequencies.
Try multiple calls-to-action: saves, shares, replies, or website visits.

Review each test using your internal analytics. This mirrors how a HubSpot-style campaign test would be run: clearly defined hypotheses, consistent execution, and measurement tied to goals.

How to Communicate Hidden Likes to Stakeholders

Clients and internal stakeholders may worry that hidden likes mean weaker performance. Your job is to explain the change, present accurate data, and reorient their expectations.

Explain the Platform Rationale

When speaking to non-technical stakeholders, keep the explanation simple:

Facebook and Instagram want healthier user experiences.
Public like counts can create anxiety and discourage posting.
Hidden likes aim to encourage authentic content and reduce comparison.

Make clear that the change is about visibility, not about removing engagement.

Refocus Reports on Business Metrics

In your social media reports, highlight metrics that align with concrete goals:

Website sessions from social posts
Leads or sign-ups driven by campaigns
Revenue attributed to social traffic
Audience growth and retention trends

This helps reposition hidden likes not as a loss of data, but as a prompt to move away from vanity metrics toward performance that truly matters.

Best Practices for Content in a Hidden-Like Environment

Hidden likes change how audiences perceive popularity, but they also create opportunities to stand out with genuinely helpful content. A structured approach similar to a HubSpot playbook can keep your strategy sharp.

Focus on Value and Conversation

Create posts that answer real questions and solve specific problems.
Invite discussion with open-ended prompts in your captions.
Respond quickly to comments and direct messages to build relationships.
Use stories and short-form video to humanize your brand.

The more your content sparks conversation and action, the less you need public like counts as proof of success.

Align Social Content With Campaign Goals

Plan each piece of content with a clear objective:

Awareness: educational posts, thought leadership, and storytelling.
Engagement: polls, Q&A sessions, and interactive stickers.
Conversion: strong calls-to-action leading to landing pages, offers, or events.

Then map these objectives to your analytics. Track how each post type contributes to your larger marketing goals, using the same disciplined approach you would apply in an integrated HubSpot campaign.

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HubSpot Guide to Hidden Likes