Instagram has announced a new feature that unlocks a simple way for users to engage with Stories content. Story Likes enable users to ‘like’ any Story in their news feed, letting the creator know that their content is hitting the right notes.
As seen above by Instagram Chief, Adam Mosseri, users will now see a new heart icon towards the bottom of their Stories view in the Instagram app. When tapped, the creator of said Story will be sent a like.
Are Instagram Story Likes Public?
Instagram Story likes are not public. Only the creators will be able to see them. If creators would like to see an overview of their Story likes, they can head to their Story insights.
Will Story Likes Come Through as a DM?
Stories likes will not come through as a direct message in Instagram; meaning creators can express a sigh of relief that they won’t receive an influx of DM’s as people use the function to react to their Stories.
The above is some welcomed news, considering the annoyance of having to send somebody a DM every time you like their Story. Instagram’s new Story Likes feature adds a simple way to indicate interest without the hassle of having to send a message each time you want to signal interest in a creator’s Story content.
Are Story Likes An Instagram Ranking Factor?
Instagram has not yet indicated whether or not Story Likes will be a ranking factor. However, when determining the importance of a feature – and the effort one puts into making said feature work for them – it’s always a good idea to look at how said feature could be used to improve the user experience.
Story Likes, in all their glory, are a good way of learning more about broader user response, and at the same time it provides a feedback loop for creators. Although the update may not seem significant, it could have a large impact later down the line.
