Cloutboost

3 Ways Influencer Marketing Will Change If Instagram Removes Public Likes

The article analyzes Instagram's global test to remove public likes and how this policy shift could reshape influencer marketing. It suggests marketers will rely more on performance-based metrics—such as clicks, view-through rates, and swipe-up engagements in stories—rather than likes to gauge influencer value. Agencies with access to Instagram's API for like counts will have an advantage, while others may face heavier manual data work. The change is expected to drive consolidation among influencer agencies and accelerate the rise of microinfluencers who deliver tangible results. Sentiment analysis from comments may replace some reliance on like counts, and some influencers might migrate to platforms like TikTok. Notable industry voices cited include Daniel Schotland (Linqia), Mae Karwowski (Obviously), Polina Haryacha (CloutBoost), and Tom Logan (Cohley).

Inside The Black Box Business Of Influencer Marketing

Influencer marketing is facing increased scrutiny over opaque pricing and measurement. The article describes a 'black-box' ecosystem where fees vary widely, with influencers and agencies charging nontransparent markups. Common pricing models include commissions baked into CPM, a percentage of the budget, or flat monthly fees, with standard commissions typically 15–30% (sometimes up to 40%). Influencers may price by posts or follower count, while some are moving toward CPM or performance-based pricing. Brands struggle to benchmark fairness due to limited data and the prevalence of walled gardens for measurement. Industry voices from GroupM, Cloutboost, and L’Oréal’s former influencer marketing lead emphasize the need for pricing benchmarks and greater transparency as influencer spend grows toward tens of billions of dollars.