Facebook in September 2014 added the video view count feature on its website and has now brought the feature to its Instagram service as well. Instagram users will soon be able to see how many times a video has been viewed by others. The view counts will appear below the video post along with other regular options such as likes and comments.
Instagram says the feature has not been rolled out yet but will be reaching users “over the next few weeks”. Users will also be able to view the number of likes a video has received by tapping the ‘views’.
“Since launching video two years ago and introducing Hyperlapse and Boomerang, you’ve made video storytelling on Instagram take off. Whether sitting front row at Fashion Week or spending a day on the beach, nothing brings moments to life like video. Adding view counts is the first of many ways you’ll see video on Instagram get better this year,” added the company blog post.
With the inclusion of video view counts, Facebook’s Instagram seems to compete Twitter’s Vine video streaming service and Google’s YouTube. Vine in July 2014 introduced video loop countsin its application. The new feature for Instagram might not be making a ground-breaking difference for regular. However, it will be important for Instagram video creators. Several popular Vine celebrities can see this as an opportunity to expand their reach and track how their videos have been performing on the platform.
