Topping over 100 million users within days of its arrival (10 million of which came in the first 7 hours alone), the launch of Instagram’s Threads took the social media world by storm.
However, data is now showing that time spent on the app has dropped over 50% – from 20 minutes to 8 minutes. And it’s already lost half of its active users.
So, for anyone who is still wondering ‘to thread or not to thread,’ we’re here to tell you what it’s all about and help you decide if you should add it to your social media portfolio.
How it works
Threads is described by Meta as a place where you can “share ideas and trends with text.”
Posts on the platform can include up to 10 photos, web links and videos up to 5 minutes long. This means that, despite the character limit, you can still integrate content that may be on your Instagram or TikTok accounts.
However, you can’t search for hashtags or keywords.
How to get started
If you’ve already got a company Instagram account, joining Threads is seamless.
Simply download the app and complete the sign-up process. Once you’ve done this, users will instantly follow the same accounts you have on Instagram – if they have a Threads account, of course. This means your business can quickly build up a following without needing to put in much effort or budget!
The pros
Long-term, it plans to allow users who do not have a Threads account to still be able to interact and follow others on the platform. This could result in business content gaining vasts amounts of engagement and means businesses can target and reach a whole host of new target markets, simply by posting on Threads.
Despite the cost to get verified, one of the biggest potentials with Threads is that this is a ‘decentralised’ social media network, meaning Meta will now have less control over data and how it is used and passes more power to the app user.
It also pushes you to experiment with a new channel – showing you’re willing to go wherever your customers are and committed to engaging with them and having a conversation with them. This is key to reaching Gen Z who are committed to brands who adopt an authentic voice.
The cons
Currently, like most new apps, there are some reservations about the overall security of the platform. As users have voiced concerns about how the app plans to handle user data and share it across different platforms.
There’s also the major disadvantage of not being able to delete Threads without also deleting your Instagram account. Therefore, if you come to find Threads doesn’t fit with your brand’s social media strategy, you can only deactivate it. (Although they are looking into a fix for this).
Lastly, it’s quite a reactive, quick-fire app that isn’t available via desktop. Therefore, it’s difficult to plan and schedule a Threads calendar, plus you’ll need to think about whether your sign-off processes allow for it. As ultimately, you may need a social media whizz with good copywriting skills that you can trust to represent your brand at the drop of a hat.
Whatever you decide, we recommend you go all in rather than dipping in and out. If you would like to discuss adding a Threads account to your social media plans or chat about developing a new strategy, get in touch with us at marketingteam@thisisinfluential.co.uk
