Threads: It’s Worth Your Time

Threads is set apart by a sense of familiarity and that makes it worth your time

Threads is a new Twitter-like social media platform deeply intertwined with Instagram, created by Meta. It launched on July 5, a day earlier than Meta had previously announced. Within 12 hours of its launch, it already hit 30 million sign ups, according to Zuckerberg.

Threads is generating a lot of buzz and is very active at launch, but it’s not the watercooler conversation that earns our interest.

Unlike other, similar social media platforms that have tried to give Twitter a run for its money, Threads is set apart by a sense of familiarity in both the UX and community (again, thanks to its connection to Instagram).

As we’re less than 24 hours into the app’s life, so we anticipate the momentum to build. Whether or not the platform is sustainable can only be seen in time.

In marketing and tech worlds, Threads is generating more talk, debate, and concern around user data and privacy—and rightfully so. While this topic truly applies to all digital communities, the criticism is harsher and louder than usual because Threads is created and led by Mark Zuckerberg.

But, coming from a marketer that has experienced the rise and fall of countless social media platforms over the last 17 years and warning clients against the distractions of new, shiny objects, I must admit that Threads has good bones… and is so far, is vastly positive, upbeat, easy to use and enjoyable. It seems to hold a lot more promise—and there is promise for your brand here too.

INSTANT COMMUNITY RIGHT OFF THE BAT

 

Upon first joining, users are welcomed with tens or hundreds of followers (the same ones from Instagram). There’s no need to curate a feed. No need to search out your friends and accounts from other platforms. No need to identify your interests. So, all that time you spent curating your Instagram feed pays off again when you first log in to Threads.

The first conversations you see are familiar because they are coming from accounts you’ve already liked enough to follow elsewhere. So far, it is an upbeat and positive community environment.

RECOMMENDATIONS FOR BRANDS

 

It’s far too early to make Threads a primary channel and too soon to warrant an update to your social media strategy. But you should absolutely join. Now. Engage with your followers without delay. But be oh-so-intentional about what you publish on Threads.

Do not use Threads as a megaphone for brand messages.

If you have a knowledgeable community manager, give them the freedom to engage and create content that feels true to Threads. If they are to publish any brand content, perhaps it should be only reworked versions of the very top pieces of content from other channels.

And finally, keep in mind in these things:

• Authenticity matters now more than ever.  This is a wonderful time to interact with your followers in a new, authentic ways.

Remember that mindset of new users flocking to Threads; they are evaluating the platform. If their feeds are filled with promotional messages, they 1) aren’t likely to stay and 2) are more likely to unfollow.

• Any time dedicated to Threads will need to be done in real time. It’s too soon to schedule posts for Threads. To be honest, this is also a great thing in preserving a sense community. Pre-scheduled posts are most often too impersonal and right now, Threads feels personal… and we too hope it stays that way.
• You can’t cross-post from Facebook or Instagram. Yet. So far, this is a good thing in that it’s allowing users to do the work in creating and engaging with the right conversations for them.
• Analytics are not available. Though we anticipate them to be added to the Meta business dashboards very soon.
• There are not advertising opportunities available yet.

If you have any questions and would like help, contact us at draperdna.com.