Jul 2023
Meta Threads: 5 must-know facts for early adopters
It’s Threads VS Twitter and you could mistake these two apps as being almost the same, and that’s truly the idea from Meta: creating a rival for Twitter that may take off.
Most businesses and marketing teams haven’t had time to digest that there’s a brand-new social channel, let alone test it out. That’s why I’m breaking down five key things you need to know about Threads as it launches.
1. What is Threads?
A few years ago, Meta (then still called Facebook) launched something called Threads. Safe to say it never took off and was quickly canned. But its new offering of the same name may be here to stick around and offers users a text-focused channel aimed at engaging users in conversation strings called ‘Threads’. Much like Twitter, the app allows you to start, share, like and quote threads and discuss topics with your audience. It supports images, GIFs and video but is aimed at text-based posting.
2. How do you get Threads?
The app has gone live in most UK and US app stores and can now be downloaded. You create a Threads account by connecting it to your existing Instagram account, pulling over your username, bio and profile image automatically.
If you don’t have an Instagram account, then you’ll need to set one up first to be able to have a Threads account. This may change in the future, but as of right now, the two apps are intrinsically linked.
3. Once you’re in – you’re in
Perhaps one of the most interesting things about the launch is that currently there’s no way of deleting your Threads account without disabling your existing Instagram account. This has likely been done to limit Meta experiencing a large user drop-off post-launch and to encourage people to stay on the app.
This does mean that it’s important for brands to consider setting this up and how they’ll use it before the leap in headfirst, otherwise, you risk setting up a new channel that could end up barren of content with no way of taking down or pausing the account. If you’re thinking about using Threads for your business, it’s important to consider how you’ll utilise it and to weigh up the pros and cons. Being an early adopter may have its advantages but with any new channel, it could end up lacking content based on uptake, or the capacity of your team, so tread carefully.
4. How popular is Threads?
In the first 7 hours of launch, the app saw just over 10 million user sign-ups and by the end of launch day it’s estimated over 30 million users had joined the app. This does signal an appetite and interest for Threads, and it’s looking like both Twitter and non-Twitter users have been keen to try it out so far.
Brands early to the game have been using the app to show off their humorous side and bring personality to the channel, finding ways to spark conversation with their audience. Whether this is how the app continues to be used or not is something time will tell.
5. Threads’ limitations and considerations
Due to data sharing regulations, the app is currently not available for users within the EU. This is currently being looked at by Meta and I’m certain a solution will soon be found, but if this makes up a large proportion of your audience, then it’s something to consider.
Currently, the main feed is made up of content from both users you follow and suggested users, this seems to be one of the main dislikes coming from early adopters, and I’m braced for the introduction of a ‘following’ type tab similar to that of Twitter in the coming months.
There’s no DM function available yet, so users can only interact in the main Threads feed, however, with the tight link back to Instagram and a handy shortcut to see a Thread user’s Instagram account, it could be argued that this functionality isn’t needed.
Finally, the content functionality can only be described as basic, with no in-built GIF finding capabilities and no option for Polls or other interactive elements, the app lacks some of the functionality introduced over the years by Twitter. This is, again, something that will surely change over time.
Roundup
If we’ve learned anything from the previous introductions of new social channels, it’s that it’s important to have some kind of plan around how you use Threads. It will take some thinking and creative strategy to work out what use Threads might have for your wider brand experience.
My suggestion would be to take some time to look around the app, understand it more and pull together a plan for how you’ll tackle it. Failing that, there’s no shame in sitting tight and seeing if Threads is just this week’s news or something here to stay.
If you have any questions about what opportunities there might be for your business on Threads or other social channels, I’m happy to help. As DNA’s Social Media Strategy Manager, I’m on hand to help you build a plan. You can reach me at Joe@wearedna.co.uk.
In categories: Marketing, Industry Insights
