Threads, Meta’s long-awaited “Twitter killer,” is finally here, and our social experts have been busy fielding questions about the platform that’s taking internet culture by storm.
There has been a lot written about Threads generally, and you can find a great intro on the platform’s various features from Meta itself, but what does it mean for the digital marketing world specifically?
This week, we’re offering a few insights on Threads from our social experts, Amanda Hoffmann and Isabelle Fiester, and answering your most pressing questions.
What is Threads, anyway?
Threads is a new app created by Meta, the owner of Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp. The company’s stated goal is to “take what Instagram does best and expand that to text,” in a direct challenge to Twitter’s microblogging rule.
There are a number of improvements that Twitter fans should appreciate.
Threads offers more generous content limits than Twitter—up to 500 characters, 10 images and 5 minutes of video per post—and new tools to enable “positive, productive conversations,” including control over who can mention you or reply to you.
Meta has also pledged not to emphasize political or hard news content on Threads, in an effort to create a “positive and creative space.”
Compare that to Twitter, which has become coarser and more chaotic under the ownership of Elon Musk. It’s a prime reason many brands are ditching Twitter, and social users are looking for a microblogging alternative.
Threads and Twitter do share a lot of functionality, however. Your main feed shows posts (or “threads”) from accounts you follow and those recommended by Instagram’s algorithm. You can like, re-post and reply to threads, although there are no keyword search (read: hashtags) or direct messaging capabilities at this time.
How do I set up an account on Threads for my business?
It’s currently only available as an app, and you must login using your Instagram profile, so if you already have one of those for your business, you can start immediately. Threads allows new users to easily follow their Instagram contacts—a convenient option that will keep your brand in the mix when one of your IG followers sets up their own Threads account.
Note that once you create a Threads account, you can’t delete it unless you delete your IG.
What’s the best way to use Threads right now?
We’re recommending users experiment with organic posts on the platform, as there are currently no paid ad tools on Threads.
Keep it light and have some fun as you find the right mix of organic messaging, imagery and video. You can skip the hashtags, as Threads does not allow users to search for specific content, unless you’re just looking for hashtag visibility as part of a larger campaign.
Brands working with influencers on Threads should remember they are technically operating under Instagram’s Terms of Service, which requires branded content to properly tagged and identified. Threads currently does not have branded content tools like those found in Instagram, meaning that the safest course of action for influencer posts will be to identify them via text or hashtag.
What’s the ideal messaging for an organic Threads post?
Threads combines some of the best features of Instagram and Twitter to create a familiar experience. But Twitter and IG users typically have different expectations—Twitter is built for one-liners and heated debate, while IG is built for showcasing visuals. That has many wondering which way the platform will lean over time.
Our early sense of the platform is that its microblogging roots are dominating. Most of the posts we saw on Threads were short, thought-provoking statements, coupled with bold images or a meme. But some brands, like Audi, are going all in with Threads' enhanced graphics capabilities to create a truly engaging experience.
Your best bet is to experiment now and start establishing your unique Threads voice. That will give you a leg up as the social platform gains attention and a culture takes root.
Is Threads even worth using for marketing right now?
Considering it’s a new social media channel from Meta designed to take down an increasingly chaotic Twitter, we can assume Threads is going to have legs. It became the fastest downloaded app in history upon its launch, amassing 100 million downloads in just five days, and there are already tens of millions active daily users, according to CEO Mark Zuckerberg. That’s serious momentum you can’t ignore.
With that said, there’s literally no rush here. Because Threads uses your IG username, you don’t have to worry about someone else grabbing your brand name on the app. And know that it will be some time before Threads becomes must-view social—you likely won’t see the arrival of paid ad options until that point in Meta’s eyes.
If your brand is an early adopter or trendsetter, this could be the perfect place to showcase those attributes. Otherwise, feel free to kick back and watch how the Threads ecosystem evolves in the coming months. We’ll make sure to update you either way as we learn more about this new social option.
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