Threads is a brand new social media platform that combines the text-based conversational aspect of Twitter with the visual appeal of Instagram where photos and videos can be added to complement the text posts. And that is because it’s built on the Instagram app. Instagram users will log in using their Instagram account and can make posts to include links, photos, and videos.
What is the Threads social media platform?
On July 5, Facebook parent company Meta released Threads, a Twitter competitor that drew 70 million users in its first few days, dramatically outpacing other would-be Twitter replacements and becoming the fastest-growing app in history. According to Mark Zuckerberg, “The vision for Threads is to create an open and friendly public space for conversation. We hope to take what Instagram does best and create a new experience around text, ideas, and discussing what’s on your mind.”
The messages on Threads are limited to 500 characters combined with Instagram’s photo-centric aesthetic and navigation system. You’ll also have the ability to seamlessly share posts from Threads to Instagram stories. One of the reasons that Threads signed up so many users so quickly was because joining and getting established was easy because of the relationship Threads has to Meta’s 2 billion user photo sharing app Instagram. New Threads users could port over their Instagram profile information and more importantly, the set of accounts they follow.
For influencers this was a big deal as those who had already built up a following on Instagram could carry that audience over to the new Threads world.
Is Threads the future of social media for business?
The launch of Threads signifies a significant transformation for the world of social media. It’s the initial widespread glimpse of what social media built on partially or completely open software protocols may resemble. Open software allows for a communal social media infrastructure that various applications can utilize simultaneously. Social media based on protocols enables users to transfer profiles, content, connections, and trustworthiness data flexibly across platforms. This is a shift from an era where users are confined to individual social media platforms to one in which they can seamlessly navigate through them.
While Threads isn’t an open ecosystem yet, Instagram’s Adam Mosseri says that Threads plans to eventually enable access to an open social media protocol called ActivityPub, which would allow users to port over their follow graph and social media identity to a range of other apps.
Simultaneously, other entrepreneurs are designing social media products as open protocols from the start and encouraging third-party developers to build various applications on top of them.
Threads’ shift to “protocol-based social media” will have major implications for individuals and companies. At some point, users will finally have a unified social media identity across a wide variety of different applications,
Currently major social media applications Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn are self-contained ecosystems that keep the users’ data inside the platform. While the user can export their content, there is no easy way to move it elsewhere. And the user cannot extract “likes” or network information such as the follow graph, so to switch means re-establishing a following and reputation.
By being able to move their established world around to other apps the opportunity to engage and expand will greatly increase their influence.
Should my business start a Threads social media account?
A new social network means new marketing opportunities. But for now, Threads does not support ads and apparently Meta isn’t considering monetizing it until it reaches 1 billion users. With 100 million users signed up in just the first few weeks, this might not take as long as it took the other popular social media platforms.
Despite the lack of advertising opportunities, there are still reasons to get your business on Threads, it’s extremely “hot” at the moment and a lot of people are on it and excited to be there.
If your business already has an Instagram account, you can carry your followers over to Threads just by signing up. It should be a fun and easy way to put out your short-form content and you’ll get seen by people who might have never heard of your brand before.
When a new social platform emerges, it’s always a great opportunity to jump on board quickly and stand out. A group of 100 million users are excited and looking to find something new and so all you need to do is give them what they’re looking for.
To discuss what social media accounts a business should have or any other aspect of digital marketing, please reach out to our friendly and experienced New Target team. We’re here to help!
