The new Meta app, launched on July 5th, hopes to grow to 1 billion users soon, according to CEO Mark Zuckerberg. The app has seen incredibly quick popularity, with over 30 million users joining the morning of its launch. What is Threads? Is it the Twitter Killer? Does your business need an account? Here are your answers.

What is Threads?

With a timeline of text posts with a 500-word count limit, replies, reposts, and quote features, the Instagram-affiliated app looks a lot like Twitter. You have to have an Instagram account to sign up for the platform, and the accounts are linked. Users can have a public or private account. Verified Instagram users are automatically verified on Threads. While users can post images and videos, they’re sparse. The app has the existing aesthetic and navigation features of Instagram while managing to feel much more casual.

Taking Over Twitter

One of the main reasons this new platform is causing such a buzz is that many see it as the biggest competitor of Twitter. Twitter has experienced a significant overhaul since Elon Musk took over the company in October 2022. After the takeover, Twitter users complained about new moderation and algorithm features and left the app in masses. Threads may be the app that fills the gap that Twitter has left in many social timelines. It will remain to be seen if any of the alternatives will stick around. Many factors will influence the longevity- namely advertising potential and relevancy. Here’s what that means for small business owners and if they should shift their attention and marketing from Twitter to Threads.

Comes With a Following

One of the biggest draws for business accounts to create an account is that after a user joins, everyone they follow on Instagram is automatically followed on Threads. Because of this feature, Netflix had 1.7 million followers on the Twitter alternative just a day after its launch. For businesses with a large following on Instagram or if Instagram is the primary audience you are marketing to, the platform may make sense for you.

No Advertising

Since the app is new, no advertisements are currently running on Threads. For average users, this sounds like a great deal. For small business owners, this means that account discovery will be much harder to come by on the platform. The lack of advertisements could also suggest a shorter lifespan of the platform. Meta, the parent organization of Instagram and Twitter, generates nearly all its revenue from advertisers. If the app isn’t profitable to Meta, it is unlikely they will keep pouring money and resources into it. If the platform doesn’t introduce advertised content soon, it may not be worth it for you to shift resources in the event the platform loses traction.

Sparse Account Management

Text posts are generally considered more manageable and quicker to produce than photo or graphic posts. Still, one of the biggest concerns with any new social media platform is the lack of account management tools. On platforms like Twitter, scheduling posts well in advance is an excellent tool for busy business owners. These tools don’t exist for the platform yet, and it’s unclear when or if Meta or a third party will release them. This places more burden on the account manager to manually post at an ideal time of the day for engagement.

Conclusion

Ultimately, joining the new platform will be up to your social media marketing goals, audience, and what you want from the new app. If you already have a large Instagram following, Threads could be a better time investment over Twitter. If you want to expand your social media presence and allocate more hours of your week to creating and posting text posts, the platform is good for you.

If Instagram is not your primary audience or you are trying to grow your audience on a platform, there may be better platforms for your goals than Threads. If you are already short on time, and the hours you spend marketing your business feel like a hassle, the platform may not be worth your investment. Ensure you clearly understand your goals and budget when joining any new platform to ensure your marketing works for you.

Want to meet with an expert about joining a new platform or how to utilize social media for marketing? Book a consultation now: https://abaskmarketing.com/schedule