Meta, the parent company of Instagram and Facebook, has recently introduced Threads, a groundbreaking social media app that has quickly gained immense popularity. With an astonishing 5 million users signing up in just four hours and reaching a remarkable 30 million users by Thursday morning, Threads is being touted as a potential competitor to Twitter. This blog provides an in-depth exploration of Threads, highlighting its similarities to Twitter, and how businesses can leverage the app for their benefit.
Threads vs. Twitter
Threads vs. Twitter: Comparing Micro-blogging Platforms
Threads:
Amplified Conversations: Facilitates extended discussions by interlinking tweets and engaging users in focused conversations.
Contextual Cohesion: Provides a structured and coherent presentation of ideas, enhancing clarity and comprehension.
Niche Communities: Fosters specialized communities for like-minded individuals to engage in deep-dive conversations.
Twitter:
Real-Time Updates: Delivers breaking news, emerging trends, and up-to-the-minute information.
Expansive Network: Connects users with diverse individuals, organizations, and influencers.
Viral Potential: Offers an opportunity for ideas to go viral, reaching a broader audience quickly.
Choosing the Right Platform:
Purpose: Consider your engagement objective, whether it's in-depth conversations (Threads) or quick updates and broad interaction (Twitter).
Format: Evaluate your preferred communication style, whether you lean towards a more structured approach (Threads) or concise messaging (Twitter).
Audience and Reach: Reflect on the type of audience you want to engage with, either a diverse spectrum of users (Twitter) or targeted interactions within niche communities (Threads).
Advertising on Threads: A Future Prospect
According to Adam Mosseri, the head of Instagram, the focus of Threads currently lies on user engagement rather than advertising revenue. With a staggering number of sign-ups, Meta aims to ensure that Threads remains an app that people genuinely want to use. However, discussions with marketers indicate that advertising opportunities may emerge in the future, providing brands with a chance to reach the app's growing user base.
Companies’ accounts on Threads also saw more average engagement compared to the same accounts on Twitter, according to the study.
Some popular fortune brands that are already on threads and how are they using the App :
One look at the app's user base, and you'll find an impressive lineup of renowned Fortune brands already making waves on Threads. The likes of Amazon, Apple, Disney, and Walmart have all set up shop on this innovative platform, and their presence has not gone unnoticed. In fact, a recent analysis revealed that on July 7, a staggering 87% of brands enjoyed higher engagement on their Threads posts compared to Twitter. That's right - Threads is taking the crown with an average engagement rate of 0.45%, dwarfing Twitter's meager 0.02%.
Unlocking Business Potential on Threads
Threads offers entrepreneurs a unique platform to foster stronger connections with their customers. Designed for private, close-knit groups, the app enables businesses to create personalized and interactive experiences, enhancing their brand reputation and facilitating business growth. Leveraging Threads as a business owner opens doors to a more intimate engagement with the audience, nurturing loyalty and customer satisfaction.
How to get on Threads?
The answer lies in its seamless integration with the Instagram app. Signing up for Threads is a breeze. Simply head to the Google Play store or the App Store, download the app, and open it up. If you already have the Instagram app installed, you can sign in using your existing account, preserving your username and verification status. It's all part of Meta's grand plan to keep Threads closely interconnected with Instagram, ensuring a smooth and familiar experience for users.
For those who don't have Instagram, fear not! You can still join in on the fun. After entering your username and password, you'll be able to view a list of the people you follow on Instagram and easily follow them on Threads. Even if someone you wish to follow hasn't created a profile on Threads yet, worry not - your request will be saved until they join the platform.
Unlocking the Hidden Gems
Control Your Replies: Tailor Your Conversation
When creating a Thread, Twitter allows you to decide who can reply. By tapping on the bottom left of your thread, you'll encounter three options:
"Anyone": This setting allows anyone on Twitter to reply to your thread, encouraging a broader discussion.
"Profiles You Follow": With this option, only the users you follow can participate in the conversation, ensuring a more curated experience.
"Mentions Only": Selecting this setting restricts replies to only those users you specifically mention in your thread. It helps keep the discussion focused and avoids clutter.
Expand Your Conversations: Start Additional Threads
Sometimes, a single thread might not be enough to explore a topic comprehensively. Threads allows you to continue a conversation by starting an additional thread. Simply hit the return key three times, and a new thread will be created, linked to the previous one. This feature enables you to delve deeper into a subject or provide updates while maintaining the context of the original discussion.
Fine-Tune Your Timeline: Follow and Mute
Discovering new and interesting threads is an integral part of the Threads experience. When you come across a captivating thread from a user you don't follow, you can easily change that by simply clicking on their thread and hitting the "Follow" button. This ensures that you never miss their future content.
Conversely, if you find someone's threads less relevant to your interests, you can discreetly mute them. By tapping the three dots on the top right corner of their thread and selecting "Mute," their threads will no longer appear on your feed. Importantly, the muted user won't be notified, and you can continue to follow them without their threads cluttering your timeline.
Streamline Your Search: Long Press for Quick Access
Efficiently searching for specific content on Twitter is a crucial aspect of navigating the platform. To expedite this process, you can long-press the search button. This action not only opens the search functionality but also instantly activates the keyboard, allowing you to type your query without additional steps. This time-saving feature helps you find relevant threads and engage with trending topics more conveniently.
Maintain a Healthy Balance: Set Time Limits
Spending excessive time on social media can be overwhelming and potentially harmful. Threads recognizes the importance of maintaining a healthy balance, and to support this, it provides a "Take a Break" feature. To access it, go to your profile, tap on "Settings," then "Account," and finally "Take a Break." Here, you can set time limits, such as reminders every 10 or 20 minutes, to ensure you take regular breaks and maintain a healthier relationship with the app.
Extend Your Reach: Share Posts on Instagram
You can seamlessly share your Threads posts on Instagram. To do this, tap on the airplane icon while viewing your post on Threads, and the Twitter app will switch you to Instagram. From there, you can edit the post to suit your preferences before sharing it with your Instagram audience. This cross-platform functionality saves time and effort, allowing you to reach a broader audience with your content.
Coming Soon: Exciting Threads Updates
Following Feed: An aggregated feed that showcases threads from the users you follow, allowing you to discover relevant conversations effortlessly.
Editing: The ability to edit your thread content, giving you more flexibility to refine your thoughts and make corrections.
Multiple Accounts: Simplified account management, enabling you to seamlessly switch between multiple Twitter accounts.
Post Search: An advanced search feature that allows you to find specific posts within threads, enhancing your ability to locate and reference valuable content.
Hashtags: The introduction of hashtags to Threads, making it easier to categorize and search for relevant discussions.
Web Presence: Expanding the reach of Threads beyond the app, allowing users to engage with and share threads on the web.
Like List: A feature that enables users to curate lists of liked threads, providing an organized way to revisit and reference valuable content.
Conclusion
As Threads emerges as a potential rival to Twitter, its rise in popularity signals a shift in the social media landscape. With its familiar features and already existing user base, Threads provides an opportunity for users and businesses to explore new avenues for communication and engagement. While the app's advertising potential remains in the pipeline, entrepreneurs can already capitalize on its unique features to form deeper connections with their customers. Whether Threads will truly live up to its "Twitter killer" reputation remains to be seen, but it certainly has captured the attention of the social media community.