Home / news
Bye Bye Twitter?: Introducing Rival App Threads
< Threads (source: raconteur) >
Since launching on July 5, Threads has become the fastest growing social media platform in history among the vast world of social media platforms.
Here’s everything you need to know about the app and the kind of potential it holds for businesses.
What is Threads?
< Threads feed (source: about.fb)
Users are encouraged to engage in ‘threads’- ongoing conversations centered around user generated topics.
Posts can be up to 500 characters long and include links, photos, and videos up to 5 minutes in length.
Summed up, Threads is a conversational, text-focused version of Instagram.
Is Threads the New Twitter?
Some of the notable differences between Threads and Twitter are as follows:
< Twitter vs. Threads >
Many businesses have stopped advertising via Twitter due to brand safety concerns and a reported increase in racist and hateful speech, which Twitter continued to do little to police those responsible.
< Elon Musk (source: TVM News) >
Limiting the number of posts a user could read was also a bad move for the popularity of the platform in the long run as the endless amount of content on a social network is crucial to its appeal.
Now many marketers are exploring new platforms to host their campaigns without having to compromise reach or quality.
Why Should Brands Use Threads?
Though the app is still in the beginning stages, Threads has potential for marketing, as it expects to start rolling out more features like chronological feeds and the ability to search for hashtags, which would be helpful for companies to ensure their posts are being shown to the right audience.
< Brands in Threads (source: Adage) >
1. Similar Tools to Instagram
Those that already have accounts don’t need to build a new audience from scratch, as the existing Instagram followers are automatically moved to Threads.
2. Cross Platform Visibility
Being able to share your posts directly to Instagram stories allows for maximized content distribution and engagement with a wider range of followers across different social media channels.
3. Personalized Brand Experience
Currently Threads is an informal, playful, and chaotic vibe, making it the perfect time to be experimental. The brands that get engagements and follows are the ones that don’t take themselves too seriously.
< American Airlines Threads (source: Social Hospitality) >
Many are using Threads to show their personalities and curate humorous content, which fosters a sense of belonging and enhances brand loyalty. An example is American Airlines, which posted fun debate content and puns to entertain and engage users.
Predictions of Threads and Its Effect on Influencer Marketing
The emergence of Threads brings along transformative expectations for the world of influencer marketing. While Instagram and most other social media platforms have been focused on images and ‘aesthetic feeds’ and quirky filters, Threads’ focus on text-based content offers a unique twist, calling for fresh strategies.
As shown in the example below, one-liners and puns seem to evoke the best responses.
< Crumblcookies Threads peed (source: Crumblcookies) >
Since you can also upload images and videos, influencers should make use of visual content while incorporating meaningful text to engage their audience in deeper conversations. Brands may even consider collaborating with a new set of influencers that can include authors, journalists, and cartoon authors who can concisely conjure up powerful words.
Conclusion
It can be predicted that Threads will be relevant to new influencers that want to gain an audience, because if you post early and consistently, you could potentially grow as the platform itself is currently doing every day.
It's still too early to tell whether the debut of Threads will impact Twitter’s advertising sales as of now since the app is still in its infancy. But what’s for sure is that this new platform is a refreshing turn from conventional social media platforms and can be an innovative new way for brands and people to connect with audiences.
References
