All about Threads: the new social media platform

Threads launched this week. It’s a new app from Meta made to rival Twitter, but it has more character allowance (500). The good thing is there’s no ‘more’ button so everything you post is seen by the user.

Primarily it’s a text first social media app, but it also gives the ability to post videos, photographs and memes, but the text will always be shown first.

I would say that it's less cluttered and less messy than Twitter.

Its purpose is to allow users to create an instant network with followers.

There are no hashtags, no DMs …. for now. People are saying that currently it’s a really positive community but I wonder for how long … or is that just the cynic in me!

You can share your Threads post to your Instagram story or feed and (hilariously) Twitter.

Go to your app store and download the Threads.app

Sign in with your Instagram account login

Populate (or copy over) your bio.

If you want it to, it pulls your audience over from Instagram so you don’t start with 0 followers.

Write your first thread.

Within days it’s claimed that 30 million people have downloaded it so far.

The purpose is to have conversations. You write something and someone continues a thread by responding, you replied back, etc. etc.

The short form text allows you to scroll through and read lots of posts in a short time engaging with the ones that interest you.

Once you have a Threads account you can’t currently delete it fully. You can only deactivate it, unless you also want to delete your Instagram account.

I have a few different Instagram accounts so you do have to jump through a few more hoops, but if you only have the one Instagram account, it works very smoothly with Threads.

Prepare for lower engagement rates on Instagram because whenever a new platform comes to market, engagement rates are lower on other platforms as everyone spends time on the new app.

It's easy when a new social media platform comes along to get Shiny Object syndrome. There should be room in your marketing for some experimentation that make sure you aren't spending all your time on Threads to the detriment of your other marketing.

If you’ve never got the hang of Twitter but want to have conversations with the wider world, then it might be for you.

However, before automatically jumping and signing up, think ….

• Was it on your to do list?
• Do you have time for another platform?
• The more platforms, the more distracted you could be
• Are you ideal clients going to be on Thread?
• Are you happy with your current marketing strategy?

Have fun, but don't forget about the things that are bringing sales in right now.

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