Today sees the launch of Meta’s new social media platform Threads, a rival to Elon Musk’s Twitter that Mark Zuckerberg described as a ‘friendly’ alternative to the app.
Zuckerberg wrote on Threads that sign-ups on Meta’s Twitter rival crossed two million within the first two hours of its launch, growing to five million in the next two hours and doubling again to ten million in seven hours.
It’s been described as a conversation-based app where communities can discuss everything from topics you care about today to what’ll be trending tomorrow. Before its launch, Meta wrote that ‘our vision with Threads is to take what Instagram does best and expand that to text, creating a positive and creative space to express your ideas.’
The app displays a feed of posts – called threads – where users can share updates up to 500 characters long. Similar to Twitter, these can be liked, shared and replied to by others.
Users can log in with their Instagram account and will have the option to follow the same accounts or start from scratch. Like other Meta platforms, Threads will also use your phone data, including location data, purchases and browsing history. It is available to download in over 100 countries, including the UK, but has yet to be launched in the EU due to regulatory concerns.
Whilst there have been other platforms to rival Twitter over the past few years, Threads poses the biggest threat to Twitter to date. With new media platforms launching regularly, it can be difficult for brands to navigate what platforms they should be on and where their audiences will go. Below, we share our thoughts on what brands should consider when deciding whether to launch on the platform:
Pros:
- There’s no need to start from scratch if you have an Instagram profile. As they are linked, your Threads account will possess the legacy generated by your Instagram profile, ensuring your existing Instagram followers will automatically follow you on Threads assuming they migrate as well.
- Instagram has two billion users, meaning two billion potential Threads users. Even a 10% migration to Threads would open up your potential audience size to millions of users.
- The earlier you move over the Threads, the easier it will be to establish yourself as a thought leader in your sector – giving yourself a head start over competitors that are slow to transition.
- Although there are currently no adverts on Threads, Meta’s advertising options on Meta Business suggest it’s only a matter of time. This presents an opportunity for an integrated paid strategy that ensures alignment with your campaigns across Meta.
Cons:
- Only some switches are easy. Your brand may have a strong legacy on Twitter, with an audience aware of your tone, the type of content you produce and your offering. Twitter ads are also very efficient and well-optimised. A lot of this will have to be built and tailored to Threads.
- It’s hard to predict how Threads will do beyond the initial hype. Meta isn’t known for its creativity/launching of unique products. It typically purchases creativity (think Whatsapp, Instagram), so how well will it be received, and is it strong enough to encourage consistent use?
You can follow The PHA Group on threads here.
If you’re interested in discussing whether Threads suits your brand, contact our team of experts today.