What’s the Deal with Threads? Understanding Meta’s New Social App
A quick guide to Meta’s new app: Threads
Heads up! There’s a new social app on the market courtesy of Meta, the company behind Instagram and Facebook. Marketed as a new way to share with text, Threads is poised to be one of the next big things as more people take the plunge and join the platform.
Though it might be coincidence, the announcement of Threads comes alongside a time of ongoing controversy surrounding its most similar competitor: Twitter. With questionable decisions happening near-daily at Twitter HQ, there’s never been a better time for a new platform to upset the natural hierarchy of the social media space. And if you ask us, Threads is just the app to come along and do it.
Here are some quick facts to note about Threads:
You can create a Threads account using your existing Instagram login
Posts can be a maximum of 500 characters long and can include videos, images, and links
Work is in progress to link Threads to other platforms like WordPress and Mastodon
You can follow accounts just as you would on other platforms
Threads posts can easily be reposted to your Instagram
While this platform is still taking shape, there’s one thing we’ve learned over our years of social media experience: if you’re not early, you’re late. So how do you go about putting this newfangled social media thingy into use for your brand?
Using threads to your advantage
Threads promises to offer an interconnected experience, allowing non-Threads users to follow and interact using their own platform of choice. Meta has been calling this its ‘open social networking protocol’. While only time will tell how this impacts its use as a marketing tool, that’s no reason to wait to get online.
At the moment, Threads allows you to easily import your profile (including verification) from Instagram. It’s available in more than 100 countries for Apple and Android devices. And, perhaps most importantly, it’s developed by Meta, so don’t expect this to be a passing fad.
At the moment, your best bet is to hop on Threads now and give it a shot. While it has similarities to other platforms, it’s also its own unique thing. Take some time to follow and read through other accounts to get a sense of the vibe of the posts, and work to develop a style of posting that fits both your brand and the platform. These earlier days are a great time to start building a following on this new platform.
While we’ll have to wait and see the bonafide best practices for Threads, we’ve got some ideas already. Short thoughts and quick messages are definitely going to reign supreme, while its interconnected nature could make it a great central ‘hub’ for your various content types. Reshare your TikToks and Reels to the platform, or repost Instagram pics with a reworked caption to maximize your content.
Keep up with the latest happenings in social media land
Threads, in its current state, is a somewhat barebones, experimental platform. But the potential (especially to fill the void being left by other social media giants) is palpable. We’re excited to see how this new platform takes shape, as well as to put it to work for some of our clients.
If you’re ready to work with our team of unicorns and never miss a development like this again, we’ve got you covered. We love keeping up to date with the latest trends and surprise announcements, and we’re always thinking of ways to use them creatively to get your message out there. Learn more about our approach and how we can help by getting in touch!