To Thread or Not To Thread, That is the Question

It’s the latest social media launched by Meta as a direct rival to Twitter, but should you join Threads? And, what are the benefits of signing up to Threads early?

What Is Threads?

Brought to you from the creators of Instagram, Threads is a new social media platform that Adam Mosseri says is a place for ‘public conversations’ that will bring what they’ve made ‘for photos at Instagram and Facebook to Threads [but] for text’. Wondering what that means? It’s essentially Meta’s version of Twitter, or Instagram with fewer pictures or reels.

Over on Threads, your post is called a Thread and holds space for 500 characters as well as images, links and videos up to five minutes in length. Similar to Twitter, users can like, reply and repost Threads as well as quote reposting them.

As we write this, over 30 million uses have signed up for Threads. And, with Threads launching in the week that many users have voiced complaints about Twitter following the new reading limit, we suspect that number will continue to grow at speed as people ditch the ‘bird app’ for the ‘thread app’.

With Twitter giants such as Ryanair, Specsavers, Aldi and Dominos already on board, you may be feeling a bit of Threads FOMO. Or, you’re rolling your eyes at yet another social media platform to manage. Whichever camp you sit in it’s hard to deny there are some benefits to signing up to Threads early.

Benefits of Threads

Early adoption

While the platform may already have over 30 million users (and counting), Threads is still in its infancy as far as social media platforms go. Therefore, jumping on the platform now will see you as an early adopter of the platform. But, what exactly are the perks of that?

With fewer users, you can establish yourself as a conversation leader on Threads, growing your following and establishing your brand way before your competitors catch on.

Likewise, getting on the Threads train earlier means more time to get up to speed with the platform so when your customers start joining, you’re already ahead of the game and delivering top tier threads.

For brands, early adoption also means securing your username. This is a huge priority whenever a new platform comes along. After all, you don’t want to join Threads to find your well-known username has been taken.

Are your audience thready for this?

Often, when we see a new social media platform launch it is Gen Z who are the early adopters (see TikTok as our case in point). As of yet, with Threads, the key audience demographic is unclear. However, here are our predictions.

Of course, as tends to happen with new apps and technology, Gen Z and Millennials will be among the first to trial it. But, in perhaps a break in tradition, there will be others nostalgic for the old, pre-Musk Twitter who will venture to Threads. The question at this stage is will they stay and will it really signal the end of Twitter?

Ease of sign up

Thankfully, setting up Threads is a whole lot easier than threading a needle. Simply download the app and you get the option to sign up via your Instagram account, migrating your profile picture and username across. You even have the option to import your followers, a marketer’s dream when it comes to building your audience on a new platform.

While signing up may be easy, it’s critical not to fall into the trap of regurgitating the same old content over on Threads that you would put out on other platforms. Meta states that Threads is for ‘sharing text updates and joining public conversations’ and it’s vital to decode what this means for your brand. Is it formal conversations or more light-hearted, informal interactions? While the latter seems to be the predominant force on Threads’ first day, this could of course change as users, brands included, shape this new platform.

Should I join Threads?

A bit like asking how long is a piece of string, there’s no definitive answer to whether you should sign up for Threads. That being said, as a generic stance we would argue yes.

Registering your username is critical to maintaining your brand image across the internet and therefore signing up for Threads, future-proofs your brand should the new app remain as popular as it has been on its first day.

Secondly, being an early adopter is never a bad thing in the digital age. Even if Threads does end up being a passing trend, the initial exposure you could receive through engaging conversations during the app’s lifespan could amount to long-standing customers or brand perceptions.

Last but certainly not least, while Threads has no advertising platform as of yet, it’s more than likely on the horizon. In fact, it’s straight out of the Meta playbook to launch a new platform, build its community and then introduce ads, among other features. Having an established organic platform when ads do inevitably launch will contribute to your credibility and potentially improve ad conversion rates.

Need help with Threads or any other social media platform? Our consultants have over 25 years of combined experience working within digital marketing and will be more than happy to assist with your social media strategy so get in touch today!