Threads is breaking the Internet. But does it have staying power?
Things have not been going especially well at Twitter over the last few months, and in response, Facebook’s parent company Meta recently unveiled Threads ― and at least by the numbers, it was a hit. Threads signed up 100 million new users in less than a week, making it the fastest-growing app of all time.
So, should you ― or do you have to ― be on Threads? Businesses getting a bit fatigued with social media strategies would be forgiven if they weren’t rushing to add another app into the mix. But stemming from Instagram’s success as a commerce platform, Threads has looked like an especially big hit with brands and marketers.
“Threads feels a little more playful and off-the-cuff,” one company founder told Inc.com. Another said that “rather than inspiring more passive engagement ― such as a like or view on Instagram ― users [on Threads] seem to be encouraged to articulate their thoughts more deliberately and thus engage in conversation.”
Surely there’s a little bit of recency bias at work here ― everyone loves the new thing ― but the early reviews, at least, have Threads as a brand-friendly middle-ground between Instagram and Twitter.
That said, the launch of another app may push some other brands to drop social media completely. “Instead of scrambling to claim digital real estate across all these newly emerging platforms, some companies are choosing to be more judicious about which platforms they choose to join,” writes Chris Stokel-Walker. One of the first to jump ship was Lush Cosmetics, which stopped posting on all social media about two years ago ― a strategy they say has worked well for them.
The other group that might be eyeing Threads are jobseekers, who might be looking for an alternative to LinkedIn on which to conduct digital networking. On that front, Threads doesn’t seem to be offering much appeal: one Amazon marketing exec, Jennifer Davis, said, “in the C-suite, it’s all about thought leadership. I find that happens more on LinkedIn.”
But a small business might find good value in trying to stake out some space for their brand now, when everything is fresh. In a scramble for virtual turf, there’s a high upside in being an early adopter. “We’re pulling some of the more out-of-pocket concepts we’ve brainstormed for Twitter, but which didn’t feel totally right for the app,” one company commented. “Now, we’re letting them loose.”
Content written by Kieran Delamont for Worklife, a partnership between Ahria Consulting and London Inc. To view this content in newsletter form, click here.