Are you ready to join a close knit community?
An app you can use when unwinding?
Sorry, I’ll stop trying to weave puns into this blog…
July 5th saw most social media managers (and many social media users) download a sparkly new app named Threads - Meta’s very own answer to Twitter.
So, what is it? What should you be using it for? Do you need another social platform? We explore all…
Are you thready for this?
Threads has been in the works for some time, with hushed conversations about it on LinkedIn and in the social media marketing world. It would seem it became available with very little hard marketing, but perhaps that was the point.
The likes of Steven Bartlett were some of the first to access the app before it became available to users in specific countries, generating a quick buzz before people could access the platform themselves.
That’s right, you can create your own Threads account right now if you’re in certain locations, including the UK.
I don’t get the point - what is it?
Twitter has had a bit of a bumpy journey since Elon Musk took it over. Of course, our friend Mark Zuckerberg wasn’t going to just sit and watch that happen - those users want an alternative!
And thus, Threads was born. Zuck even did a bit of friendly trolling over on Twitter to celebrate the launch.
The interface is very similar to Twitter but there is one major difference between the two… the ability to share your content across other channels. Threads is being branded as “Instagram’s new text app”.
The Meta family grows
The platforms which fall under Meta’s umbrella are Instagram, Facebook, WhatsApp, and now Threads.
With Threads, you can share your latest posts to your Instagram story easily. And no, it’s not the same as screenshotting a tweet and putting it on your story… people can literally click on the shared Thread and open up the app from within Instagram (this is where the name ‘Meta’ comes in handy).
How do I get set up?
You may have already seen a notification on your Instagram saying your connections have done their first post on Threads and inviting you to do the same….
When creating a new Threads account, you can copy over your current Instagram information - including your username, password and bio - and can follow everyone you already follow on Instagram on Threads. Even if someone you follow on Instagram doesn’t have a Threads account set up yet, when they do you will automatically be a follower.
You can currently only access Threads through an app, which is very in-keeping with its close link to Instagram.
Should my business be on there?
We can never be too sure whether an app is going to take off or not but, considering Threads had over 30 million downloads in its first 16 hours, we’re going to say your business - depending on its target audience - would benefit from getting a Threads account… even if it’s just to hold a handle for the time being.
What else should I know?
As with all shiny, new social apps there will be bugs and quick changes. Our best piece of advice would be to play around on the app as much as you can so you know exactly how to use it.
Threads, like Twitter, is a conversational platform, so if your business isn’t able to engage with its community regularly (FYI, it should be doing this) you might not see great results on there.
We also highly recommend you keep an eye on Instagram’s Creators account, as the page often shares app updates and has already shared a post about Threads.
Who knows, we may have a new social platform megastar on our hands!
