Threads by Meta: Everything You Need to Know
It’s here! Meta’s long-awaited Twitter competitor, Threads, launched late last night and already got over 30 million sign ups as of this morning.
Some people are speculating that Meta moved up the app’s launch because Elon Musk sent Twitter users fleeing from the platform after he announced that Twitter would limit the amount of tweets a user can see in a day
Things are moving quickly right now, but as of *checks watch* 12 PM CST, here’s what you need to know:
What is Threads by Meta?
Threads is Meta’s competitor to Twitter and is connected to your Instagram account.
The app is linked to your Instagram account and your feed will include posts from people you follow, as well as recommendations based on what the algorithm thinks you’ll like.
(Protip: if you want to start tailoring your feed, just “hide” posts from accounts you don’t follow and don’t want to see. The earlier you do this, the faster the algorithm can learn!)
Will Threads Stick Around?
So far it looks like it will, thanks to some smart moves from the Instagram team.
The trick to Threads’ immediate success is that even though it’s technically a standalone app, it’s connected to Instagram and allows you to add your existing contacts in under a minute by using the “auto-follow” button.
Goodbye, slow follower growth! Now you’ve got a brand new community made up (mostly, more on that below) of people you already follow.
Should Your Brand be on Threads?
YES. As Twitter tanks and a new platform to showcase your brand’s personality emerges, it’s critical to claim your account and start posting asap.
How is Threads Different?
A Different Value Proposition from Twitter
Threads is a place to share your personality, your thoughts, spicy memes and hot takes. It’s a laid-back place (think Twitter circa 2010).
Threads Offers More Ownership Over Your Content
Unlike some other social platforms, Adam Mosseri has stated that Threads is committed to building support for ActivityPub, the protocol behind Mastodon.
So if you wind up leaving Threads, you can take your content with you.
High-Level Details About Threads
Below are a few things to keep in mind as you start getting your footing on the platform:
- Posts can be up to 500 characters long and can include links, videos, gifs, and video
- Videos can be up to five minutes long
- You can switch between light and dark mode in the app
- Hashtags are currently not available, but a post from Adam Mosseri confirmed that hashtags are coming, so stay tuned for those
- You can post gifs (just open your Gipfy app and copy/paste)
- Currently you can’t switch between accounts - you need to log out and back in
- No DMs (so far)
- Right now your feed is a combination of a For You page and accounts the algorithm thinks you’ll like
- People are using a conversational, personal tone. Don’t sound all “B2B” please!
What’s a Good First Thread?
Introduce yourself! Something as simple as “Hello world, we’re ____” is great, but including a picture of yourself, your team, or your pets is even better.
Remember: this is your chance to start developing your brand’s identity on the platform, so don’t be afraid to let your freak flag shine and be casual, silly, and even a little weird if that’s your jam.
What’s a Good Threads Strategy?
The challenge brands face on the platform is that most of your initial followers will be coming from Instagram, so they’ll be used to seeing photo and video-based content.
With that in mind, at this stage we recommend that brands take a similar approach to their Twitter content strategy: primarily text-based, using emojis to break up text, and include urls in your posts.
From there, you’ll want to start experimenting with your top-performing photo content from other platforms… but don’t overdo it, especially this early on! Users are very sensitive to brands getting overly salesy and shoehorning content 1:1 in from other apps.
So for now (at least), avoid repurposing your Reels and TikToks.
What About Mastodon, Spill, Hive and all the rest?
Honestly? RIP to those platforms. Threads ate their lunch because the platform launched with audiences already built in, cutting out the effort of trying to build up a following from scratch.
These platforms don’t have enough differentiating factors to attract users away from Twitter or Threads. So while it’s still advisable to claim your brand’s name on every new social network, we don’t recommend spending time making content there. Stick to your existing platforms and Threads.
What Else Should You Know About Threads?
Who knows! Right now it’s kind of a Wild West (and we’re here for it) — one of the best parts about our industry is that it’s always changing, so we’ll be keeping our eyes peeled for the latest updates and sharing them in our weekly newsletter.
For more updates (and spicy memes and hot takes) give us a follow on Threads.
