Meta threads explained: everything you need to know about them
In today’s digitally connected world, social media has become an important tool for a company’s personal brand, growth and engagement. Millions of users are actively participating in a variety of platforms, building a strong media presence. What does this mean for businesses in terms of advertising prospects, the benefits compared to other social platforms and the potential impact on the future of social media marketing?
Some key facts about threads to start with:
- Meta has described Threads as ‘Instagram’s text-based conversation app’. In other words, you use the app to share text updates and contribute to public conversations.
- The idea behind this was to make the platform compatible with various social networks.
- Therefore, you have to link your Instagram account to create a profile.
- Posts can be up to 500 characters long and contain links, photos and videos of a maximum of five minutes.
- Threads adheres to Instagram’s community guidelines for content and interactions.
- There are currently no advertising options on threads.
Essentially, you post ‘threads’ to which other people can reply. As with other social networks, you can follow other accounts and reply to threads with text, links, photos, videos or any combination of these.
The new app has gained a considerable user base overnight with 30 million downloads in less than 24 hours and – as many have probably already guessed – is seen as a competitor to Twitter. Threads actually combines some of the best features of Instagram and Twitter. It looks and feels like Twitter, but with the bonus of a seamless connection to your Instagram profile. Since its launch on 5 July 2023, Threads has been the fastest growing social media platform in history.
What (marketing) advantages does Threads offer your company?
Improved targeting
Thread allows users to create and maintain public conversations, giving organisations the opportunity to engage with a highly targeted audience. For example, the feature can be used to create exclusive threads for loyal customers or influencers, or to provide personalised content for specific groups. Through these threads, you can then participate in an ongoing conversation with your target group.
Personalised content
As already mentioned, it is possible to personalise marketing content. This allows you as a company to customise and personalise the information you post. Threads thus creates a more intimate and personalised space for communication.
User-generated content
Threads focuses in particular on the content that users publish. It contains text, photos, videos and links all in one. This encourages users to share more private and candid moments. This user-generated content opens up unique marketing potential on the app.
Businesses can capitalise on trends by encouraging users to create and share content about their products or services in an authentic and informal way. It’s also a great opportunity to build authenticity and trust and increase overall engagement.
Influencer marketing
For companies that want to work with influencers, Threads could serve as a dedicated platform for influencer-led campaigns.
Through this platform, users can reach their target audience and create targeted campaigns. Influencers usually have an established following, which means that brands can determine what kind of audience they want to reach with their products or services.
As other platforms have already shown, influencers have a huge impact on social media – threads are no different. Starting chats, posting pictures and promoting videos of certain brands can skyrocket the popularity of your business.
Unlike Twitter, where the use of influencers is still relatively new, Meta already has an existing influencer presence on Facebook and Instagram, which is expected to be quickly adopted on Threads.
Established audience
Integrating threads with Instagram profiles could be a game changer for businesses. By automatically tracking Instagram connections, brands can quickly increase their reach and tap into an already established audience. Brands that establish an organic presence early on are best equipped to take advantage of the platform.
What are the downsides of the app?
One of the major disadvantages is that Instagram must also be deleted in order to delete the Threads account. In addition, Threads lacks some important features compared to other platforms, such as customisation of the feed (chronological following vs. recommended following) and search (content vs. users) or, of course, the possibility of web ads. However, given the rapid adoption of the platform, we expect Meta to make these improvements quickly.
Furthermore, usage of the app has decreased. Threads is currently only used by eight million people every day. However, this should subside again following various innovations and improvements.
And now to the question of all questions:
How do I use Threads?
Threads is a fairly easy-to-use app that works similarly to Twitter:
- Make sure you have an Instagram account. If you don’t have one yet, you’ll need to sign up.
- Download the Threads app and log in with your Instagram credentials.
- Once you’re logged in, the app will ask if you want to follow the same accounts you follow on Instagram.
- The app will then suggest other profiles that you could follow and that might be of interest to you.
- You can then use the app. Your feed will contain a combination of posts from people you follow and recommended content. You can interact with these posts by either liking, replying, reposting or quoting them.
- As with Twitter, you also have the option of sharing posts, videos and images on your own profile.
What should I look out for as a company?
- Explore threads: Familiarise yourself with threads and its functions.
- Experiment with content: Test different types of content in threads to find out which content resonates well with your target audience and leads to more engagement.
- Plan for cross-promotion: Develop a strategy for using the Instagram integration of threads for cross-promotion and audience expansion when ads are introduced.
- Stay up to date: Keep an eye on the evolution of threads and the availability of ad placements and adjust your strategies accordingly.
Advertisers do not currently have the option to purchase advertising space on Threads. However, advertising is inevitable and will likely become an important part of threads’ overall revenue. Therefore, building a strong organic presence on Threads should be the first step.
Once advertising opportunities are available, it is expected that Threads will be integrated into the existing Meta Ads Manager and the same targeting means that are available for Facebook and Instagram will be possible.
Fazit:
The platform’s rapid growth and text-based alternative to Twitter make Threads an attractive prospect for businesses looking for new ways to brand themselves. Threads encourages community building, which brands can use to their advantage by creating engaging content that sparks conversation and fosters a sense of community among their followers.
Understanding your social media presence can make all the difference to your online success. Promoting your brand on social media is an effective and impactful way to build a presence – and as our technology is constantly changing, it’s especially important for businesses to keep up to date with the latest features.
