First Glance: How To Navigate Threads
In a world where social media platforms have become an essential tool for staying connected with friends, family and your community, Meta, one of the most popular social platforms to date for sharing photos and reels on Facebook and Instagram, has introduced a new app called Threads.
In less than a week as of Tuesday, July 11, threads had more than 100 million users. This makes Threads the fastest-growing social media application to date. For context, ChatGPT did not reach this level until two months after its initial launch.
Threads vs Twitter: Which Is Better?
Threads has quickly become a huge competitor for Twitter in many aspects. Currently Threads has no paid sponsorships being run on its platform. While this may be good for the flow and visually appealing for the everyday users, we know that eventually all good things come to an end and Threads will more than likely run ads on its platform in the near future. The ability to run ads on this platform will be a huge win for businesses though. Another benefit when comparing Threads to Twitter is the character count that Threads allows its users to post. Right now, you can post on Threads with 500 characters while Twitter is stuck at a measly 280 characters (unless of course you pay to be verified – which you do not have to do on Threads).
Threads is designed to be a connection between Instagram and Facebook and aims to facilitate personalized and focused communication among friends and followers. BAM breaks down how this new app works, its benefits and our thoughts.
Threads: Getting Started
Threads by Instagram is a new app that works in conjunction with Instagram. When first creating your account and logging in, Threads will automatically sync with your Instagram account which helps allow you to maintain your connection with existing contacts. This simplifies the way you interact and share thoughts with your friends and following. Regardless of if you want a Threads account or not, if you have an Instagram account, you automatically have a Threads account as well.
What are some of the key features?
1) Status Updates: Easily post updates to your following and let them know what you are doing at any given moment.
2) Hassle-free Photo and Video Sharing: With Threads, sharing visual content is easy as can be! You can capture video and photo content easily within the app and share instantly.
3) Privacy Controls: You are in complete control on what and who you share content with on the app. Tune out some of the noise and take control of who can mention or reply to you and hide certain words that you do not want to see. If you blocked an account on Instagram, it will also be blocked on Threads too!
Should Brands Be Using Threads?
While this app does seem to combine the best of two worlds where users can share photos and statuses, much like other apps like Twitter and Facebook, there are some concerns on a business standpoint and how it works for agencies and social media managers.
Pros:
On the plus side, Threads is much more robust and allows its users to conduct status updates that are up to 500 characters (how do you like them apples, Twitter 😉) and share video content up to 5 minutes! Woah! Everything is consistent from platform to platform that’s owned by Meta. This means your photos, username and bio will match across the board and make set up very simple. During the initial set up, you can even bulk follow everyone you follow on Instagram so you are not stuck trying to find your friends and family one-by-one.
Cons:
Currently, there’s no easy way to toggle between accounts if you are a social media manager. Each time you need to post for another account, you will need to log out then log in to the account you want to post about. Due to the newness of this application, most 3rd party vendors such as Hootsuite, Sprout Social and more do not have the API connection to post more easily and pre-schedule posts. We are sure this integration will blossom soon enough though.
This is just the beginning for the Threads app. Just like all other social media platforms, it will evolve with time and hopefully become another great platform for users to share and interact with. Do you follow BAM on Threads? If not, you should: https://www.threads.net/@bamadvertising
