9 Things to Know About Threads, Meta’s Answer to Twitter
It is the fastest-growing app in history, building a user base of 100 million in five days.
Threads is a minimum viable product.
It is missing many key features we would expect — such as a personal “Following” timeline, trends, hashtags, drafts, advertising, and a desktop version. It remains a mystery if and when these features (and others, like a Spaces equivalent) will be deployed.
What should brands do right now?
The short answer: Sit tight. Claim your profile on Threads, but don’t delete your Twitter.
The long answer: If the idea of abandoning Twitter is appealing, go ahead and transition your Twitter-esque content to Threads now. Don’t deactivate your Twitter account yet, as the platform is still drawing weight in search results and it’s wise to protect your brand. Maintain best practices regarding passwords and two-factor authentication.
We plan to monitor the development progress of Threads and make a judgment call for ourselves in a few weeks.
Ads are coming.
It’s not an if, but a when. Threads is coming for Twitter’s ad revenue. As for the short term, a Meta spokesperson said the following:
“At this time, there are no ads or monetization features on Threads. Our priority is to build consumer value first and foremost, which allows us to explore how to build business value in a way that doesn’t compromise the consumer experience.”
(via Digiday)Joining is easy, but account deletion is…well…
No invite codes needed! All you have to do is download the app and connect via your Instagram.
It has been heavily implied that in order to delete your Threads account, you must also delete your Instagram. This is technically true right now, as they are bolted together.
However, as per Instagram’s head Adam Mosseri: “...you can deactivate your Threads account, which hides your Threads profile and content, you can set your profile to private… all without deleting your Instagram account.” This is a short-term solution. Mosseri reassures, “We're looking into a way to delete your Threads account separately.”
Not everyone can use Threads.
It’s available in 100 countries, but not in the European Union. (yet?)
The feed is still a mess.
Hopefully not for long. What you are shown today is likely a hodgepodge of brands you don’t follow, friends’ stray interactions, and other seemingly irrelevant posts. This is just the algorithm getting to know you. Good news: Adam Mosseri also said via a Thread that a follower-only list was on the company’s to-do list.
No, you don’t have to join…
Social media is often either a chore or distraction. You don’t have to remind us. Threads is just Twitter built by a different billionaire. We are on Threads because we are in the business of staying informed, and keeping our clients informed. We also suspect that some higher-profile Twitter users are hesitant to completely rebuild their hefty audiences from scratch.
…but here’s why you should.
We have loved Twitter over the years for its positive attributes, which really aren’t discussed much anymore. Why is Twitter good — and therefore, what are our hopes for Threads?
Embracing the weird. “Weird Twitter” was our happy place. Horse_ebooks, Gumby Screens, cats with jobs, Art but make it sports, and endless other one-off accounts. We hope to see gimmicks like these thrive over on Threads, so we can inject our algo with the sillies.
Real-time responses to current events and media. Like instant replay but for everything. There is something so validating about logging in to Twitter during an award show or series finale and seeing everyone’s hot takes and GIFs.
A unique lane for off-the-cuff, short-form writing. We’ve all likely built specific audiences and personas for each of our social media profiles — because each platform serves a different purpose. New versions of Twitter are being built because Twitter itself has proven its value.
Positivity is the approach. It remains to be seen, but at least theoretically, Meta wants nothing to do with the toxicity of Twitter. We hope that with improved content moderation and less opportunity for disinformation, misinformation, hate speech, and the like, that Threads will feel less icky. This is certainly a key topic for us here at Swash Labs.
If you’re feeling hesitant about installing another app, you may certainly wait for the dust to settle. In the coming months, we will learn more about the impact of Meta’s new text-based social platform. If FOMO comes knocking at your door, contact us and we can help you bring your brand over to Threads ASAP.