This post first appeared in Anthony Bullick’s Daily Post column.
Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, created a social media frenzy with the launch of Threads, but what does this new platform mean for businesses?
Rolled out as a direct competitor to Twitter, it reached 30 million sign ups in less than 24 hours, with brands such as Netflix and Spotify immediately jumping onboard.
The number of registered users stands at 100 million after five days, showing Threads may have the potential to be ‘the Twitter killer’ some have referred to it as.
There are, of course, lots of similarities between the two. There’s a character limit (500 on Threads compared to 280 on Twitter) to go along with pictures and videos, while users can repost (retweet), reply, and quote a thread (quote tweet).
However, companies are taking a cautious approach.
Organisations only tend to commit resources when they see it’s been a success for someone else, and many are likely to have downloaded the app out of curiosity as opposed to integrating it into their marketing strategy.
In addition, we’ve seen failed attempts from the likes of Mastodon to take advantage of the turmoil and turbulence Twitter has faced since Elon Musk’s takeover, while Instagram itself has been no stranger to introducing new apps and features only for them to fall by the wayside after limited user engagement.
It’s also early days, with many basic features and functions such as desktop access, chronological timeline, private messages, and use of hashtags still in the pipeline.
Throw in reports that Twitter is set to sue Meta over Threads, it’s understandable that brands are taking a wait-and-see approach before investing time and resources.
The key takeaway for businesses is that the social media landscape can be volatile, and it’s a stark reminder that the audience you have spent so long building can disappear overnight.
Embedding email marketing into your PR and digital marketing plan will ensure you build a bank of data via email addresses which you have control over.
Consider how your content, offering, and products or services translate to email sign ups and build relationships here to supplement your activity on the likes of LinkedIn and Facebook.
Back in the world of Threads, it’s a platform to keep an eye on and the next few weeks will prove pivotal, for example, seeing if it will ever be available in the EU, with the 27-nation bloc’s strict privacy rules proving problematic for Meta.