First, let me apologise for not sending out an email newsletter two weeks ago. I tried hard to stick to the schedule every two weeks, but school holidays got in the way. Family first, right? 👍
OK – onto the main topic of this newsletter – Threads.
Here’s what I think about the new Threads app. It’s disappointing and lacking some basic features.
What Is Threads?
If you’ve been hiding in a cupboard under the stairs for the past few weeks, you’ll have missed all the news about Meta’s new social media app called “Threads“.
Billed as a “Twitter Killer”, the new social media app gained over 70 million subscribers in the first 48 hours of its launch and is now officially the fastest-growing app in the world.
Here’s a comparison of other popular services and how long it took them to gain one million subscribers.
Cha-ching for Mark Zuckerberg!
What Can You Do On Threads?
Not much. You can follow people, and people can follow you.
You can create a “thread”, comment on other people’s threads and share a thread.
Within a thread, each post can have text (up to 500 characters) and up to 10 images, gifs, and videos of up to 5 minutes in length.
You can search for users but not content. That’s about it (for now).
The app is like one big firehose of gushing user-generated content.
What’s Missing On Threads?
Many features are missing from the new Threads platform, and I assume some of these will be added in the future, but there are no guarantees or public roadmap for new features.
- Search for content.
- Search and use hashtags.
- Lists or categories.
- Filters by whom you follow.
- Delete your Threads account without also deleting your Instagram account.
- Analytics.
- Ads (that’s a good thing).
For now, there are no ads or sponsored content on Threads, but as Meta owns it and they are in the paid ads game, it’s only a matter of time before they appear.
How To Make The Most Of Threads
I’m already seeing lots of “How to master Threads for B2B growth” types of posts. It’s only freaking days old! Stop with the guides already – nobody knows where this app is going.
The best way to make the most of Threads is to log in, scroll to consume and post some content. Have some fun while it’s still in wild west mode. There is filtering for sensitive and offensive content, thankfully.
Should You Switch From Twitter?
The Threads app is not a Twitter killer (yet). As I mentioned above, it’s missing some basic functionality that would make it useful as a content marketing tool.
I’m sticking with Twitter for now but keeping one eye on Threads.
Follow me on Threads (@WilBrown_AU), say “Hi”, and post your cat pic on my Cats of Threads thread.
Until next time,
Wil.
