Should brands add Threads to the social channel mix?
Should brands add Threads to the social channel mix? https://northstrategic.com/wp-content/uploads/pexels-julio-lopez-17514176-1024x683.jpg 1024 683 Jonathan Forani https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/0224c5ae9357da0ca0dcbe96be87c430?s=96&d=mm&r=gBy Jean-Philippe Guay, Directeur de comptes, Montreal; Jonathan Forani, Senior Editorial and Media Strategist; and Nupur Abrol, Account Manager, Digital
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Meta’s Threads app is no doubt the app of the moment, having clocked the fastest acquisition in social media history. But is the hype fading?
As the dust settles on the app’s early days, North Strategic continues to monitor its value and social currency, gauging whether or not brands should invest in a full social channel strategy on Threads like they would on TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest.
What is Threads?
Mark Zuckerberg’s Threads app has positioned itself as a more “positive” version of Elon Musk’s Twitter, and while some users have questioned that statement, the apps have a lot of other features in common. Read our earlier blog post about Threads to learn more about the app itself.
Threads has an identity crisis as active users drop off
While the app’s integration with Instagram allowed Meta to tap into 2 billion existing users, quickly wracking up over 100 million Threads adopters who may have been drawn to the hype, slick branding, and Zuckerberg’s brand safety promise, the hype is fading.
User engagement has dropped on Threads, according to the web traffic analysis firm Similarweb. During the first week, nearly half (49 million) of the 100 million users who created an account were daily active users. This week, Threads had just 23 million daily active users.
Threads is having an identity crisis as users try to determine how they want to use the app and what it will allow them to do. Most users leverage the app the way it was intended to be used – a microblogging social network similar to Twitter – but for many users who were primarily Instagram users, this style of app is a bit of a clash. In our assessment of user behaviours, we’ve seen many users simply leveraging Threads as a second Instagram feed.
The purpose of Threads is still unclear. Twitter has a reputation as a popular channel for news sharing, but Instagram’s CEO said that Threads would not prioritize news content. This means that Threads users will be mostly limited to interactions within their existing network, unlike users on Twitter, which encourages and enables widespread interaction.
Plus, the app can be glitchy. Last week, Threads rolled out its first major batch of updates after Meta executives teased plans to improve the app. Still, it’s missing functions that users and brands find on other social channels: Threads doesn’t have ads, a trending topics section, or an alt-text customization function; it also doesn’t allow users to edit posts or send direct messages. Right now, it is unclear whether or not Threads just wants to do things differently or if it was simply launched too early.
Is it worth investing in a full social channel strategy on Threads?
At North Strategic, we recommend testing and learning. While we recommend preserving most of your budget for tried-and-true or newly tested tactics, it is smart to shave off a percentage of your budget for “never been done before” channels like Threads. On these channels, your brand can benefit from emerging opportunities that are unsaturated by other brands.
It is still early to launch a campaign on Threads as Meta refines the app’s purpose and user experience. But the app still presents and opportunity to plan ahead to your next campaign and think about how your brand could live on Threads. Competition for placement is low and there are already descent opportunities that may soon become great opportunities.
To learn more insights about how Threads and other social networking apps may help or hinder your brand experience online, reach out to our team now: