Have you noticed an influx of people talking about the new social media platform, “Threads?” You may be thinking to yourself “Oh no, another social platform to worry about!” Well, not so fast! First, let’s break down what it is and the pros & cons as to why you might (or might not!) want to use Threads for your brand.
What We Know About Threads for Brands
What Is Threads?
Threads is a new social media platform that was launched by Meta (the company that owns Facebook and Instagram) as a competitor to Twitter. It launched on July 6th and already has over 100 million sign-ups! Now, if you have worked with us recently, you know that we don’t typically recommend brands invest a great deal of time or advertising dollars on Twitter. This is due to the news-like, fast-paced, and often political nature of the platform which doesn’t always lend itself to certain types of brands. With that said, the Threads app was specifically created to mimic the structure of Twitter – text forward (though you can share images too), with a 500-character limit – but with a fresh, new twist!
Does Threads Integrate with Instagram?
While Threads is an entirely separate app, being a Meta-owned platform means it’s closely integrated with Instagram, Facebook, and WhatsApp. In fact, when you sign up for the app, your profile will be set up directly through Instagram. Threads will give you the same username and password and will also allow you to import your Instagram following and follower lists onto Threads. So, while it is a brand-new app, there is some sense of familiarity in that you do not have to build up a following from scratch. It is important to note that once your Threads account is created, the only way that it can be deleted is if you delete your Instagram too.
How are Brands Using Threads?
From everything we have seen thus far, this platform seems like it is mostly being used for attention-grabbing humor. Brands such as Netflix, Wendy’s, Starbucks, and Anthropologie are on Threads and are working on making an impact in different ways.
If you follow Wendy’s on any social media platform, you will notice that they keep up the same brand voice they are known for – silly and somewhat barbaric! Gaining traction by roasting competitors and making a splash with some crazy callouts.
Anthropologie is taking a different approach and asking audiences to respond to their Threads by jumping on timely trends such as asking people to share their favorite Taylor Swift lyrics in response to their prompts.
With just these two examples, you can already get a sense of the types of brands that are using this platform and what they are using it for. It’s mostly a space to create waves and capture audiences’ attention, but oftentimes it doesn’t have much to do with the actual product or brand. It’s certainly a way to receive attention and brand recognition, but you have to decide if this is the way you want your brand to gain attention.
If it fits your brand personality to be more casual and interact with audiences in a joking way, then it might be the place for you! Otherwise, if the way you show up isn’t fitting the personality that audiences have come to know you for, you risk coming across as inauthentic or being just another brand that is “trying too hard”.
What Do The Advertising and Reporting Capabilities Look Like on Threads?
There are currently no advertising features offered on the Threads app and Meta does not have plans to integrate this platform with the Business Suite anytime soon. There are rumors that paid features may roll out sometime in 2024, but we’ll just have to wait and see! In addition, while you can see who has liked/commented/shared your posts, it doesn’t seem like there are any actual reporting capabilities yet either.
What are the Pros and Cons of a Brand Being on Threads?
Pros
- Gain more social followers and increase your overall presence
- Being an early adopter of an app if it does end up taking off and sticking!
- Ability to connect with audiences and have more real-time conversations (this can be done on other platforms as well)
- Customize layout and user experience with color schemes, fonts, etc.
Cons
- Real-time conversations need constant monitoring
- There is not currently a way to set up a content approval process, so publishing/sharing could easily get out of hand
- No legitimate way to measure success in numbers
- No hashtags or keyword research
So, Should My Brand be on Threads?
While there are exceptions, what we can tell you is that you are most likely not missing out on much by not using Threads as a brand – at least not right now! Meta has come out with plenty of new features that have launched, gained excitement, and then fizzled out. There have also been countless attempts at a Twitter replacement. Might this one stick? It may…but we would be remiss to suggest that every brand jump onto a platform that might not be right for them. Overall, it’s better to do an excellent job on the platforms you are present on than to spread yourself thin and try to utilize all of them.
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