So what is Threads? Maybe youโve heard your friends talking about it or seen people posting about it. Maybe youโve gotten a prompt to join it when you log into Instagram. And certainly, the little curlicue logo is appealing in a very Millennial sort of way.
Simply put, Threads is a new microblogging platform where people can share short-form thoughts, writing, and media with their friends and followers. Think of it as a direct competitor to apps like Bluesky, Mastodon, andโof courseโTwitter/X (at the time of this writing, Twitterโs rebrand to X is just recently completed, so for the sake of broader recognition, weโll be referring to the platform using both its previous and current name).
Threads is Metaโs answer to Twitter/X
If Threads seems deeply familiar upon first glance, thereโs a good reason for thatโitโs essentially a Twitter/X clone that comes from Meta, the tech giant behind Facebook and Instagram. That means that itโs been designed from the get-go to be naturally intuitive to those used to the Twitter/X microblogging platform, while also appealing to existing users of Metaโs social platforms.
Why is Threads coming out now, though? To answer this requires a certain amount of speculation, and certainly itโs possibleโand even likelyโthat Threads has been in development for a while now. But itโs also hard not to see the timing as intentional, with Meta hoping to capture users fleeing Twitter/X due to the platformโs new ownership and constant, shifting experiments and updates.
Whatโs the difference between Threads and Twitter/X?
On the surface, Threads certainly seems to be a direct copy of Twitter/X, lifting the same core functionality but rebranding under Metaโs design direction. Tweets become Threads, Retweets become Reposts, Hearts becomeโฆ well, Hearts.
And the truth is, there is quite a bit of overlapping functionality between the two platformsโand thatโs by design, as weโve already noted. But while former Twitter/X users should feel instantaneously at-home on Threads, that doesnโt mean everything is the same. For one, some features are still missing from the brand-new Threads platform, such as DMs, private circles, etc.ย
But while Threads lacks some of the robust Twitter/X functionality at launch, it offers instead a significant amount of cross-platform connectivity within the Meta ecosystem. Existing Instagram users can create a Threads account in mere seconds by importing their account info, and Threads can be quickly and easily cross-posted to Instagram to share with your existing followersโwho are themselves encouraged to follow you on both platforms.
Is Threads worth my time as a marketing platform?
The association between Threads and Meta is almost certainly its biggest selling point for businesses. Meta clearly hopes that Threads will draw back in users who may have left Facebook, as well as retain users who primarily fall back on Instagram, and at least initial impressions seem to show that this is a success. Threadsโ user count quickly ballooned past 100 million users soon after launch, mostly due to the ease of using your Instagram profile to quickly set up a Threads account and start posting.
So between that built-in user base and the by-design interconnectedness of Threads and the rest of the Meta platforms, it seems like Threads is poised to be a useful tool for businesses. Many would jump at the chance to leverage the community connectivity of Twitter/X, the storytelling power of Instagram, and the expansive user pool of Facebook all at the same time, and this ecosystem is a compelling reason to get started.
Of course, not all social media copycats are created equalโfor example, Twitterโs โFleetsโ (an alternative to Snapchatโs disappearing visual posts) famously cratered after no time at all, while Metaโs own version of the same concept (Stories) continues to go strong. Only time will tell if Threads survives, let alone thrivesโbut certainly, the potential for small business marketing is there in spades.ย
How to get started using Threads for your small business
Maybe your reaction to all this is still just โoh no, another social media app I have to learnโฆโ And if thatโs the case, we donโt blame youโit seems like ever since Muskโs acquisition of Twitter, countless alternatives have popped up to flood a social media scene already inundated with far more platforms than any small business owner can reasonably keep up with.
But given Threadsโ association with the Facebook/Meta behemoth, thereโs a good chance that this one will stick around, whether due to constant upgrades or simply due to the massive number of built-in users. And that alone makes it worth paying attention to.
If you donโt have the time or energy to follow every new platform and just want the professionals to handle the hard work, Skol Marketingโs Minnesota-based team is here to help. To learn more about how we can help you make the most of not just Threads but any and every social media platform, please donโt hesitate to contact the local social media experts at Skol Marketing.
