Robin Li, the Co-Founder of BeiDou once said that ‘things that are true today, may not be true tomorrow’, and this has proven true about Threads, the application developed by Meta to rival X, the symbol formerly known as Twitter. Since our previous blog on the subject, there has been a significant drop in active users. While the application started with a record-breaking 100 million sign-ups within the first week of launching, by early August the number of daily users had already fallen by a monumental 80% and now sits around 9.6 million.
Yet Mark Zuckerberg remains confident Threads will bounce back stronger than ever, and with new developments around the corner, does the application continue to hold promise for businesses? Let’s take a look:
Promotion of Threads content across Meta applications
The close integration of Threads with Instagram helped to enhance the user experience by connecting users with their existing contacts to enable a smooth transition between the two platforms. With over 71% of US businesses already using Instagram as a tool to promote their solutions and services, the ability to carry over their existing network has already proven useful. We expect to see greater promotion of Threads content across Instagram and other Meta-owned platforms going forward. Through the use of retention-driving hooks, it seems the plan is to continue providing features within the application to not only lure those dwindling users back, but to keep them there. Showcasing ‘trending’ content from Threads on other platforms is just one tool in Meta’s arsenal to highlight the strength of the application.
Branded content tools
From the outset, it was clear Meta was awaiting a larger audience before providing businesses with the option of paid advertising. Yet new developments suggest this will soon change, with the platform adopting the terms of services used by Instagram. Within these terms includes guidance relating to sponsored content.
Paid promotion has always been an effective way for brands to connect with potential new customers in a way purely organic posts cannot. At this stage, the terms and conditions only outline guidance for paid promotion, but the adoption suggests this may be just around the corner.
Threads on Desktop
Since the platform’s launch, there has been an appetite for a web/desktop version from its users. Diversifying the ways in which the application can be accessed could help to lure those who prefer accessing social media through the browser. While posts can technically be viewed through the desktop, clicking on any of the reply, repost, like and send buttons only generates a QR code linking to the app.
While only 1.32% of users across the globe use desktop applications as their primary tool for social media, the majority of businesses are likely to use this format when posting or scheduling updates, including through a scheduling application like Sprout. Giving businesses the tools to access Threads via a desktop application may help grow the number of active users, and as a result, create a wider ecosystem businesses can network with. Search functionality
Presently, the search function on Threads is extremely limited; users can only discover other accounts on the platform, with no option to look for specific posts.
Now, after the development of a chronological feed, Mark Zuckerberg has promised that more advanced search features will be “coming in the next few weeks.” Once users can search for phrases relevant to their industry, it will enable businesses to organically grow their presence on the platform. Potential customers will be able to discover companies based on industry-specific searches, and marketing strategies can be better implemented.
Threads’ engagement may have turned from a great start out of the blocks to a canter, but with the new features coming out shortly, the early adopters may soon be enticed to reengage with the platform. At the same time, these changes may also help Threads reach a new audience, convincing those waiting for better functionality to finally make the leap.