Is Threads right for your business?

It’s easy for us in the content marketing bubble to get over-excited about shiny new objects, so perhaps this is new to you (although the media were all over it with the drama), but have you heard about Threads?

This new platform by Meta is making waves in the social media world, and some business owners are starting to take notice. But should you jump on the Threads bandwagon?

This article is going to have some realism attached to it – I’ve been around the block enough to have seen shiny new things come and go. The main reason for putting the time into actually posting something about this one is that it’s ‘attached’ to Instagram, and that gives it an immediate head start (a 100 million user head start, based on a week’s sign ups).

Introducing Threads

Let’s begin by understanding what Threads is all about. Threads is a standalone (and yet, weirdly integrated) app akin to what people are now calling the ‘Bird app’, because they no longer wish to speak its name.

There’s no doubt that Zuckerberg et al have seen an opportunity to grab more of the social media market off the back of the chaos that Twitter has become under Elon Musk.

Indeed, it’s likely Threads was rushed out the door when Twitter started to restrict the number of tweets a user could read.

Basic concepts

Again, if you’re familiar with Twitter, you’ll know how Threads works.

Post content, anything up to 500 characters in a single post. Add more posts to create a thread to expand this conversation.

Attach media like images (multiple in a carousel format) and video and an audience can see them full screen for a more immersive experience (although there is some lacking functionality here in terms of scrubbing forward/back on video).

Reply to a thread, quote a thread, repost a thread – all things you would do in Twitter.

Posting a link works in a thread and, unlike Instagram, you have this plus any links in your bio info (which will autopopulate from Instagram if you wish).

Mentions work as with any other platform; notifications are seen by the person you’ve mentioned.

Image Source: Newsweek

What’s missing?

At the time of publishing this article, a fair bit, but it’s changing fast and it’s likely this section will be out of date quickly, currently:

A way to see threads only from people you follow
Direct messaging
Hashtags
Alt text
Lists
Communities
Trending
Searching on posts
Metrics

I’m not including features from platforms other than Twitter because they’re all different and I don’t expect there to be Threads stories or live streaming any time soon (you never know, though).

The head of Instagram, Adam Mosserri says that better search, hashtags and a following feed is coming soon. These are probably the features businesses will need.

The Potential for Business Growth on Threads

So what’s the potential it holds for your business? Instagram is already a powerhouse when it comes to visual content, and Threads appears to take it a step further by allowing you to have more focused and meaningful conversations with your audience. Early usage suggests that people are enjoying the conversation a lot more, and are more likely to get stuck in to conversations – that’s great for your business to make a connection.

Big brands have taken a leap already and those that do well on Twitter (Aldi, Monzo, Marmite, Channel4) are doing well on Threads. If you think about it, there’s not really any need to amend a strategy.

That said, as it’s a bit like the wild west still, with people trying things out, I’d say brands can be a bit freer to have fun.

Is Threads right for your business?

I think the simple answer here is: possibly. Here’s what I’ll be considering when advising clients:

Has Twitter been a platform that has worked for your business in the past, but the return has started to wane recently? If Twitter used to work, then maybe try Threads. If it never did, wait and see.
Does your business brand voice fit with the very casual vibe currently being seen on Threads? If not, the time isn’t quite right.
Do you need to prove the ROI of your activity? If you do, that’s going to be harder to do at this point.
Do you have the time to learn a new platform, even if the onboarding process is short? If you don’t, let Threads develop before you jump in.
Are you looking to have conversations with people as part of your marketing? Well, maybe it’s worth taking a look at Threads on that basis.

Remember, you don’t have to be everywhere

Some will disagree with that statement, but most organisations have a limited set of resources to manage social media, alongside other marketing activities.

We’ve always been clear that social media is not the silver bullet that will solve all your company’s problems or suddenly generate lots of leads (well, it might, but unlikely).

Any platform needs to work as part of a marketing strategy that matches your target market, their questions and concerns, with the solutions that you offer and the way you work with them.

By all means, go and investigate Threads and see what it’s about. Keep your eye on how it develops. Perhaps importantly, let people like us make the mistakes and share with you the experience so your business doesn’t waste time and effort for little return.

Want to know more about Threads or have a discussion?

Even though it’s new, some principles are the same. Any member of the LikeMind Media team can discuss whether Threads, or any other platform, should be part of your content marketings strategy.