Is the latest social media platform, Threads, worth your time?
You may or may not have noticed, but a new social media application, Threads, launched last week. Now, if you're anything like many other small businesses, you're probably wondering if you need to change gears and jump on Threads or if it's just another social media platform that will soak up large amounts of your time without the returns.
In the following article, we'll examine what Threads is, how it stacks up against its rival, Twitter, and its pros and cons.
What Is Threads?
Threads is a social media application owned and operated by Meta, the company behind both Facebook and Instagram. When we say it's new, we mean really new, so if you're expecting to roll into a new social media platform with all the bells and whistles, it's not quite there yet.
Threads launched to the general public on July 6th. Previously, it had been available to a couple of thousand invited beta users. Currently, Threads has over 100 million registered users.
The head of Instagram, Adam Mosseri, confirmed the milestone for the world.
"100 million people signed up for Threads in five days. I'm not sure I can wrap my mind around that fact. It's insane; I can't make sense of it," he said in an Instagram post.
If you have ever used Twitter, you'll be very familiar with the layout and design of Threads. In fact, Threads is so similar to Twitter that Twitter is threatening legal action.
According to Mark Zuckerberg, Threads is "an open and friendly public space for conversation," providing "the best parts of Instagram and creating a new experience for text, ideas, and discussing what's on your mind."
Threads Versus Twitter?
Let's compare how Threads and Twitter compare head-to-head.
It's important to note, Threads is only in its infancy. There is no advertising on the site yet, and it's not geared toward social media marketers. Yet.
Pros and Cons of Threads
Let's look at some of the pros and cons of Threads. Then we'll cover whether or not you should be jumping on board with Threads.
Threads Pros:
If you have an Instagram account already, you can instantly open a Threads account, and the application will import your profile information and photo.
If you already have an Instagram account, Threads allows you to follow all the same accounts you already follow on Instagram.
Threads are free to join.
Currently, Threads is new, allowing you to get in early and capitalize on the platform's growth as an early innovator.
Threads Cons:
The only way to delete your Threads account is to delete your Instagram account. (However, in a recent post on Threads, Instagram head Adam Mosseri said they're working to fix this).
Some experts have expressed concern over the information and data that Threads collects.
You can't use #Hashtags.
There is no in-app captioning ability yet. You need to caption videos before uploading.
There's no easy way to toggle between multiple Threads accounts.
There are no alt-text fields for images, so you'll need to caption your photo in the post itself.
There's no direct messaging on Threads.
You can't schedule your content ahead of time on Threads.
Should You Be Using Threads?
The question you should ask yourself is can you afford not to be on Threads?
Yes, it’s very early days for the application, and they still need to work on many features.
Currently, as it stands, my opinion on Threads is to jump on board, build your account, and make connections, but don't expect a lot from the application. Especially if you do not already have an active Instagram account and following.
Without trending posts, hashtags, and alt text, Threads is not set up for marketing or influencing. In fact, they don't even have any advertising on the platform. Yet. However, as these features are added, having an account set up with active followers will give you a head start on those that chose to wait and see.
It's not every day we get the opportunity to get on board with a new social media application on the ground floor.
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