If you didn’t hear yet, Instagram launched a new app last week called Threads. 100 million users have signed up in the first five days, with more joining every minute. But what’s all the buzz about, and why is everyone talking about being “unhinged?” If you’re wondering if you should join Threads, read on for my thoughts after the first week.
What is Threads?
Threads is Instagram’s answer to Twitter. After being taken over by Elon Musk, Twitter has gone down a not-so-great path; limiting views, the spread of far-right sentiments on the platform, and many employees leaving. Now to be transparent, I was never a big fan of Twitter. But I did love the fact that it was text-based.
Enter: Threads. A primarily text-based platform (although you can share images, gifs and videos – they’re just not the focus like they are on
What We Can Learn About Early Adoption
Now you may be thinking: Should I join a platform when it’s so new? We’ll dive into whether or not you should join later on, but in terms of being an early adopter, Threads offers a great opportunity. Similar to the early days of TikTok, there are perks to being one of the first users on a platform.
There’s high organic reach as Instagram wants to reward people for using Threads – so your content is pushed out more. There’s also the benefit of not competing with ads yet. In my opinion, the early adoption benefits are worth it.
Should You Join Threads?
This is the question you’re probably reading this post for. Should I sign up? I would say yes – at least to see what it’s all about, find your industry on the platform, and maybe share a couple thoughts.
What Are The Benefits of Threads?
Threads is a much lower-stress platform to create on. I say that even as a steadfast Instagram fan! With Instagram, while you can absolutely create content quickly, there’s still some planning that needs to go into making a graphic or filming a reel. With Threads, since it’s primarily text-based it’s very easy to share thoughts as you come up with them.
It’s also a highly conversational platform. It’s not just about posting your own Threads, but also participating on others as well.
And with this conversation, there’s a feeling of authenticity that some other apps might have felt like they were lacking recently. Large creators are engaging with smaller ones. It’s easier to be seen. There’s less of a hierarchy. It feels like an even playing ground.
Plus, if you’re sick of being sold to on Instagram – while there is some marketing and education going on on Threads, it’s also (so far) staying a place people really share the personal side of things (I shared that my boyfriend dumped me on the Speak Now TV release date 😳). You can get to know the person behind the business.
The final major benefit to Threads is that you can bring your audience from Instagram over to the platform. As people sign up, they can choose to follow everyone they do on IG. This means you’re not starting from scratch, making it easier to build traction – while still having the freshness of a new platform.
What Are The Downsides?
I don’t want to sound like I’m all about Threads – I love it, but there are certainly some downsides. One being that if you delete your Threads account, you’ll also delete your IG account as they’re linked! And because the platform is new, there will inevitably be glitches as they add new features and work out any bugs.
Will Threads Last?
“Is this just going to be another Clubhouse/Be Real/etc?” No one can know. There have been many social media platforms that burn bright and flame out quickly. I’m inclined to say it will last because of it’s link to IG and how easy it makes content creation, but only time will tell.
What Should Your Threads “Strategy” Be?
To wrap up, let’s talk about “strategy” – and why you shouldn’t be trying to create one, yet. This platform is so new that anyone claiming to be a Threads “expert” or that they can teach you how to grow your business is on some B.S.
Your strategy (if you want to call it that) should be to explore. To have fun. To share what’s on your mind – both about your business and about your personal life. Take advantage of this opportunity to make connections and get in front of people you may not have encountered on IG. And most of all: experiment! This is a brand new world.
I’ll (hopefully) see you on Threads!
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