What is Threads?

By Emily Michka, Social Strategist space150

meta

What is Threads?

By now, I'm sure you've probably heard of the hot new social media platform hitting app stores this week: Instagram's Threads. It currently holds the record for "Most Rapidly Downloaded App" (70 million times in 24 hours). So what is Threads?

Threads is basically Twitter — but like a Fisher-Price version of Twitter. You have all the basics: A profile with threads and replies. A timeline, which mimics Twitter's 'for you' tab. Profile search and activity tabs. But that's about it. It's a simplified version of something complicated.

Will Threads last?

This is the question everybody's asking, there are a lot of takes out there, but honestly nobody really knows. What we do know is that Instagram has made the sign-up process super easy. Because Threads is linked to your existing Instagram account, you can port everything (profile photo, bio, and links) over to the new app.

There's also an option to port over your Instagram following. This means users will already know some people on the new platform, taking away that "Hey, I'm new here and don't know anybody" energy new platforms sometimes see.

My feeling is that Threads will follow a similar trajectory to Reels. Reels are to TikTok as Threads are to Twitter. The birth of Reels didn't take away from TikTok's success. Reels are living their Fisher Price simple life being consumed by the people who don't use TikTok. Because Threads is still so new, there's going to be a learning curve. Everybody using the platform's still checking out the vibe.

What are people saying about Threads, what's the vibe?

People hate the 'For You' tab nature of the timeline and want it chronologically instead. Threads is also missing a bunch of basic things like search, hashtags, a following feed, and messaging, which Instagram's @mosseri has already come out and confirmed the things Instagram's working to add to the platform.

One thing people are loving, which I'm sure won't last, is the lack of ads. Because Twitter seems to be extra full of advertisements these days (thanks, Elon), Threads' timeline has been seen as an oasis. We all know they will eventually "pave paradise to put up a parking lot" — and monetizing the platform will definitely shift the vibe people are experiencing right now.

Should brands be on Threads?

Basically, yes. If a brand is active on the other major social platforms, then absolutely it should be on Threads. Because Threads is a Twitter knockoff showing up on the new platform isn't going to take much effort, look at your current Twitter strategy for guidance. Much like TikTok, as the Threads evolves it will end up needing its own unique content plan. But for right now, adding Threads to your repertoire shouldn't be a heavy lift. It also shouldn't be a big legal vetting process. Because a Threads account is pulled from Instagram, turning the lights on for the platform should be easier. It's a text-based extension of a social channel they're already on.

How should brands show up on Threads?

Right now, brands on Threads are kind of all over the place. Some are taking the unhinged approach, saying whatever they want, embracing the chaos of a new forum. Other brands are doing the rinse-and-repeat. They copy and paste content from one platform to the next, and have simply added Threads into that rotation.

No matter the approach, staying true to your brand's tone of voice is key. Keep it consistent. Remember because followings are ported over from Instagram, your following will already be used to consuming content from you. Only now, it's text-based.

That means another good rule of thumb is to embrace text-only content. Consider reposting high-performing, text-only Twitter content to Threads. There's going to be a lot of experimentation on this platform in the beginning. Try things out, learn from the results, and pivot as the platform grows.

Can you delete your Threads account?

@mosseri mentioned they're looking into this, but as of right now, he says "you can deactivate your Threads account, which hides your Threads profile and content, you can set your profile to private, and you can delete individual threads posts — all without deleting your Instagram account. Threads is powered by Instagram, so right now it's just one account, but we're looking into a way to delete your Threads account separately."

Threads' Data Policy:

Before the launch of Threads, Twitter users noticed something interesting in Apple's App Privacy section: a list of the data Meta "may" collect from you when using the app.

This doesn't seem to have scared 30 million people away from downloading the app, but it is something to keep in mind when signing up for this new platform.