Threads Vs. Twitter

Threads came to dethrone the Twitter app a month ago in July and have already made headlines. Meta launched a new social sharing platform with real-time communication. Twitter got severe competition from Threads as the latest media-sharing app for iOS and Android platforms. But has it been for all the right reasons? Yes and no, because technological advancement has always been a good move.

When Elon Musk acquired Twitter and tampered with its algorithms, Twitter users entered a frenzy. Additionally, he restricted the number of tweets a user could read. Now, as Meta announced the arrival of Threads, the battle is of the survival of the fittest.

Soon after Threads came, Elon Musk was tense about seeing a clone of the Twitter app. He almost threw a case against Meta platforms for misappropriating intellectual property and Twitter’s trade secrets. Only time will tell if this case will bring more rest or unrest in the Internet community.

However, Threads has features that Twitter doesn’t, which apparently, puts the former on the top and gives it a definitive competitive edge.

What do Threads Have in Store From a Marketing Perspective?

When the Instagram Threads app was introduced, Instagram users found themselves resharing their Instagram posts. It’s a classic example of companies using an omnichannel marketing strategy to expand, allowing users to repurpose their content with less effort. However, Instagram saw a rise in its users after the launch of Threads. Within 7 hours after launch, Instagram's user base increased to 10 million.

While it might be hard to believe, Neil Patel’s marketing study shows that Twitter vs. Threads traffic is a war between followers and users. His study shows that the ratio of followers to likes will decrease. Why? Because since it’s new, users would probably want to try it out for a few days. Once users know the drill, they’ll probably stop frequently logging in as they currently do.

It would be the same with any new technology entering the market. The reach will eventually drop when users stop using it as frequently. Now might be the peak time for the Instagram Threads app, but it might wane off when Meta monetizes it. However, when users stop using it, new countries will follow suit.

The engagement rate may drop for a specific target audience, but it will peak when other countries follow suit. Why? Because it will bring more signups from a new target audience. It will also increase the reach of the posts as they will start showing up to new audiences.

Threads vs. Twitter: Elon Musk’s Counter Attack

As Twitter saw the growing popularity of Threads, Elon Musk became a headliner again when he decided to change Twitter’s logo - the bluebird. The iconic branding gets replaced by an “X” in the black background. The decision might shock the entire industry because the Blue-bird logo has been its identity for over a decade. When Threads became popular, Elon changed how the Twitter app looked.

How is Threads Different From Twitter, And What Competitive Edge It Holds Over It?

Character limits

Compared to Twitter’s 280 characters, Threads has a 500-character limit for posts. However, users must have an Instagram account to log in to Threads. It also allows importing the profile bio information from Instagram to Threads.

Contacts and Followers

When an Instagram user logs into the Threads account, it allows them to import their contacts and followers from their Instagram account. Also, as soon as you import them, the Instagram Threads app asks you to follow all of them instantly. However, if you don’t want to see posts from all your Instagram followers, you can choose whom to follow on the Threads app.

On the other hand, Twitter is a stand-alone platform that doesn’t require users to open or integrate any different account with Twitter. It’s one of the biggest reasons that set the two media apart.

Sponsored Ads

The Twitter app has many sponsored ads on the web version. Like any other social media platform, advertisements are necessary to aid in financial gains for companies. However, Threads doesn’t have any ads and is entirely ad-free. It’s probably because Meta is operating at a loss that supports its short-term expansion.

Privacy and Safety

Like Twitter, Threads allows you to choose whom you want to follow and specify who can react to your public posts. However, regarding privacy, Threads also uses the data to track your activities as Instagram does. Since it's integrated with Instagram, know that it would use the data collected by Meta and Facebook over the years to show personalized ads.

Regarding safety, the Instagram Threads app has an advantage over Twitter. Also, users under 16 will be automatically assigned a private account and can choose who can comment on their posts.

Pricing and Verification

The Threads app is free to download. At the same time, Twitter Blue users can edit their tweets after sending them and change how the icon looks. The accounts you follow on Threads will appear on your feed and have blue checkmarks. These blue ticks signify that the users have been verified, a rule followed by Instagram. If you have a verified Instagram account, Threads will also verify you.

As per the Twitter app, the verification process is a little complicated. It verifies a user based on their public reputation before Elon Musk took over the reins.

Engagement and Content Discovery

Twitter initially started as a website, but Threads is an app-only platform. Eventually, Twitter made itself more adaptable to the app-based platforms while maintaining its website version. Meta’s intentions behind keeping Twitter app-only aren’t known, but looking at Instagram’s almost-useless website, Threads might never have a website.

Content discovery on Twitter allows users to curate the post feed content thoroughly and can choose what they want to be served. For example, it has a feature called “For you,” where you can see mixed posts suggested from the accounts you follow or stick to the feed only from your followers.

In Threads, a singular feed pulls in content from the accounts you follow and displays trending posts. Picture it as - the Instagram home page feed merged with the Discover page. Hence, you can only control it by blocking accounts and muting words.

Is The Threads App Going to Win this Threads vs Twitter Battle?

The most significant difference between both social media platforms is their use cases. Twitter is more versatile because it serves various purposes like news updates, announcements, sharing personal opinions and links. Whereas, Threads is more of a platform for sharing personal stories, memes, and content shared on Instagram.

Hence, while Twitter is for real-time short-term communication, Threads has a longer narrative and has the potential to offer a more immersive experience in the future. At Moon Technolabs , we have developed social media networking apps like Powowa to connect friends and families. Our expert developers in Objective-C, Swift, and Ionic harness the maximum prowess to deliver powerful in-app user experiences.

We hope this overview of Threads and Twitter in this newsletter gave you an idea about using Threads features for the most effective engagement with your followers.