What is Threads?

Welcome back to Your Big Idea, the weekly newsletter where I share tips, tricks, and resources to help you turn your passion into an idea worth sharing. I’m glad you’re here.

If this is your first time reading the newsletter, you can learn a little more about me and what I do by clicking here!

The Twitter Killer: tonight at 11. No, it’s not another true crime documentary (thank god). It’s Threads, the newest platform from Meta, Facebook and Instagram’s parent company, and it hopes to provide an alternative to Twitter.?

“The vision for Threads is to create an option and friendly public space for conversation,” Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg said in a Threads post following the launch. “We hope to take what Instagram does best and create a new experience around text, ideas, and discussing what’s on your mind.”

Threads has made a splash - over 30 million people have already signed up - but its impact remains to be seen. Here’s everything you need to know.?

What is Threads??

Threads is a platform for users to post text-based content with the ability to reply to and repost others. The platform looks a lot like Twitter, with a feed of largely text-based posts, although you can also post photos and videos, where you can have real-time conversations. Messages posted to Threads will have a 500-character limit, vs. Twitter’s 280 (or 4,000 if you’re a subscriber). Just like Twitter, you can reply to, repost, and quote posts. Threads also blends Instagram’s existing aesthetic and navigation system, and offers the ability to share posts from Threads directly to Instagram Stories. So far, Threads is pretty user-friendly and easy to navigate. If you know how to use Instagram, you won’t have a problem with Threads.?

Joining Threads is easy; you can sign up through your Instagram account(s) and keep the same username, password, and account name. Users can also import the list of accounts they follow directly from Instagram, making it super easy to get up and running on the app. However, it’s important to know that it’s not quite as easy to leave Threads. While you can temporarily deactivate your profile, the company says in its privacy policy that “your Threads profile can only be deleted by deleting your Instagram account.”

Will it replace Twitter??

In light of Elon Musk launching himself and any remnants of the Twitter we once knew and loved out of the stratosphere, many of our clients (and myself!) have decided to leave the platform once and for all. Last year, experts predicted that Twitter will lose over 32 million users by 2024.

There have been quite a few attempts at a Twitter alternative; Mastodon, Hive Social, and Blue Sky all tried to break in, but weren’t very successful. However, Meta has a significant leg up, due to their existing user base. Meta already has more than 3 billion users across its apps (which include Facebook, Instagram and Whatsapp), making it easy for its existing users to start a new Threads account.

I can’t predict the future, but based on Twitter’s continuing downward spiral and Meta’s easy integration, this may be the nail in the coffin.

Do I really need another social media platform??

The answer is… Maybe. While we don’t know how Threads will fare in the long run, the excitement over the launch and the huge amounts of signups (it shot to number one in the Apply App Store) bodes well. If user experience continues to go smoothly, I think Threads will be an important Twitter alternative that users can feel a little better about using.?

Our official stance at IC is that this is incredibly well-timed by Meta and a great rollout. The app doesn't "feel" new and it's endorsed by people we trust. If you’re on the fence, we suggest downloading. Strike while the iron is hot! If you’re ready to take the plunge, our team will get you set up with everything you need for Threads.

Ready to grow your audience? Let’s talk. ?Book a time to talk with me here. ?

Click here to download my proven framework, three questions for building your Idea Worth Spreading, for FREE

Make sure you never miss an issue by clicking the "Subscribe" button in the upper right corner of the page. For more articles, tips, and insight, connect with me here