The internet is buzzing about Meta’s new Threads app. More than 30 million users have already signed up for the new app designed as a direct rival to Twitter.
What is Threads?
Here’s the official description of Threads from their app store listing:
“Threads is where communities come together to discuss everything from the topics you care about today to what’ll be trending tomorrow. Whatever it is you’re interested in, you can follow and connect directly with your favorite creators and others who love the same things – or build a loyal following of your own to share your ideas, opinions and creativity with the world.”
Bearing a striking resemblance to Twitter, the app allows users to post texts, images, or videos, as well as like, share, or report content. Unlike Twitter, Threads is not limiting how many threads per day users can view.
How to Sign-Up for Threads?
Meta has made the onboarding process easier by letting you auto-populate your account info and follow list from your Instagram. I was able to sign-up in less than five minutes after being granted access to Threads late Wednesday night.
*Note: While users can temporarily deactivate their profiles via the settings section on the app, the company says in its privacy policy that “your Threads profile can only be deleted by deleting your Instagram account.”
Is Threads the ‘Twitter killer’?”
As CNN Business reports, “Threads is just the latest platform launched in recent months in hopes of unseating Twitter as the go-to app for real-time, public conversations.” The differentiating factor for Threads from other platforms is that thanks to some smart moves by Instagram, it’s better positioned to succeed.
Case in point: Meta has this significant leg up on Twitter: the size of its existing user base. Meta hopes to capture at least some of its more than 2 billion global active Instagram users with Threads. Twitter’s active user base is somewhere around 250 million.
“There should be a public conversations app with 1 billion-plus people on it,” Meta Chief Executive Officer Mark Zuckerberg said in a post on his Threads account. “Twitter has had the opportunity to do this but hasn’t nailed it. Hopefully we will.”
Should Your Radio Station be on Threads?
My advocacy is always to secure your brand’s name on any social domain.
Then, post content as soon as you can. Your Thread followers will likely come from your station’s Instagram . . . so, you will have a built in audience.
In other words, a community ready for your station to interact with and to grow.
What to Share on Threads?
I like Lyft Social Media Manger Bri Reynold’s suggestion: grab your top-performing evergreen tweets , or short Instagram posts, post one, or a few, as your Day 1 Thread content.
While it’s doubtful that Threads will actually kill Twitter, there’s no denying Meta’s ability to successfully copy and roll out with its own versions of competing apps and features. In the meantime, I’ll be watching the drama unfold from both my Twitter and Thread seats.
(Oh and the Threads sign-up process is lighting fast. If you join*, follow me here.)
