Threads has attracted a huge user base and is proving to be a serious Twitter alternative. Get up to speed in this explainer.
Threads has become the fastest-growing social media platform in history since it launched on July 5.
Within the first hour alone, it received a whopping five million sign ups – just three months after Meta confirmed it was working on an alternative to Twitter.
The buzz around Threads is huge news for marketers as many have been taking a step back from Twitter following Elon Musk’s takeover last year, resulting in a 59% drop in ad spend in the US. Marketers are now understandably exploring new platforms to host their campaigns without compromising reach or quality.
Is Threads the best alternative for brands and marketers? Here’s everything you need to know…
What is Threads?
Threads is a new social networking app, operated by Mark Zuckerberg’s Meta Platforms, which is closely integrated with instagram and currently only available on iOS or Android devices. Meta has described Threads as “Instagram’s text-based conversation app”.
It gives its users the opportunity to post updates, share text, images, videos, and interact with other users’ posts via likes, reposts and replies. On the app store, Threads is described as:
- “[A place] 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.”
Although the app is very similar to Twitter in several ways, Zuckerberg has stressed that one of the key differences is the focus on “kindness” and being “friendly”. He wrote on his Threads account:
- “The goal is to keep it friendly as it expands. I think it’s possible and will ultimately be the key to its success.”
- “That’s one reason why Twitter never succeeded as much as I think it should have, and we want to do it differently.”
- “We are definitely focusing on kindness and making this a friendly place.”
It’s worth noting that Threads is very closely integrated with Instagram. So much so, users can’t sign up to Threads without an Instagram account.
How many people have joined Threads?
More than 100 million people have signed up for Threads since its launch.
Taking to his own Threads account, Zuckerberg commented on the success of his app so far, writing:
- “Threads reached 100 million sign ups over the weekend.”
“That’s mostly organic demand and we haven’t even turned on many promotions yet.” - “Can’t believe it’s only been five days!”
To give some context into how significant this number is, when Instagram launched back in 2010 as an independent platform, it took a week to just reach 100,000.
What brands have signed up to Threads so far?
Nine of the top ten retailers, including Walmart and Kroger, have now activated their accounts on Threads, according to the National Retail Federation. The only chain not to so far is Costco
When it comes to the top five biggest consumer brands, only Reese’s has activated their account. And of the top ten most popular fashion brands, only Nike has signed up. It’s believed this is because brands are being cautious and want to see how Threads develops before making any commitments.
However, other huge names have been quicker with signing up and already have active accounts, such as Calvin Klein, Kith, Allbirds, Shein and Uniqlo.
Which celebrities have signed up to Threads?
A number of famous faces have signed up to Threads including Oprah, Jennifer Lopez, Kim Kardashian, Shakira and Sarah Jessica Parker.
Sex And The City star Parker announced she had joined Threads on her Instagram account. She wrote:
- “I am giddy with the hope that @threadsapp will be a new opportunity to continue to share book titles, images of my day in NYC and elsewhere, support for our libraries, a divinely cooked thin cut pork chop on the bone or anything else I think deserving of your time.
- “I hope that @threadsapp might prove to be a platform where folks are kind, thoughtful, don’t feel encouraged to be mean, aggressive or hostile… this could be a new day.”
Will Threads have ads?
Marketers don’t currently have the option to purchase ad space on Threads, however, advertising is inevitable and is likely set to become a significant player in Threads’ overall revenue.
In fact, a source told Axios that the Instagram team are already working on making their branded content tools available in the not too distant future, with ads expected to be introduced when Threads reaches a critical mass. Until then, marketers are advised to clearly disclose paid partnerships by using hashtags or text.
