Instagram (subsidiary of Meta) just launched a new app to compete directly with Twitter. The timing couldn’t be better since Twitter has now implemented view limits to 600 tweets for free users and 6,000 for paid. Some suspect it might be related to Twitter’s inability to pay Google Cloud fees, where some of the website is hosted. There are several hopeful competitors, including Mastodon, but Threads might have the upper hand in one very specific way. Users have stuck with Twitter for so long because leaving to a new platform would require potentially rebuilding your network from scratch (unless everyone managed to agree to migrate to the same site).
With Threads, Instagram users can import everything from their old accounts from profile to followed accounts.
Simply download the app from the Apple or Google Play store and log in with your Instagram account.
Then, you can upload a profile picture, write a bio and add your website, or simply import from Instagram (which is what I chose to do).
Next, make your profile public or private.
Finally, choose who to follow. The app shows you everyone you follow on Instagram, and, if you click follow, gives you a notification that you will automatically follow that account “when” they make a Threads account. Only a handful of folks had made an account by Thursday morning. That being said, it wasn’t long before I had a trickle of new followers.
I’d be remiss not to drop my account here. You can find me on threads.net @leenarrativeimage.
The “fediverse”
When you confirm your account creation, you will see the following page:
So what the heck is the fediverse?
According to fediverse.info, it is a network of social media sites that will allow users to interact with each other across platforms. Mastodon is one such platform and it looks like Threads plans to join this network as well.
It looks like decentralization is the future of the Internet, much like how things were pre-Facebook. It will be important that people and businesses alike to stay on top of these changes.
How to post on Threads
The learning curve for Threads is simple. The type of content will be the same as Twitter, and we can assume that for now, the strategies will be the same as well.
To start a thread, click the stylized “pen and paper” icon. You can type whatever you want and click the paper clip icon to add images. I’d start with an introduction.
For my first thread, I addressed my ideal audience, then I “replied” to that initial thread to go in-depth about what kinds of solutions I can provide to my clients.
How to get visibility without hashtags?
The first thing I noticed when making my first “thread” is that there are no hashtags. So how can you grow your audience? My instinct is that Meta/Instagram expects you to use your Instagram account for increasing your reach and that these followers will check out your Threads account on top of that. Additionally, your Threads homepage is automatically populated by what we can only assume is an algorithm based on what’s popular, who you follow, and what kinds of threads you interact with.
If you have a professional Threads account, you can “boost” threads by paying Meta, but if you don’t want to pay for advertising (which I will rarely recommend on any platform), your best bet is to post consistently high quality content. As with any social media site, post for your ideal customer and when the effort and passion show through, those folks will be drawn to your brand’s story.
Update after spending approximately 24 hours with the app
It has since come to light that deleting your Threads account would also require deleting your Instagram account. This might not be a concern for you, but it does make one wonder why this is a feature, especially since it was not clear during the sign up phase. Privacy is very important to me as well, and Meta has never been good about prioritizing user data privacy.
I don’t think I’ll include Threads in my social media strategy for now, but keeping tabs on the future of decentralized social media and the “Fediverse” will be important to any social media manager worth their salt.
If you want to read my full breakdown of the future of social media, check out the article I wrote for AdAge.
Bulletin Austin | TX 
Leave a comment