Threads: What It Means For DTC Companies
July 6, 2023, Meta officially released their new Twitter-like conversational platform, Threads, available to download now. Threads has already taken the app store by storm, as they have recorded 106 million sign-ups in the first couple of days.
According to Meta, the vision with the release of Threads is to “take what Instagram does best and expand that to text, creating a positive and creative space to express your ideas”. Due to the newness of the app, here are some key things that DTC companies will need to know as you begin to navigate it:
Your Instagram username is carried over to Threads.
When users download the app, sign-in is relatively easy, as most account data from Instagram carries over. Everything from usernames, bios, following lists, profile pictures etc automatically advances to Threads for users to seamlessly begin posting.
The app is currently still missing some key features.
As users are starting to post to Threads, they have been discovering some loose threads (pun intended) in the app. Head of Instagram, Mosseri, took to Threads to address his awareness of some of the missing basic features such as hashtags, search, a following feed, fedeverse support, graph syncing, and messaging. Threads users have also discovered that you cannot edit text after it has been posted.
Be careful, deleting your Threads account may also lead to the deletion of your Instagram account.
Another issue that users quickly realized is that because of the direct link of accounts, deleting your Threads account may result in your Instagram account being deleted as well. Mosseri suggests that users are able to deactivate their account without deleting Instagram as well.
What does this mean for DTC companies?
As of now, there is no paid advertising taking place on the app. Although there has been no indication of monetization yet, it is still day one. Considering the app is a part of Meta, it is very likely that it is only a matter of time until ads will be present on the platform. Once this does take place, it should be relatively easy to shift around ad budgets, as Threads will likely become an option on Meta Ads Manager. The connection to Instagram provides a purposeful way to make the transition easier for brands to join Threads.
What brands should be doing now:
Zuckerberg has stated that he is not concerned about ads right away, since they are vying to make the product work well first. In preparation for ads, it is important that brands stay up to date with the new platform and match the energy of others using it. Right now, users are more likely to post frequently, as everyone is excited about the new app. Luckily, since followers from Instagram carry over, it is easy to interact with existing followers in a new way. No need to be serious on Threads - users and brands have already begun to take a more personal approach to posting. It is also important to note that Threads is more text-heavy than Facebook and Instagram, and more “short-form”, which will shift the focus on the type of creative. Throughout the coming weeks it should become more obvious exactly what type of creative that is. For the time being, posting, liking, reposting and interacting with people is the best way to build brand awareness on the new platform.
Could Threads be the “new and improved Twitter”? It’s too soon to tell. With the new app just launching, there is a lot of trial and error still anticipated to take place. Although, in comparison to other apps attempting to rival Twitter, Meta would be the most likely to succeed, as they already have a massive user base. Other than some of the missing features, so far it seems users are enjoying having an alternative app to Twitter. But will it be able to withstand the initial hype? Only time will tell.