I’m just now taking a break from one of the largest online block parties I’ve experienced in years, on the newest social media app – Threads, and I’m here to let you in on the fun!
In this article, I’ll do my best to cover my experience with the app, the background for its conception, and it’s key features and drawbacks.
First, some background…
With the launch of Threads, an app by Instagram, the new platform was ablaze with new users, and endless new conversations of folks working together to figure out how this new social media app works, and also expressing hope for the future – many who are also Twitter users (like myself) that have been weary of unreasonable changes, an ego-driven billionaire buyout, and massive layoffs which have soured the platform’s reputation for many.
I was an early adopter of Twitter when it first came out, and have always been active on the micro-blogging platform, but as a marketer and someone that also works in public service, the platform is way different than it started out – and not for the better, in my opinion. In recent years there have been reports and studies of increased hate on the platform, making it a not-so-comfortable space for everyone, with little to no enforcement from the company leaders. It’s also not been providing the reach and engagement it promised users. This combination of issues, and more, has led to major advertisers pulling out of the platform indefinitely.
Since all of these issues have unfolded, many Twitter users have looked to other platforms such as Mastodon or Hive as healthy alternatives to Twitter, but they couldn’t compete with Twitter as they were either too difficult to sign up for and understand, or just had too many glitches to deal with.
Now, the true contender has finally appeared on the scene! Threads.
Let’s dive in.
What’s the signup process like?
Very easy. After downloading the app and logging in with Instagram (IG), you can automatically follow accounts you already follow on Instagram, if and when they sign up for Threads.
It took 3 clicks at the most, and I was in.
NOTE: If you skip the part about automatically following the folks you already do on Instagram, there doesn’t appear to be a way of going back so, be mindful!
What are the key features of Threads?
It’s very similar to Twitter in that it has a text-based feed of posts (or “threads” as some are already coining as the officially unofficial term) that you can like, reply to, and share. Images and videos are supported. A couple of neat additions, though, are that you can share “threads” to you’re Instagram stories or feed, so even though the apps are separate they work well together.
Some other interesting or quirky notes:
- The individual post limit is 500 characters long, but you can easily add threads to the first….thread? (jury is still out on calling them posts or threads)
- You can post image carousels very cleanly!
- For now, it seems if you sign up for Threads, you can’t delete your Threads account without first deleting your Instagram account. I’m sure this will change but, just making you aware if you’re unsure about signing up!
- Accounts you have muted or blocked on Instagram will stay muted or blocked on Threads
- Gifs aren’t natively part of the app, so if you love using gifs you will have to download and use the Giphy app, and copy and past the gifs into your threads.
- The app doesn’t show folks who you are following, just how many people are following you
What are some key differences from Twitter?
- It’s 100% app-based, meaning you can’t sign into a desktop version (for now?) to use the platform
- At the moment, there are no ads on the platform, but that is sure to change
- No limits on how many threads you can view! However, the app will stop you from following thousands of people at once as they will on IG.
- Hashtags aren’t a thing on the platform (for now?) and you currently can’t search for topics like you would on Twitter
- Adult content (nudity) is not allowed, so IG rules apply there as well
- At the moment, there isn’t a “Following” or “For You” filter set up on the app, which on Twitter allows you to separate out content from people you don’t know. But Meta representatives made comments on the app that this is a feature that will be rolled out soon enough (however I think it’s great for now, as I made many new followers and had great conversations this way!)
What do you post on Threads, anyway?
That conversation is still happening in real-time, but the CEO of Instagram, Adam Mosseri, said on the app:
“For those of you trying to think about what to post here on Threads versus on Instagram, my take is it’s less about text versus photos and videos and more about what public conversations you want to have. Do you want to engage in more of a back-and-forth, Threads make sense. If not, great, probably Instagram…”
I’m personally taking this as – the medium doesn’t matter so much as the intent and the delivery. If you’re planning on making Threads a billboard for promoting things, it may not work as well as you’d like.
So, what does this all mean?
In my many conversations from the night, the overwhelming consensus I saw was that folks are looking for more authentic conversations, and don’t want to be sold to by influencers or deal with online trolls like they’ve had to on Twitter. They also don’t want the filtered curated feeds one finds on Instagram (why post the same thing in both places, anyway?).
Users want social media to be social again, and with the launch of the app had fun being silly together as we bumbled along trying to figure out the current capabilities of the app, making each other laugh, discovering its positives and negatives, and connected with folks from other social scenes, as well as making new friends as we all experienced the launch at the same time, growing together.
Of course, we all have goals for being on social media, but I don’t think there’s a drawback here. What do you have to lose from having conversations with folks, and letting them get to know you? At the end of the day, folks gravitate toward others they feel they know, like, and trust and I think what Threads has started has the potential to bring us back to basics with social media.
Many millennials (like me), however, have been here before. We have grown up having to adopt every online social media platform ever invented, so we know that there is a pattern of the early honeymoon period, and then things will turn dark, but I think we could all use some optimism here.
The platform is a reflection of us all and we’ve essentially been given a clean slate, so if we want to have a safe and overall positive experience on Threads – I say let’s work together to make that a reality.
I hope this article was helpful, and of course, we will see the platform grow, adapt and change as Meta/IG works through user feedback, but I’m excited to see what the future holds.
Be sure to follow me on Threads here, and good luck!