What is Threads?
Has Mark Zuckerburg threaded the Twitter needle?
With Elon Musk’s $44 million acquisition of Twitter causing quite the stir, many platforms have tried to capitalise on the fleeing crowds from the platform. Companies such as Bluesky and Mastodon have all tried to become the new Twitter and, while they showed early signs of competition, they couldn’t handle the sheer power and size of Twitter. However, there’s a new kid on the block with a huge amount of force behind them.
Threads was released on Thursday and had an instant impact. 10 million users in the first day, #Threads was number one trending on Twitter, its name was plastered all over the news and it even had some big celebrities and businesses making the jump such as Shakira, Gordon Ramsey and Netflix. As well as all the controversy around Twitter, another reason that could be attributed to these outcomes could very easily be the ease of the sign-up process. As Threads is part of the Meta ecosystem, and is connected to Instagram, it automatically detects your Instagram account and migrates your information over. It has also deemed itself as a brand-safe environment for advertisers.
So, what’s the catch? Well, Meta have always had a bit of an issue with how they handle user data, and it is fair to say that Threads certainly collects more than enough data from its users. You can find out what data an app will collect from you by visiting the specific app page on the Apple App Store. If I were to add screenshots in this blog of the list of data that Threads collects, it would be 10 images long, and all of this data is used in a closed source algorithm. Although Twitter is no saint either, it certainly doesn’t collect anywhere near as much data as Threads, according to the Apple App Store. Furthermore, Meta has a track record of following suit when it comes to new features, which often don’t quite live-up to the original. The two main examples of this are Stories, inspired by Snapchat, and Reels, inspired by TikTok. With the addition of Threads, Meta has now completed the trifecta by creating an alternative to Twitter, so is it third time’s the charm? Obviously, Elon Musk, owner of Twitter, hasn’t taken it too lightly and has opened court proceedings with Meta accusing them of stealing Twitter’s IP by hiring ex-Twitter employees who still have access to Twitter’s trade secrets and confidential information. However, as of right now, it is unclear as to how far this could go.
The overarching question remains - should you and your business sign up to Threads? Although the jury is still out on whether Threads will surpass Twitter, it is beneficial to sign up to this new platform so that you can reap the benefits of becoming an early adopter. You will also be able to closely follow the platforms journey to see how it evolves to potentially benefit you and your business. Plus, it will create a new audience segment, with a blend of Meta ecosystem users and Twitter defectors, which could be a perfect audience for your business to target. With its link to Instagram making Threads quick and easy to set up, what’s holding you back?
