The first hours of Threads: A thread!
The new platform launched today from Meta. Designed to take on Twitter head on, it leverages the power and audience of the existing Instagram platform. Here's a quick rundown of the features, the new layout, and the use cases we've identified during the first hours of working with Threads.
The Layout
Threads offers a long feed perfect for creating thought pieces by eliminating the highly visual grid aesthetic. This layout implies that users can take advantage of the platform to create richer content. The long feed means the focus is on the content, rather than aesthetic design. This is welcome news for users who want to concentrate on the quality of the content, not necessarily how it appears on their profile page.
Your Profile
The profile on Threads is minimalistic, which is just what you need without distractions. The grid has been replaced with the linear feed of threads. You can view both the original threads from the creator and their replies to other users. This feature creates an open and engaging community that promotes conversation and ideas.
The inclusion of links
Bloggers who will be using the new Threads platform have something to cheer about. Threads enable them to link their blogs to the platform, allowing their Instagram followers to follow up on their content. This way, they are not reliant on their Instagram account followers to find their blogs.
Links for your featured products
The links are not limited to blogs - ecommerce brands can use Threads to create product collections and groups of special offers, creating a genuine business-to-consumer platform.
Cross platform sharing is simple
Share threads to your Instagram story
It's easy to build out your Threads following by sharing your Threads to your story and inviting viewers to follow your Thread.
Share threads to your Instagram Feed
Your Threads can be shared directly on your feed, with music. You will need to toggle your Facebook sharing option back on.
Share threads to Twitter
In the ultimate middle finger to poor Elon, you can share your Threads directly to Twitter, further driving the nail in.
4 Use cases for the new threads platform
1 eCommerce
As an online merchant, one way to use threads is to offer customers a personalised shopping experience. By adding your products to a special thread, you can provide shoppers with exclusive offers, upcoming promotions, and customised recommendations. These types of messages could include product drops, flash sales, or access to limited edition items.
2 Integrated marketing campaigns
For marketers, Threads can offer a transformative way of building campaigns. Marketers can build a targeted group around a particular campaign and focus on driving conversations around their messaging. This approach allows marketers to customise different aspects of a campaign that otherwise might get lost in the noise on other social media platforms. For instance, you can log into Threads and start a conversation about your latest campaign with your customers using multimedia content. This approach will help towards driving conversation around your message and help to maintain the buzz.
3 Thought leadership pieces, not limited by characters
Threads is a great platform for anyone looking to share thought-provoking ideas without any character limit constraints. Many established thought leaders in industries that require long-form dialogue are finding Threads to be a great platform to engage their community. The platform's threaded design enables you to dive deep into topics and facilitate discussions that stimulate learning and thought-provoking debates with their community of followers.
4 News items- with up-to-the minute updates from around the world
Breaking news and real-time updates have found an enormous audience on platforms like Twitter, where users are looking for real-time information on a topic. With Threads, this type of immediate communication is possible. If you have a story to tell, you can tell your story and provide ongoing updates to a particular group following the story.
What's Missing?
Hashtags
We've yet to identify a useful, clickable hashtag, which limits the discussion of new topics and the discovery of like-minded people, and collections of people, places, and things.
Changing between accounts
Switching between accounts is an essential feature that is missing from Threads. Social media managers will find it difficult to keep logging in and out of different accounts between Instagram and Threads. While Instagram can be opened from Threads with an icon top right, opening Threads from Instagram is done by clicking the number in the IG profile top left.
This switching method will bring extra attention on your profile, and optimisation of your profile is more important than ever.
Scheduling content
Another critical feature missing from the Threads platform is the ability to schedule content either on desktop or mobile. Managing content across various platforms can be hectic for agencies and business owners, and scheduling is one way to simplify that.
GIFs
GIFs are not supported on Threads! We love GIF to illustrate points with humour and irony, creating memeable, snackable moments of lightness in an otherwise deathly doom scroll. Threads is missing this entirely, and I feel it's missing a big bit of personality there.
One to watch
The Threads platform is a welcome alternative to Twitter by leveraging Instagram's audience and features. The platform has a unique feed layout that eliminates the visually focused grid aesthetic. The profile is minimal, showcasing the content and making it possible for bloggers to link their websites to Threads. However, the lack of features such as the account switching, scheduling content and GIFs can be a significant disadvantage. We've identified some top use cases as the platform takes off and will be watching in the coming months for some innovative, integrated ecommerce campaigns.
Interested to learn more?
Get in touch with the social media marketing experts here at Treat! We provide cutting edge, up to the minute insights on everything social media. Contact us at hello@treattorbay.co.uk