A New Social Media Platform, Threads, has Emerged – Is it Worth it?
The social media universe is well built out and seems close to saturated with many different platforms available for users.
However, as with our own universe, things are constantly changing, growing and dying and there is always more to discover. These constant changes are what spurred Meta’s creation of Threads, a social networking app similar to Twitter/X where users can share text updates and join public conversations. And, with that, the social media universe began a new chapter.
What is Threads?
Right out of the gate, Threads took a stance as a platform where positive, productive conversations could happen. With users on Twitter becoming increasingly combative and frustrated about issues related to hard news and geopolitics, many users began to jump ship. Threads caught a portion of those users by providing a friendly environment where they could discuss sports, science and other areas of interest such as fitness or food without the tension of politics or sensitive topics.
While Threads is similar to Twitter/X, it is a unique platform in several ways:
- Threads does not have an Explore page where you can find posts related to specific interests.
- Threads currently isn’t available to everyone. Meta has linked Threads to users’ Instagram accounts and users login by using their same Instagram username. If you don’t have an Instagram platform, but would like to join Threads, you’re out of luck.
- Posts can be 500 characters long, as opposed to Twitter/X’s limit of 280, and users can share photos and videos up to five minutes long. If your agency is interested in exploring Threads as a communication outlet, this is a way to share longer, less news-related content with followers than you would on Twitter/X.
Should you create a Threads profile?
Typically, Tripepi Smith recommends public agencies have a presence on at least four social media platforms: Facebook, Instagram, X/Twitter and Nextdoor. But here are five reflection questions you can ask if you are considering adding Threads to your social media toolbox:
- Why exactly do you feel you should be on Threads? Is your community asking you to be on there? Have you heard a large portion of your community has joined it?
- Who will decide on the content strategy for your new Threads profile?
- What resources do you have in place to create content? To monitor and respond to comments/messages?
- What are the metrics you’ll measure and how do you know what “good” performance is 6-12 months from now?
- Will one account represent all agency departments/divisions? Or are you opening up the possibility of creating multiple accounts for all Instagram Profiles you may have?
How to create a Threads profile
If your agency already has a presence on Instagram, setting up a Threads account is quite simple:
- Go to Instagram.com
- If you already have an account, plug your account credentials to log in. If not, press ‘Sign Up’ to create an account.
- Download the Threads app on your device.
- Login through a web-browser.
- Tap Sign in with Instagram. You’ll see the account you’re currently signed in to on the Instagram app.
- If you aren’t signed into the Instagram app, tap Log in with Instagram to log into your Instagram account. Once you’ve logged in, you’ll be taken back to the Threads app.
- Once you’ve logged in with your Instagram account, you can:
- Tap profile picture next to Name to upload a profile picture
- Tap Bio to write a bio for your profile. Enter your bio or tap Import bio from Instagram, then tap Done in the top right.
- Tap Link to add a link to your agency’s website to your profile. Enter the URL and title for your link or tap Import link from Instagram. Tap Done in the top right.
- Tap Following to see a list of profiles you may want to follow. Tap Follow next to a profile to follow it.
- Tap Import from Instagram at the bottom to import all of the above information from your instagram profile.
- Tap Continue.
- Select public profile, then tap Continue.
- Review the terms and policies, then tap Create profile.
While Threads posts cannot be managed from a third-party app, they are able to be scheduled within Instagram.
Will Threads be “worth it” in the long run?
Within five days of its launch, the platform had already reached 100 million users and everyone began to wonder if this platform would become a valuable resource or not.
Some government agencies are using Threads to share information and updates to their community. While we invite agencies to give Threads a try, we don’t recommend using Threads as a replacement for Twitter/X due to its established networks and capabilities. Since the platform is still very new, only time will tell if it truly is a valuable resource or just a trend. Meeting your community where they are still remains the most important consideration.