Threads has arrived and sown a lot of confusion for our clients and nonprofits in general. Our team spent some time getting acquainted with the new platform to help you decide if Threads makes sense for your organization’s social media presence. We’ve stitched together a few takeaways from the past few weeks to help you decide if it’s right for you!
What is Threads?
Meta launched Threads in July 2023 and the app quickly hit 100 million users. Big brands have been re-posting well-performing Tweets on Threads to introduce their presence. From our vantage, those posts have been resonating with Threads users.
Because the app is so new, the algorithm it uses to promote content isn’t clear yet. This can be an advantage for smaller organizations. Meta created Threads to function similarly to Instagram in that as users interact with content, similar content will appear in their feed. It’s unclear if the algorithm will stay like this but we encourage you to experiment on Threads. Remember to pay attention to how users engage and also consider doing some A/B testing to figure out what resonates with your audience.
How are brands using Threads?
So far, a lot of the content we’ve seen from brands is funny and carefree. Brands are having fun and so are individual users. Big-name companies like Ritz Crackers have been curating content on Threads that is different from their other social platforms and have received responses from other companies like Wheat Thins and Crumbl Cookies. This is your opportunity to try out a new, playful voice.
Another thing to note is that users have a lot of flexibility with photos on Threads. Threads doesn’t crop photos and you can upload up to 10 photos at a time. If you have photos from an event you want to promote, it could pair well with a funny, creative or trending caption like REI’s Barbie dream tent Thread.
REI has mastered capturing its audience’s attention through short, scrappy, funny Threads. By incorporating their products into existing social media trends, like Barbie, they’re able to reach an audience that is familiar with their company and Barbie fans. It’s clear after scrolling through their feed that REI is saying yes to joining in on Threads interactivity.
Unlike Twitter/X, there isn’t a “trending” section of the app which means no hashtags. This is different from Instagram but this could change as Threads evolves. Additionally, Threads doesn’t allow users to save drafts or send content to friends. We hope this changes as Meta builds out more features in the app.
Dive into Threads
Our overall advice on Threads? Have fun with it! Did something funny happen at the office? Can you pair your mission with a pun? Do it. We will see things change as Threads attracts more users. But for now, keep your expectations low, experiment with a new voice and take note of what resonates with your audience.
Written by Hallie Kim and Zoe Clemmons, Associates at Barefoot PR