Threads, Mark Zuckerberg’s take on Twitter, made an instant announcement to the social media world – and just as instant an impact. With over 2 million sign-ups in two hours, and well over 100 million sign-ups to date, the hype around the new platform is backed by the numbers.
However, amongst the rush towards Threads, it would be wise to take a step back and consider: does my business need to follow the crowd? If it does, does it need to follow it now?
I’ve been thinking about this a little bit recently, considering both sides of the argument. Take a look and see whether you can be influenced either way.
So, should your business join the Threads hype?
Yes. Why?
- First mover advantage. While there are already 100 million users already on the Threads platform, the signup process was very streamlined and didn’t require a lot of effort. Therefore, if you’re active and posting on the platform, you’re still one of the first movers. That gives you an advantage as you get to shape the way the platform operates
- It shows you’re on the pulse. This is particularly important if you really value your social channels as spaces to connect with your audience. If they’re on socials, surely you should be too?
- Experiment! Threads is actually an opportunity to experiment with different content styles. The general tone on the platform seems to be more relaxed, so it’s a good opportunity to try some new communication styles and see if they stick.
- What’s there to lose? Everyone else is figuring the platform out, so as long as you keep things reasonably on brand, why not just give it a try?
No. Why?
- What’s there to gain? If there’s nothing to lose with getting your business onto Threads, look at it on the flip side – is there even anything to gain?
- Traction has slowed down a little bit. While the initial hype was intense, there has been a fall away in general traction. You could easily set a precedent within your team to be posting daily, but is the momentum there for it to make an impact?
- Do you actually have the capacity? This one’s dedicated to your social media team (which could also be you, too!) Remember that Threads will become another platform that you need to maintain. Is this something you have the capacity for in your business? If not, it’s worth sitting it out a little bit and seeing how the landscape shapes up before committing yourself.
- Is it worth your time? What’s the juice that’s coming from the squeeze right now? Threads is in its infancy, and as previously mentioned, we’re still not quite sure how it’s going to mature.
We’re all still trying to figure Threads out at the moment. For me, taking the leap comes down to whether you want to be part of shaping how the app operates in the future, or you’d rather let others carry the burden of figuring that out. You should consider how much scope you have to frequently post, whether now is the time to begin experimenting with your brand tone of voice, and the level of traction on the platform.