Navigating Marketing Strategies on Threads: Essential Insights You Shouldn’t Miss

We’ve refreshed our article on Threads, reporting that advertisements are set to launch on the platform in 2025.

Since its debut on July 5, 2023, Threads has emerged as the most rapidly expanding social media platform on record.

In just the first hour of its launch, it garnered an incredible 5 million registrations—only three months after Meta announced their development of an competitor to Twitter.

The excitement surrounding Threads is significant for marketers, especially as many have shifted their attention away from Twitter following Elon Musk’s acquisition, which has led to a 59% decrease in advertising expenditure in the U.S. Marketers are now understandably seeking new platforms to promote their initiatives while ensuring broad reach and high quality.

Explore further: The importance of social media marketing: A guide for brands

Is Threads the optimal choice for advertisers? Here’s everything essential to know…

What is Threads?

Threads is a novel social networking application under the management of Mark Zuckerberg’s Meta Platforms, seamlessly connecting with Instagram and available exclusively on iOS and Android. Meta describes Threads as “the text-based conversation extension of Instagram.”

Users are empowered to share updates, post text, images, and videos, and engage with others through likes, reposts, and replies. The app store presentation of Threads states:

• “[A place] where communities unite to discuss everything from the topics you’re interested in now to future trends.”
• “Whatever captivates your attention, you can connect with and follow your favorite creators and others who share your passions – or even cultivate a devoted following to express your thoughts, ideas, and creativity.”

While Threads shares many characteristics with Twitter, Zuckerberg emphasizes the distinctive focus on “kindness” and fostering a “friendly” atmosphere. He conveyed on his Threads profile:

• “Our aim is to maintain a friendly environment as it develops. I believe that’s possible and will ultimately be its key to success.”
• “This is one reason I think Twitter didn’t flourish to its full potential, and we want to approach it differently.”
• “A commitment to kindness is essential for us.”

Importantly, Threads requires users to possess an Instagram account for registration, underlining the tight integration between the two platforms.

Number of Users on Threads

By November 2024, Threads boasts 275 million active monthly users, marking a 175% increase from when it reached 100 million users just a year earlier.

After launching the platform, Zuckerberg shared his excitement on Threads, commenting:

• “Threads hit 100 million sign-ups over the weekend, primarily from organic demand, and we have yet to implement significant promotions.”
• “It’s hard to believe just five days have passed since launch!”

For perspective, Instagram required a week to gain merely 100,000 users upon its 2010 launch.

Brands on Threads

All top 10 U.S. retailers, including Walmart and Kroger, have established accounts on Threads, according to the National Retail Federation. Notably, Costco was the last major retailer to join this group.

The largest consumer brands and the most sought-after fashion labels were initially more hesitant about committing to Threads as advertisers preferred to observe its growth trajectory before making investments.

Explore further: Microsoft ad platforms cease support for Twitter

Availability of Threads in the EU

Threads can be accessed in over 100 countries but only launched in the EU in December 2023. This delay stemmed from concerns regarding the platform’s compliance with the EU’s Digital Markets Act regarding data privacy.

Before its EU launch, Carissa Veliz, an associate ethics professor at the University of Oxford, remarked to the Guardian:

• “Meta has not adjusted its business model; it’s eager to pursue targeted ads, tantamount to surveillance advertising.”
• “The company aims to collect extensive data and continues to exhibit the same approach despite numerous scandals, public disapproval, and regulatory warnings.”
• “Their data collection can touch on sexual orientation, race, health information, and more, potentially sharing this data with third parties.”

User Tracking on Threads

Much like Meta’s other platforms, Threads will aggregate extensive user data. This includes:

• Health and fitness metrics.
• Financial details.
• Location data.
• Browsing activity.
• Search history.
• Home address.
• Email address.
• Phone number.
• Camera access.
• Photographs.
• IP details.
• Device specifications.
• Device signals (e.g., Bluetooth, nearby Wi-Fi).

Moreover, Threads will log data about user interactions and followers, enhancing the granularity of user insights, further raising privacy concerns within the EU.

Safety of Threads

The platform adheres to Instagram’s Community Guidelines for content and interactions. Users must be at least 13 years old, with those under 16 (or 18 in various jurisdictions) receiving private accounts by default. Parents are encouraged to supervise their children’s online behavior.

Threads allows users to filter who can reply to their messages, blocking unwanted contacts. Any accounts blocked on Instagram will automatically be restricted on Threads as well.

Since 2016, Meta has invested over $16 billion to enhance user safety, reaffirming its commitment to user protection on Threads.

Instagram Account Requirement for Threads

Meta indicated in its Instagram blog that Threads will link directly to Instagram accounts, explaining the rationale as follows:

• “Threads aims to expand upon what Instagram excels at by fostering text-based interactions within a positive, creative environment.”
• “Similar to Instagram, Threads enables users to connect with friends and creators based on shared interests, including those they follow on Instagram.”
• “Harnessing the potential of open social networking protocols can lead to innovative user experiences across various platforms, allowing for tailored community standards and moderation.
• “We believe this decentralized method will be vital for the future of online platforms.”
• “Threads is Meta’s inaugural app designed to function with an open social networking protocol, promoting community discovery across different applications.”

Changing Your Username on Threads

As your Threads profile is intertwined with your Instagram account, some personal information, including your username, is synchronized. To alter your username on Threads, follow these steps:

• Tap the profile icon located at the bottom right to view your profile.
• Select the ‘Edit Profile’ button beneath your bio.
• Input a new username in the designated Username field.
• Hit the checkmark icon at the top right to save your changes.

Posting Limitations on Threads

Threads has specific restrictions on posts and videos:

• Posts: Users may submit posts with a maximum character count of 500. However, links, photos, and videos can also be included.
• Videos: Video length is capped at five minutes maximum.

Functionality of Threads

Threads operates similarly to Twitter and is easy to navigate. Here’s how to get started:

• Ensure you have an Instagram account; if not, you will need to create one.
• Download the Threads application and log in using your Instagram credentials.
• Upon logging in, you’ll be prompted to follow the same accounts you do on Instagram.
• The app will suggest additional profiles to follow based on your interests.
• You can now utilize the app. Your feed will combine posts from users you follow, along with personalized recommendations. Engage with posts through likes, replies, reposts, or quotes.
• Much like Twitter, you can also share posts, videos, and images on your own Threads profile.

Is Threads Replacing Twitter?

Zuckerberg has expressed confidence in Threads potentially surpassing Twitter, although he acknowledges the time required for such a shift.

• “I envision a public conversation platform boasting over one billion users,” he remarked. “Twitter has been presented with this opportunity, yet has not succeeded fully. We hope to achieve that.”

Since launch, Threads has undoubtedly experienced considerable traction. During its initial two days, traffic to Twitter dipped by 5% compared to the previous week and was down 11% year-over-year, according to the analytics firm SimilarWeb.

Dive deeper. For more on how Meta utilizes your data and how to delete a Threads account, read the Threads Supplemental Privacy Policy.

Ads Coming to Threads in Early 2025

According to a report from The Information, users of Threads can anticipate advertisement placements on the platform starting in early 2025.

Reportedly, a limited number of advertisers are set to roll out ads on Threads beginning in January 2025, with an internal team from Meta’s Instagram advertising division overseeing these initial advertisements.

During Meta’s earnings call in October 2024, CFO Susan Lu stated that Threads is not expected to generate significant revenue for the company in its first year.

Focus on Followers and Intro of Post Metrics

Instagram chief Adam Mosseri has issued two announcements signaling a strategic shift for Meta’s Threads app.

The first communication, from late November, responded to user concerns about gaining followers on the platform.

Mosseri stated on Threads, “We are adjusting the ranking algorithm to prioritize posts from accounts you follow, moving away from recommendations from accounts you do not follow starting today.”

Following this emphasis on user connections, Mosseri revealed in early December that metrics for individual posts are being tested. He showcased a screenshot of this testing process as part of the announcement.

To maintain growth and compete with X (formerly Twitter) and the emerging BlueSky platform, Threads must equip its users with tools to grow their audiences and gauge their impact. These announcements mark important progress in that direction.