Nowadays, social media is based around social engagement and community building.
Apps like Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn have built a template which has been followed as the go-to for how social media works.
Enter Threads.
Meta’s latest app isn’t just a direct competitor to Twitter – it’s arguably the most disruptive thing to happen to social media since its creation.
Commonly referred to as “a kick of dopamine”, the Threads App has made waves. Let’s see what makes it so popular.

Looking At The Threads App

What Is Threads?

In short, Threads is an app created by Meta that’s designed to be a direct competitor to Twitter.
It was originally introduced as a standalone app in October of 2019, but was discontinued in December of 2021, because of lack of interest.
After Elon Musk acquired Twitter in October of 2022, many Twitter users started looking for alternative platforms, such as Mastodon, and Tumblr.
A month later, Meta’s employees began discussing creating a separate app to Instagram Notes, which was an upcoming text-based alternative to Instagram.
They began developing the app under the codename “P92” in January of 2023.
It was leaked in March, and by July, the app known as Threads was live.

How Does The Threads App Work?

Threads is designed for real-time conversations, offering an experience similar to Twitter.
It’s focused on public, text-based posts and conversations (AKA microblogging), and has a limit of 500 characters per thread.
By default, Threads uses a user’s Instagram information, including their handle, name, picture, and even followers.
Profile pictures and display names can be customised, but (at the time of writing) handles can’t be changed.
If users decide to terminate their Threads accounts, they also have to delete their Instagram accounts.
The CEO of Instagram, Adam Mosseri, has acknowledged this, and stated that they are looking for ways to separate these two apps for deletion.

Where Is The Threads App Available?

Threads is a mobile-only platform. It’s available on Google’s Android platforms, and Apple’s iOS.
Users can view threads and profiles through a web front-end, but they can’t post.
Currently, Instagram’s Threads isn’t available in the European Union, Iran, and China.
(Despite that, it still made the top 4 free social apps on the Chinese App Store.)

How Popular Is Instagram’s Threads?

Threads is the fastest-growing social media platform in history, reaching 2 million users within 2 hours of launch, and a total of over 100 million within 5 days.

What Does Twitter Think About Threads?

Twitter’s lawyers have issued a legal threat against Meta, claiming that Meta hired ex-Twitter employees to get access to trade secrets.

Why Is Threads So Popular?

A large part of the popularity of Threads is in the fact that it’s the social media equivalent of the Wild West.
With no usable hashtag strategy, or discernible algorithm, it rewards social interactivity, which helps brands build a personality online.

What Is Threads Good For?

Communication

Threads gives users a chance to deep-dive into topics that interest them.
They can start a conversation, join on topics, or just observe everything happening.

Faster Audiences

Apart from your followers being able to follow you directly from Instagram, Threads also doesn’t have a set algorithm, making you visible to a larger audience.

Engagement

The entire basis of Threads is engagement. It’s the best platform to grow your community, since that’s all it revolves around. 

Conclusion – What’s The Future Of Threads?

There’s no doubt that Threads is here to stay.
With that being said, Meta has said that they have plans for Threads in the future.
How these will impact the user base is currently unclear, but there’s no doubt it’s changing the landscape for social media and digital marketing as a whole.