Instagram Threads: What You Need to Know (+5 Fast Tips to Get Started)

New social media platforms are launching all the time, but how do you know which ones are worth investing your time and money into?

Threads is Meta’s newest social media platform that launched in July 2023. While there has been plenty of buzz about this emerging channel already, you may be wondering if Instagram Threads is worth it for your business. We’ve got you covered with this complete walk-through of the newest social media kid on the block

What is Threads?

Threads is a text-based social media app Meta launched in July 2023. Within Threads, users can share posts up to 500 characters long. Posts can also include links, photos, and videos up to 5 minutes in length. Users can respond to posts—creating a “thread.”

Threads is currently only available to Instagram users with access to iOS or Android in 100 countries. However, that may change as Threads could expand to desktop web browsers and more.

To help understand how Threads works, many people have compared it to Twitter, which is set up similarly.

Meta even recently released a “following feed,” similar to the one on Twitter (now named X) so users can see posts only from those they follow.

Why is Instagram Threads important?

With so many staple social media platforms dominating the industry already, it’s rare to see a new app emerge in popularity. Let’s discuss the context as to why Meta, the parent brand of Instagram and Facebook, created Threads.

Threads is different from Instagram in that it’s primarily for text-based posts. However, since each Thread reply is added to the original thread, it allows users to have a conversation more fluidly than Instagram’s standard comment section.

Threads vs. Twitter

Threads wasn’t created solely to build out Instagram’s offerings–it’s been speculated that Threads is meant to directly compete with Twitter. For example, Instagram Threads has openly pointed out that it’s meant to be used more for entertainment purposes, rather than news or politics like on Twitter.

Twitter has gone through a tumultuous rebranding after Elon Musk acquired the platform. This opened the door for the social space to become more competitive (TikTok also recently announced their own text-based features). In fact, Twitter’s usage has declined by 25% since Musk has taken over, and even Twitter’s most active users are tweeting less overall. On top of this, traffic to Twitter has decreased by almost 6% from January 2023 to June 2023. Additionally, in the US alone, Twitter has lost roughly five million users, going from 88 million down to 83 million. Although, Twitter still has about 200 million active users globally.

Meanwhile, Threads reached 100 million users within a few days after its launch—which is one of the fastest growth rates for a social media app ever recorded. However, that number declined just as rapidly as the app has seen a 70% decline in daily active users since then. This indicates that Instagram users are likely trying out Threads, then deciding to opt out and delete their accounts shortly after.

In short, it’s too soon to tell the longevity of Threads in comparison with Twitter—especially with Twitter continuing to throw changes at us by the minute, like the recent rebrand of Twitter into “X.” However, keeping in mind the key similarities and differences between the two can help your business stay ahead of the game.

Should your business be on Instagram Threads?

So, if the Instagram Threads user base continues to ebb and flow, should your business even be on there?

The short answer is yes. You want to maximize your business’s online presence and ensure your brand is easily found online. Keeping up with your business’s listings, social media profiles, and general web presence increases your brand reputation. Also, there are no costs associated with joining Instagram Threads that would eat at your marketing budget.

Think of it this way: if a potential customer is looking for your business on Threads, it’s better to be on there than not. Plus, an Instagram Threads account is quick and easy to create (more on this next).

However, like with anything in marketing, there is no right or wrong answer when it comes to what’s best for your business. You don’t want to take on another platform if you don’t have the bandwidth to properly manage your account. For example, if you don’t have a strong business Instagram account, it’d likely be best to work on your Instagram first before trying out Threads.