The Benefits of Threads Adding More Elements to Your Content
What are the benefits of the threads adding more elements to your content?
While Meta’s Threads app raced to 100 million members in less than a week after its initial launch, setting a new growth record, it’s dropped significantly ever since, with the app now sitting on 128 million users eight weeks out from its full release.
It has added only another 28 million members in seven weeks, averaging 4 million per week. Hence, it is a huge decline from its early hyped rise.
And those figures are members, not active users of the platform. Threads has a big advantage because it has prompted Instagram users to create an account, with an easy and streamlined account creation process linking the two apps.
But its actual user numbers are much lower, with the latest third-party reports indicating that Threads is now serving just 10 million daily active users, down from a peak of 49 million DAU in July. Threads’ average session time is also down to just 3 minutes.
X currently has around 250 million daily active users, with an average session time of 25 minutes.
Does it mean that the game of Threads is over?
So does that mean that the dream is over, that Threads is done for, and that we should accept that nothing will ever surpass Twitter, now X, for real-time engagement with the users?
It is still very hard to say because while the engagement numbers could be better, X continues to alienate significant portions of its audience.
What more Threads is going to do to increase its value?
Meanwhile, Threads continues to add more functionality. It could still become a more significant platform and fill a role in the social media landscape.
The release of a Threads web app was a major development and likely led to increased engagement.
However, the need for an API and related scheduling functionality is still a factor that has caused some major publishers and creators to hesitate to make a bigger Threads push.
What does Techmeme founder Gabe Rivera have to say on this?
Techmeme founder Gabe Rivera recently said that specifying the lack of API as a key impediment to his publication makes Threads a bigger focus.
It could be a more significant hurdle than it seems, and once Instagram can facilitate API access, it will see more publications emphasizing Threads.
Given Elon Musk’s regular criticisms and attacks, users can tell you many are keen to find an alternative.
Elon may be underrating the value of journalists to his platform in this respect. And while it might help to make him look cool to his friends and followers to trash the “mainstream media” whenever he can,
Statements like this will continue to erode his relationship with highly influential and active app users; it could also play into Meta’s favor.
What more is Meta doing for Threads?
Meta is also exploring new ways to promote Threads. In addition, it is prompting users to create a Threads account too. It includes new Threads to highlight elements inserted into the main IG feed.
With a huge captive audience across its other tools, Meta has many opportunities to drive more awareness of Threads, and these combined efforts are helping to move more downloads of the app and get more people looking at Threads in a way.
But people will only stick around if the actual in-app experience is great. Meta needs to get more influential users who can prioritize Threads to make it a more compelling and engaging space.
It is not there yet. At such comparatively low usage levels, Threads still feels a little bare, a little empty, and it does not take long for the algorithm to start throwing increasingly random posts your way as it runs out of its most engaging updates to show you.
Is there still an opportunity for Meta?
There is still an opportunity, driven mostly by the desire to leave X, but Threads has not cracked the code or fully fleshed out its platform enough as yet to become a real replacement for the Twitter experience.
But it is still early, and the Threads team is still working. So, while there are regular updates proclaiming Threads’ demise, those will likely keep coming.
Users like you should monitor the situation for now and keep tabs on how significant the Elon backlash is and how that relates to key segments of X’s user base seeking another option.
What Threads is offering now?
Essentially, Threads now offers a mostly functional alternative; It could become even more significant if Elon decides to implement another major update to his app.
In this respect, the next shift could be key, opening the door wider for Threads to take hold.
Do you want to know more?
Click here to learn more about all the new updates on Threads and other social media platforms.