Social media is an ever-changing market with new platforms emerging more frequently, and old ones fading into the MySpace and Vine oblivion faster than you can double-tap a post. The last few months in particular have been a wild ride for social media enthusiasts (like myself) with the launch of Meta’s new app, Threads, and the re-branding of the classic platform Twitter to X.
We have a lot of thoughts about both of these social media platforms, but more importantly, we’ll dive into our recommendations for how businesses can leverage them. Let’s take a look at everything you need to know before creating a social media strategy for your business on either of these platforms.
What Is Threads and How Does It Work?
Threads is a product of Mark Zuckerberg and his Meta Platform, so it’s closely integrated with Instagram and has been described as “Instagram’s text-based conversation app”. Where Instagram is all about the photos, Threads is all about the words.
The feed is incredibly reminiscent of Twitter, with short blurbs of text, images, videos, and quick options to interact via likes, reposts, and replies. The main difference between Threads and X that Zuckerberg is trying to assert is the emphasis on kindness and being friendly to one another. Which is great in theory, but not so easy in reality.
You can download Threads directly from your Instagram account and it will transfer all of the people you follow who have an account over (if you choose). The setup process is really quick and efficient, so for businesses with an established Instagram account, it should only take a few minutes to get Threads up and running.
How You Can Use Threads for Your Business
While the Threads platform does not currently have the option to purchase ad space, advertising is likely inevitable and will become a significant player in Threads’ overall revenue. It’s already been rumored that they’re working on making the same Instagram content tools for ads available once Threads reaches a larger user base.
Even without ads, brands, and businesses can still benefit from posting on threads to boost organic traffic to their websites and strengthen their social media presence.
The Transition from Twitter to X
Only a few short weeks after the launch of Threads, Elon Musk announced the rebranding of Twitter to X. Not only does this feel significant with the competition that Threads presents, but it’s also the first time any major social media app with tens of millions of active users has changed its name before. And while we may all miss seeing the blue and white bird logo on our home screens, X is here to stay.
It may seem like the rebrand was in response to the release of Threads, but Musk has been gearing up for the change since purchasing the platform. When he bought Twitter, he formed a new parent company, X Corp., for the transaction and actually started a website with the URL X.com back in 1999. That site was originally an online bank that later merged with PayPal, and now, nearly two decades later, he bought the X.com website back from PayPal.
Musk has said he envisions X as an “everything app” that will allow users to share social media posts, order dinner, and transfer money. It seems as though Twitter was just the vessel Musk needed to kick off this new sort of all-encompassing platform with an already built-in user base.
Should Businesses Still Use X (Twitter)?
With everything we now know about the estimated trajectory of X as a platform, it’s hard to say if businesses should stick with the site long-term. For now, the social media site still has a huge amount of users and many brands have built communities on the site that they’ll want to keep. If your business has been consistently posting to Twitter as part of your social media campaign over the years—and it’s been successful—then we recommend continuing what works!
If you’re not seeing much engagement from your Twitter efforts, it may be time to try out Threads or prioritize the platforms your customers are using the most (for many small businesses, that’s Facebook and Instagram).
Threads, Tweets, and Everything In Between
As a business owner, you may be reeling at all of your social media choices. Should you make a Threads account, continue to post on X, put all your efforts towards TikTok, or simply melt into a puddle of social media stress?
While these are all options you could choose, the easiest way to decide is to let us handle it for you! Our digital marketing team at Webspec is full of social media-savvy individuals with a knack for content strategy and implementation across platforms, both new and old.
Reach out today to connect with our team!
