Why This Twitter Alternative May be the Right Answer for Your Brand
X, formerly known as Twitter, is experiencing a lot of turmoil, including uncertainty on pricing, and people are looking for an alternative to the platform. But there are so many different options out there that it can be difficult to know which Twitter alternative you should invest your marketing budget in so you can continue reaching your target audience. One of those alternatives is Threads. In this article, we will take a look at the benefits of using Threads and if you should start an account for your brand.
What is Threads?
Threads is a platform offered by Meta, owner of Facebook and Instagram. Because Threads has this name recognition, it surpassed 100 million users within the first week of existence. It is connected to Instagram and you must have an Instagram account in order to start a Threads account.
Think of Threads as the text-based version of Instagram. You can still share videos and pictures, but the main focus on Threads is on sharing information through text copy. You are allowed 500 characters for Threads posts and videos up to 5 minutes long. And as the name would suggest, you can create “threaded” posts, where you can have multiple posts connected.
Some say that Threads is a near carbon copy of Twitter. Elon Musk, owner of X, has openly mulled filing a lawsuit against Meta owner Mark Zuckerberg. This spat has created some instability in the digital landscape and it’s understandable that marketers are unsure of whether to invest their time and money into Threads or any X alternative. It can also seem daunting to add yet another digital platform to the mix.
Should You Invest Your Marketing Budget into Threads?
Threads does appear to be very popular as an alternative to X as of now. Twitter was so popular among marketers, journalists, celebrities, and the broader user base because of its real-time and succinct nature. If Threads can capture that magic and hold on to it, there could be big payoff in making the switch or adding it to the mix.
If your brand already has an Instagram account, it’s easy to install Threads and create your account as it uses your Instagram credentials to log in and get you started. You can even opt to carry over other settings when starting your Threads account. In fact, Threads has made it easy for advertisers to add their entire Instagram following nearly instantaneously, making it a breeze to set up promotions and campaigns.
Just keep in mind that if you do start a Threads account, it currently isn’t easy to go back. Because it is connected to your Instagram account, you can’t just simply delete your Threads account. In order to get rid of a Threads account, you have to also delete your Instagram account. But you can deactivate your Threads account for a limited amount of time, and Meta has also indicated that it’s working on a solution for this issue.
The bottom line: It’s easy to start a Threads account if you have an Instagram account. If your brand found X/Twitter a great place to reach your audiences, chances are, they too are on Threads! There really is no right or wrong decision in terms of opening a Threads account. But how much you invest in it will be different for every brand. Weigh your options, and perhaps experiment with engagement and ROI on the platform. Because it is more text-focused, it doesn’t require as many resources to create content, making it less of a risk to do some testing before deciding to invest a larger amount of time and money into the platform.