Threads: How Publishers Can Thrive on Instagram's Latest App

Social media platforms are among the top three traffic drivers for news and media publications. In fact, recent statistics reveal that a whopping 4.74 Billion people are active on Social Media across the globe. Clearly, this is clear opportunity for audience development using your content.

While the traffic potential from social media is vast, social media platforms such as Twitter have been in the news for their erratic decisions, affecting both users and news publishers. Looking at the opportunity, Meta has launched yet another social media platform called Threads.

What is Instagram Threads? 

Threads is a new app-only microblogging site by Meta which also owns social media giant, Instagram. Unlike Instagram, Threads puts all the focus on conversations, not just photos and videos. In fact, it strikes a neat balance between photos, videos and conversations unlike other platforms we have seen before..

It wouldn’t be wrong to say that Threads draws inspiration from Twitter while bringing over some of the best bits of Instagram. It feels similar to Twitter without some limitations (I’ll dive into those later in the article). Users can log in to this new platform using their Instagram IDs making the onboarding process very simple. Similarly, Instagram bios and profile pictures are also carried over. People get the option to start afresh or follow the same people they do on Instagram encouraging conversations and boosting engagement right away. Chris Cox, Meta’s Chief Product Officer also claimed that its Twitter competitor will be “sanely run”. Claims and promises aside, as a publisher there are a plethora of social media platforms to choose from, so why should you focus on Threads?

Here are key reasons why Threads is hard to ignore. 

1. Your Audience is Already There
   
   When you sign up on a new social media platform, you start from scratch and build a new audience. It’s like starting off with a blank slate. Threads is different in this aspect and allow you to connect to your audience from Instagram.
   
   So once you create your publication’s account on Threads, your followers on Instagram automatically start following you. This is a massive advantage over earlier social media platforms where you had to start from scratch. Here, your entire audience is available for you to reach out to.
2. Building newer Audiences
   
   You don’t start from zero, that’s a great plus. But given that it’s a new platform with a different form of content, Meta has opened up the user feed. As a result people not only see updates from those they follow but also from other Threads accounts that its algorithm thinks is relevant. This becomes a great opportunity for bloggers and publications to gain followers. If you are a blogger or publication catering to sports, entertainment and lifestyle categories, this is your opportunity to really gain some serious followers.
3. In-Line Commenting Makes it Engaging
   
   Tracking comments on Twitter wasn’t easy. With multiple people being tagged and a character limit to adhere to made commenting on Twitter less appealing. Threads brings Instagram-style in-line commenting which makes it convenient to track conversations happening in the comment section for your readers. These comments can be liked and replied to as well giving you (the publisher) a clear idea of what your audience likes on this platform.
   
   
4. No 280-character Limit
   
   If you disliked limiting your news updates to Twitter’s 280 character limit, Threads will feel like a welcome change. Meta’s new microblogging app allows for up to 500 characters giving you more space for all the updates. You can get more information out in a single post on Thread compared to Twitter. While we are talking about limits, I’d like to add that video is limited to 5 minutes in length which is an improvement over Twitter’s 2 min 20 sec limit.
5. Verified From Day 1
   
   The Blue Tick of verification holds a lot of value, at least it did before Elon Musk took over Twitter. If your publication’s Instagram page is verified, the Threads account gets verified by default. And this adds weight to your updates on the platform getting you better discovery and rewarding you with new followers.
6. Engaging Multimedia
   
   Meta has taken a leaf out of its Instagram playbook here. Multimedia posts on Threads look way more engaging compared to other social platforms. Just like Instagram, you can share 10 photos at a time.Threads also supports vertical video formats making consumption more engaging for users. Publishers can simply use the same content they create for Instagram. Hitting two birds with one stone.
7. External linking
   
   Unlike Instagram, which nuked external links on its platform, Infact you had to resort to tricks to drive traffic from Instagram to your website. Threads allows external links in posts helping news and media publisher to drive traffic from this platform to their websites.
   
   

These are some of the few reasons for publishers to get onto the Threads bandwagon as soon as possible. Threads does not need you to heavily tailor content for its platform, you can repurpose content that you would post on Instagram with a few tweaks. Alternatively, you can also use Instagram Stories to drive traffic to your Threads account, allowing you to use the power of two social media platforms at once.