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Will Meta Threads Knock Twitter Off Its Throne?
Get ready for a peek behind the curtain, folks! It's time to take a stroll through the best from Meta Threads.
Read Time: 6 min
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The New Threads Logo
Meta Threads has been making headlines recently and for good reason. Threads have quickly become a significant player in the space, boasting over 50 million users at the time of writing. This impressive feat has put Threads in direct competition with Twitter, one of the biggest names in social media.
What's more, it achieved the impressive milestone of reaching 1 million active users, faster than ChatGPT, which previously held the title.
The question that's been on everyone's mind lately is whether this is the beginning of the end for Twitter. Will users start abandoning the platform in favour of Threads, or will they stick together and weather the storm?
On the other hand, could Twitter outsmart Threads and win back its audience?
Will Threads continue to gain ground and become the new king of social media, or will Twitter find a way to maintain its dominance?
Only time will tell. But while we wait, let us try to understand how effective is Threads, and whether can it beat Twitter. We will consider some key aspects of the Threads app for this comparative case study.
Onboarding Experience
The onboarding experience for Threads has been a hot topic of discussion lately. It all starts with connecting your Instagram account to Threads, but there's a catch - deleting your Threads account means saying goodbye to your Instagram account as well! Understandably, this has not gone over well with many users.
Combining or interconnecting two different products is generally not a good idea. This is because users have different expectations, experiences, and purposes for each product, even if one is an "extension" of the other. These differences, no matter how small, can significantly impact user satisfaction and the success of the product.
Creating separate products that are designed to meet the unique needs of users is usually a better approach. This allows each product to be tailored to its specific audience and purpose, providing a more focused and streamlined user experience. By avoiding the pitfalls of combining products, companies can ensure that each product is able to stand on its own and thrive in the market.
Moreover, Threads is marketed as Instagram’s text-based conversation app. You can import your following and other profile details from IG. However, the app is supposed to compete with Twitter which is also a micro-blogging app. So, do you notice the catch?
Deepak Krishnan, ex-VP of Myntra, rightly points out in one of his LinkedIn posts that it makes no sense to integrate with Instagram.
Especially, since it is supposed to compete with Twitter! He then goes on to explain that Twitter users share their purpose and experiences more with LinkedIn. And that Instagram is a place for a chilling and relaxing session — for funny content, sports, fashion, travel, food, and the like.
However, many think otherwise.
Aakash Gupta, VP of Product at Apollo, calls this integration a work of art! He justifies his statement by saying top IG profiles/creators can benefit from this big time. He also denotes that MrBeast’s already hit 100K on Threads!
No Ads (So Far)!
Threads launched without any ads, but the future may hold a different story. Meta generates most of its revenue by tracking users' online activity and using it to target ads to them.
While Threads is currently ad-free, Meta has hinted that this could change down the road.
The possibility of ads on Threads leaves us concerned about privacy and the intrusive nature of targeted advertising. However, ads are a necessary evil in today's digital landscape, and they help to keep platforms like Threads free for users.
Fediverse Compatibility
Meta has stated that it would be fediverse compatible. Fediverse is a term used to describe a network of independent social media platforms that are connected to each other.
It's a combination of the words "federation" and "universe," which reflects the idea of a shared space that is made up of many different parts.
It enables you to connect with people on other platforms, share content, and engage in conversations without having to create new accounts on each platform.
The ActivityPub protocol makes this possible for Threads, by allowing different platforms like Mastodon and WordPress, to communicate with it seamlessly.
Moreover, the fediverse offers developers a unique opportunity to create new and innovative features for social media platforms.
This can lead to exciting new developments that can benefit users across multiple networks. By fostering collaboration and sharing, the fediverse can help drive innovation in the world of social media. Eventually making Threads competitive to Twitter.
The Algorithm Chooses your Feed, Not You :(
Welcome to Threads, where the feed is a wild mix of accounts you've chosen to follow and suggestions generated by the almighty algorithm. It's like a game of social media roulette, where you never know what you're going to get!
Unfortunately, there's no way to filter out unwanted posts or clear the home screen of people you didn't select. But fret not, Instagram's head honcho Adam Mosseri has promised that a follower-only list is in the works.
And if you're one of those people who likes to keep things in order, you might be disappointed to learn that there's no way to make your feed chronological.
The Threads algorithm is trying to do its best to predict what you'll find most interesting, which can be hit or miss at times. While it is too early to predict anything on this feature, I can say its pretty decent for engagement.
So buckle up and get ready for a wild ride on Threads - where anything can happen and the algorithm reigns supreme!
Summary
The future of Meta Threads and Twitter is uncertain, but one thing is for sure - there's a lot at stake. As both platforms continue to evolve and expand their user bases, it will be fascinating to see how things play out.
With its rapid growth and impressive performance, it's clear that Threads is a force to be reckoned with in the world of social media.
Its innovative features and user-friendly design have captured the attention of millions of users around the world, and it shows no signs of slowing down. It will be exciting to see what the future holds for this rising star in the social media landscape.
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