Why?
It seems like such a simple question, yet many marketers and brands need to remember to ask it before diving into the following trendy social media network.
People are shocked Threads went from the most downloaded app to hemorrhaging users. Maybe it’s helpful to know that a 30-day retention rate for any app averages out at 4.3%.
Whether you are a Meta or a small business, the app space is a steep uphill climb that requires millions of downloads to sustain a few authentic users. Threads only proved that it cannot escape what every app faces daily>> the struggle to keep users engaged.
When Threads first burst onto the app market, clients asked if they should invest their time and energy into the new social media network. My answer to all clients was that they should claim their handle on threads, and then we should analyze whether the network is truly where their resources should be going. Strategically, was Threads a channel that could help them reach their goals?
Now, take a moment and think, really think >> Did you ask yourself the same question before diving into the new network and then (maybe) abandoning it 30 days later?
Not all shiny new tech and networks are for all brands. While it’s fun to be an early adopter, it’s also essential to weigh the pros and the cons and always revisit your original strategy. If a channel does not support your goals, it’s not for you. Play with it for fun, but don’t drag your whole team into a Threads rabbit hole because it’s “cool” and “new.”
Threads hoped to increase user engagement by debuting a web version earlier this week. Unfortunately, Similarweb reported that the traffic increase was only 3 percent globally, and the traffic likely came from users who already have the app installed. Eek.
Maybelline has found engagement on Threads, but Athleta’s creative director recently told DigiDay that they are dropping off so it doesn’t distract them from their overall goals.
Zuckerberg should have focused on creating an innovative social media network rather than trying to recreate Twitter. Threads feels like a first-generation Twitter, clunky and so early 2000s. It lags behind the current artificial intelligence landscape, almost seeming like Zuckerberg was not “reading the room” when he created the platform.
Zuckerberg severely missed the mark with a world heading towards artificial intelligence (AI). The types of artificial intelligence are limitless, and large language models are essentially replacing the human brain and driving the creation of different kinds of real-time communities online. Diving into machine learning models and reinforcement learning would have been a more strategic route for Zuckerberg.
The term artificial intelligence seems void from Zuckerberg’s vocabulary as he continues to mess up Facebook ads and Threads. Instead of improving their machine learning algorithm, hiring more computer science pros, and improving speech recognition, he has chosen to copycat another social media network.
Zuckerberg teased Reuters that “hooks” are on the way to draw more people into Threads. He claimed he’s not worried and believes the app will grow and become a significant social media network. One of those hooks was the web version that landed on its face.
One of our slogans at Sherman Social is that we have no gimmicks, only proven excellence. Zuckerberg’s promise of future “hooks” feels like Threads will see a future of tricks to try to get a more substantial user base. A gimmick-prone environment is not where you want to be as a brand, let alone as an individual.
Jumping headfirst into Threads would be a disservice to your social media strategy and resources. It is not worth spreading your team thin to be number one on this new social network.
The best you can do is revisit your social media strategy and decide if Threads will reach your goals. If the answer is yes, repurpose some content to test the platform. Your testing will provide you with an answer as to how much effort you should put into Threads.
Invest time into how the world is trending >> AI and more advanced ways of online communication. Social media is fun, but even solid social media networks are struggling. You do not need another headache in your marketing life.
-Marji J. Sherman
