It’s been a whole year since the launch of Threads, the text-based app rival to X (formerly Twitter), and a lot has happened since then. In this blog we look at how the Threads app has evolved in the last twelve months since it launched, its key features and how it differs to X, and whether law firms should be using it.
What is Threads?
Threads is a text-based conversation app created by Meta, that is very similar in style and functionality to X. It was launched on 5 July 2023 and within five days, it had over 100 million users, making it the most successful app launch of all time to date. At the time of writing, the app now has 175 million users.
The launch came at a time when Elon Musk was making a lot of controversial changes to X, which prompted Meta to push Threads out a day earlier than planned in the hope of winning users looking for an alternative to X. This meant that the app was still missing some key features like hashtags, direct messages and a desktop app at launch, which users found frustrating.
Threads is linked to Instagram, so to create an account, you must do so through your Instagram account (although you can now delete your account without also deleting your Instagram account). This means it is easy to follow lots of people at once as you’re able to auto-follow everyone you follow on your Instagram account.
How does Threads differ from X?
You might be thinking, how is Threads any different from X? Well, at first, Threads lacked some of the functionality that X had, but over the last twelve months, the app has continued to add more features. We’ve listed the features side by side in the table below for comparison.
The main difference between Threads and X is that there are no ads (at the time of writing) and the posts on Threads seem to be more friendly and conversational than on X, where it feels faster in pace. In one of his first ever Threads posts, Mark Zuckerberg said:
“The goal is to keep it friendly as it expands. I think it's possible and will ultimately be the key to its success. That's one reason why Twitter never succeeded as much as I think it should have, and we want to do it differently.”
The ability to block and mute people and even limit replies in your Threads are some of the more important features that have drawn people to the platform and given them a more positive experience than on X.
Many of the features that are free on Threads are now only accessible via a paid-for premium subscription on X, such as longer posts and video uploads, the verification blue check mark, and no ads. You can now no longer view analytics for your X account unless you are a paid subscriber too!
Should my law firm be on Threads?
We had a quick scroll through the law firms on Threads and found that most of them have either never posted or have posted once and never again! Perhaps these firms did not have the time to produce content and build their audience on another platform, or perhaps they joined on a whim to claim their account and then wait and see what happened. Either way, the legal sector seems to be fairly underrepresented on the app.
As a platform, it offers little in the way of unique features that drives growth and since it is still a relatively new app, the userbase is still growing. If you’re looking to expand your audience beyond the one you already have, Threads might not be the tool to help you achieve this.
Recently, Threads launched a feature allowing users to limit the number of political posts they see in their feeds. As a law firm, avoiding political posts is nothing new, however, for an app that purports to be the place to go for meaningful conversations, this may put people off joining or drive people to leave.
However, Threads is still evolving, and there are certain exciting new updates that may broaden its appeal and attract new users.
In June, Threads started to allow people to like and see replies to their Threads posts that appear on other federated platforms, or ‘the fediverse’. ‘What on earth is the fediverse’ I hear you cry! The fediverse is a collection of social media services that can communicate with each other with the aim of taking control from Big Tech and handing it to the people.
In the fediverse, no one person or group of people controls it, your data is not sold or shared, and user privacy is high, It fosters communities where you can have meaningful conversations rather than fighting to have your voice heard.
On the flip side, the lack of rules and myriad platforms can make it daunting and confusing for your average social media user to keep up with.
Threads also released their API for developers in June, allowing them to build ‘unique integrations’ into the platform and give power to their users. As new features and integrations are built, more users may be drawn to the platform.
As with any new platform you are considering joining, it’s important to think about who your target audience is, what platforms they are on and whether you can create the kind of content that the platform and your audience will engage with and find valuable.
If you need any support with social media or have any questions about Threads, please get in touch with the team at Conscious on 0117 325 0200 or email us at sales@conscious.co.uk.