Instagram Threads App Explained: Twitter Alternatives

The Ultimate Guide to Instagram Threads: An Instagram app from Meta

Meta Launches Threads App: A Twitter Rival Heating Up the Social Media Sphere

Social Media Analyst Kris Ruby, CEO of Ruby Media Group, was recently on Local News Live and TRT Nexxus discussing the Threads app.

Social media has become an integral part of our lives, enabling us to connect, build community, and stay up-to-date with the latest trends and news.

New social platforms provide even more options to market your message and extend your reach.

Here’s what you need to know to dominate on Threads.

What are Threads on Instagram?

Meta’s text-based Twitter rival enters the competition 

Instagram Threads was launched by Meta in July 2023. The platform allows users to post short text updates, connect with friends, and market your business to a large audience.

Threads will soon be compatible with open interoperable social networks.

Meta Product News: Introducing Threads

• Threads is a new app built by Instagram for sharing text updates.
• Threads is a standalone app, but it’s connected to your Instagram account.
• Conversations are public.
• You log into Threads using your Instagram account.
• Posts can be up to 500 characters long and include links, photos, and videos up to 5 minutes long.

Meta’s Threads: The ultimate guide to leveraging the latest social media platform

In this article, we delve into the hottest new social media app Threads, exploring its features and potential impact on the social media landscape.

The latest move by Meta reflects Instagram’s desire to expand its user base and tap into a highly coveted market of those looking for viable Twitter alternatives.

What is Instagrams Threads app?

Twitter is still the established choice used by millions of the world’s most famous and influential people.

Enter Threads. Threads has a very similar interface to Twitter.

You might say they look virtually indistinguishable, but Threads is still lacking basic functionality such as private messaging and search.

Twitter is prioritizing verified users in replies, while Threads has enabled users to move over all of their followers from Instagram, giving huge audiences to influencers and companies with large established followings.

TL;DR: It will be easier to build an organic following from scratch on Threads if you already have a built in audience.

How to find Instagram Story Threads:

Step 1: Download the Threads app from your device’s app store

Download the Instagram Threads app

Step 2: View someones Threads profile on desktop:

https://www.threads.net/@krisruby

How many users does Meta Threads have?

Five days after the initial release, 100 million users signed up to Threads.

Threads saw impressive sign-up numbers when it was released at the start of July, but since then daily users have fallen off a cliff. Threads daily active users were 8 million at the end of July, while X is said to have more than 250 million daily active users.

META LAUNCHES THREADS. SOCIAL MEDIA EXPERT KRIS RUBY WEIGHS IN.

In the ever-evolving world of social media, the competition to captivate users’ attention is fierce.

Instagram, owned by Meta (formerly Facebook), recently launched their latest product, the Meta Threads app.

What is Instagram Threads and how does it work?

Threads: an Instagram app from Meta

Meta, the company that owns Facebook and Instagram, recently launched a new app called Threads. It’s similar to Twitter but with a twist.

The new platform is being positioned as a direct rival to Twitter, aiming to attract executives and professionals seeking a different kind of social networking experience.

Threads has been referred to as the new Twitter killer. Meta launched the product and it is essentially a bare bones version of Twitter where you can post different text based Threads.

You can interact with people that you know from Instagram or anywhere really. You can port over your bio from Instagram. You can post different short form text based messages, posts, and threads. You can post links as well. Threads also has some of the quote tweet features similar to Twitter.

Instagram integration interaction options with Threads:

Threads is powered by Instagram. Think carefully about the type of content you want to post on Instagram vs. Threads.

Content repurposing is not the same as new content from scratch.

Consider if you want to follow everyone you follow on Instagram or start fresh by following new people.

Pro Tip: It is never too late to start over.

Threads Privacy Concerns

When it comes to our privacy, that’s always a really big thing, especially with new apps.

How do we keep our information protected?

It’s important to understand that there are serious privacy concerns with Threads.

For example, Threads is not even available in the EU due to privacy concerns on Threads data sharing and compliance with the Digital Markets Act.

Threads is not available in the European Union, European Economic Area, or Switzerland.

Threads is a step backwards for consumers who are concerned with data privacy, and particularly with Meta’s terms of service.

Another criticism and key issue is generative AI and how user data is being used for training data in Meta’s machine learning models.

It’s important for consumers to know that what you write and what you post on Threads can be used by Meta to train their machine learning models. They explicitly state that in their terms of service.

If you don’t want your writing or images used to train a model, plan accordingly.

Now that AI has gone mainstream, what can individuals do to better protect their privacy?

It is important to read the terms of service for any new social media app you use to see what type of personal information is being collected. In particular, look for a generative AI or machine learning clause that explains to users how their data is being used and if they have the ability to opt out of any future training models. Unfortunately, the default for many companies is set to opt in. In the future, we may see this change with a do not train opt out button, where the feature is not automatically turned on to use biometric data in machine learning models to train.

Privacy and digital surveillance remain a crucial component of online platform decisions.

Privacy conscious consumers are increasingly looking for platforms that have built in end-to-end encryption and do not collect and endless amount of data to sell to third-party advertisers.

In this regard, Threads leaves much to be desired. Given the onslaught of privacy issues Facebook has had over the past decade, it is concerning that Threads continues to track more data than many other apps.

That’s all really good information. I think a lot of times when people see something new, they just want to hop on what’s new because everyone else is doing it without really taking these types of concerns to mind.

The Rise of Twitter Alternatives

Is there a rival to Twitter?

Could the new app potentially be the Twitter killer? 

I don’t think Threads is going to kill Twitter. I realize everyone in the media is saying it’s going to kill Twitter.

We’ve been through this hype cycle now at least five other times. Every time there’s a new app the media calls it the Twitter killer. But it just doesn’t kill Twitter.

There is usually a lot of attention at the beginning, but over time, the attention drops off and users go back to the platforms they are comfortable with.

Signups do not equate to staying power when it comes to new social media apps.

Will Threads kill Twitter?

As the battle for social media dominance intensifies, the question arises: will Threads kill Twitter?

Twitter is where the action is. It’s the intersection of politics and media.

Twitter does have issues, but at the end of the day, it’s a much more established product compared to Threads.

From a privacy perspective, Threads feels like a step back.

Many users have decoupled from Meta because of their invasive approach to privacy, and it’s hard to now go back into that ecosystem.

When we talk about privacy or social media censorship and not being allowed to say certain words due to machine learning – to report those concerns for years and then go straight back into that ecosystem again is disheartening. It can feel like no progress was made.

I started testing the content moderation functionality to see what the safety filters look like.

While it remains to be seen if Threads will eventually kill Twitter, the introduction of new social media alternatives demonstrates the industry’s commitment to expansion.

Threads exhibits a lack of innovation.

Nothing great was ever built by copying others.

Will Threads replace Twitter?

Do I think Threads is a true alternative to Twitter? No.

The reason I think that is because Adam Mosseri of Instagram said that they don’t necessarily want Threads as a place for politics or news.

They are very clearly stating they don’t view it as an alternative because Twitter is the place for news and Threads is not.

Regardless of whether people agree or disagree with that, Twitter is still where all of the journalists are.

in a recent post on Threads, Mosseri stated, “We won’t discourage or down-rank news or politics, we just won’t court them the way we have in the past. If we are honest, we were too quick to promise too much to the industry on Facebook in the early 2010s, and it would be a mistake to repeat that…”

Threads Vs. Twitter

What is the difference between Threads and Twitter?

Instagram’s Meta Threads app is focused on creating a more positive social media environment.

Threads does not want the platform to be focused on hard news or political content.

Rather, it is focused on brand activations, influencers, and community engagement.

This lends itself well to the needs of executives and professionals, distinguishing itself from the toxic nature of Twitter.

The culture of Twitter is engrained in breaking news.

Instagram executives stated that Threads will not be focused on politics or news.

Twitter is a unique ecosystem for conversations pertaining to breaking news.

Threads also lacks live social audio, whereas Twitter has Twitter Spaces, which is a major draw for journalists.

While the Meta Threads app provides an alternative social media platform, it is not an alternative for the primary Twitter use case: the place you go to find breaking news.

Twitter’s appeal to a broader audience focused on news and politics remains strong.

It would be premature to declare the demise of Twitter in light of Instagram’s latest product offering.

Twitter has its own loyal user base, with its real-time updates, live audio, enhanced search, hashtags, and retweet features.

In recent months, Musk has added enhanced video functionality and launched creator subscriptions on Twitter.

Will that be enough to keep people on Twitter?

Only time will tell- and as it stands- the creator subscription offering is filled with issues, making it not a true creator program, and instead, something only available to people hand picked by Musk.

This type of behavior may ultimately encourage some of the top creators to flee Twitter to other platforms.

Twitter needs to value all creators, not just the creators Musk likes.

The only thing that can kill Twitter is not a new alternative, but rather, Twitter itself.

Poor leadership will run Twitter into the ground before any new app does.

Should you switch to Threads from Twitter?

Twitter is a search engine. However, on Threads, you can currently only search for users, not topics. This is a serious issue and limits content discoverability.

Migrating to Threads would mean giving up Twitter search. You should not switch to Threads in place of Twitter if you value the search capability of Twitter.

You won’t find any search replacement on Threads, and you may find it frustrating to find new content and people to follow outside of those you already follow on Instagram.

That being said, if enhanced Twitter search is not a primary feature that you use, Threads may be worth checking out.

If you primarily use Twitter as a source of news, you should not switch to Threads.

If you are looking for another platform to expand your brand and build a following, Threads is a good social media tool to have as part of your content strategy to expand visibility.

At a minimum, you should secure your handle on Threads for brand protection.

Meta’s text-based platform Threads

How Threads fits into the social media landscape

As the social media landscape continues to evolve, Instagram’s Meta Threads app emerges as a strong contender in the social media race for dominance.

Threads or Twitter: which platform is better?

Do you think there is enough of an argument that an alternative to Twitter is required and that Threads fulfills that space?

There is a growing market demand for consumers looking for viable Twitter alternatives.

We need to zoom out and look at the big picture pertaining to the state of the social media industry and ask: why.

We’re witnessing the end of an era in social media.

The days are behind us where people once gathered in the digital public square on three major platforms that once held a market monopoly.

Today, I believe we are witnessing a digital diaspora. People are spreading out all over the place instead of gathering in the usual places online.

Whether they are going to Mastodon, Threads, Twitter, Truth Social or Bluesky, they are going somewhere.

And while many remain on Facebook and Instagram, people are spreading out all over the web into gated social communities.

Social Media Migration

Shaping the future of social networking: walled gardens, gated communities, and private content.

This symbolizes a hard line in the sand between public to private social. I predict public social will fall off in favor of private gated communities.

This is vastly different from the traditional social media structure where a few platforms dominated public discourse.

It will also make it significantly harder to follow what everyone is saying the more fragmented the social media landscape becomes.

Previously, if you were on any of these three platforms, you could feel pretty confident that there was a high likelihood that your community and network would be on there as well.

Those days are behind us.

In the future, it will be more challenging to connect with your friends and family on social media.

You can no longer assume everyone will be on the same social media platforms of your choice.

That in itself is a major societal shift.

Because the platforms are going to become more niche oriented, the flow of information will shift.

This will have consequences for the dissemination and flow of news.

As more people adopt federated social media on decentralized networks, it will further increase the digital diaspora and content divide.

The Fragmentation of Social Media

As the digital landscape evolves, users are scattering across a variety of platforms. From Twitter to Mastodon, Facebook to Instagram, BlueSky to Nostr, the digital diaspora is just getting started. This decentralization is causing what was once a centralized community found on major platforms to fragment into niche-oriented networks.

This shift towards decentralized social media has significant implications for how we interact online. For one, it’s making it harder for friends and family members to stay connected if they are spread out across various social media platforms. This fragmentation allows individuals with specific interests or needs to find communities that cater to their specific needs. However, despite the emerging alternatives like Threads, Twitter’s role as a news hub remains uncontested. Journalists and users alike still rely heavily on Twitter for breaking news updates and topical discussions.

While there are more options than ever when it comes to choosing where you spend your time online – every new platform must offer something unique to have staying power and MRR.

KEY IDEAS

1. The digital landscape is shifting from centralized to decentralized social media platforms, causing fragmentation and making it more difficult for people to stay connected.
2. The decentralized platforms are still centralized, but in a different way.
3. Twitter maintains its unique role as a news hub, despite emerging alternatives like Threads.
4. Instagram has openly stated it is disinterested in positioning Threads as a political or news platform.
5. Developing the Threads product with former Twitter employees is a major conflict of interest for Twitter.
6. Former Twitter engineers who left the company to work at Meta to develop Threads are a threat to Musk. The employees could bring along insights that could potentially influence the future product roadmap of Threads.
7. The rivalry between tech giants is personal and business-oriented, focused on seizing opportunities where they arise in the evolving digital landscape.

How does Threads fit into my social media strategy?

You can use Threads to boost engagement as part of your content marketing strategy. Threads is useful as part of a larger SEO campaign if you are looking to increase traffic for owned media content on your business blog.

It also provides networking opportunities, connecting like-minded professionals across various industries.

Instagram Threads is a helpful tool in your social media arsenal.

If personal branding is a marketing priority, Threads is a good platform to maintain credibility and build digital authority.

The platform is less saturated than Instagram or Facebook right now, and there is a limited window of opportunity to seize the organic reach before advertisers flood the platform next year.

Instagram Threads Strategy Example:

Use Threads to share recent press and mention mentions.

What is the Threads app for? 

• Social media posting
• Content marketing
• Personal branding

How to incorporate Threads into your B2B social media marketing strategy.

How should you use Threads for business?

• Repurpose existing content
• Post educational content
• Disseminate practice or business announcements
• Post press and media mentions
• Gather user generated content

Threads app Review

Pros

One of the key features of Threads is its emphasis on curated content. Unlike the constant influx of tweets on Twitter, the app aims to filter and deliver high-quality posts, providing users with a more focused and tailored experience.

This curated approach ensures that executives can quickly access relevant information, industry insights, and thought leadership from industry peers, saving executives time.

Familiar and Intuitive UI: Threads has a user-friendly interface similar to Twitter. The Meta Threads app is designed with a basic interface, leaving more to be desired.

The aesthetic aligns well with the preferences of executives who value efficiency and a clutter-free digital environment.

Targeting executives and professionals seeking a more refined social networking experience, the Threads app offers a curated platform for meaningful engagements with people you already know, whereas Twitter is focused on people you don’t already know.

Those seeking a more refined and professional social networking experience may like Threads more than Twitter.

Less political conversations can often mean less toxicity and social media harassment (ideally).

Cons

Meta Threads offers poor privacy settings, giving users little control over who can view their posts and engage with their content outside of making their profile private.

Increased data security is vital for professionals seeking to maintain a level of discretion in their online presence.

By not prioritizing privacy, Instagram is alienating a core privacy focused demo.

Today, executives value a safe and controlled environment for social media interactions.

What are some features that are currently missing from Threads?

• No analytics
• No direct messaging
• A “Following” feed
• GIFs
• Full web version support
• Editing posts
• Bookmark posts
• ALT text for images
• Search engine & discoverability
• Hashtags
• A way to see your own liked posts
• Trending topics
• The ability to hide who you are following and who follows you
• Save for later
• Highlighted media
• Polls
• Video view account
• Encrypted messages
• Chronological feel

What does Threads have to do to usurp the popularity of X/Twitter?

What changes or improvements should Threads make so that user numbers rise? How can Threads be better than Twitter? How does the Threads app/user experience need to change?

For Threads to have staying power in the market, it would need enhanced search capabilities. X is a powerful search engine. Threads is not. Threads still lacks basic search functionality. You cannot currently search for a topic on Threads.

Social media platforms are modern-day search engines. Consumers use social media platforms to search for information. Millennials now turn to TikTok to search for recommendations instead of Google. Why? Because they use TikTok as a search engine platform. If you cannot search by a topic on Threads, the overall functionality will remain limited.

Threads is also in direct competition with X to compete for creator interest. If creators are not eligible for ad revenue or subscriptions, that makes the platform less attractive to creators who are currently monetizing their content on X.

If Threads wants to directly compete against X, Threads would also need to attract interest from politicians and publishers as a hub for news and election content. Instagram has publicly stated they do not want to become the platform for news content.

Threads would also have to create a social audio feature equivalent or better to Twitter Spaces. If Threads wants to usurp X, they need to create something innovative. There is no stickiness feature on Threads that leads to an increase in daily active users on the platform. There is nothing keeping people on there because they can’t find all of the information they are looking for on Threads.

Threads is not an everything platform; it is not even offering the bare minimum of what people want as a viable competitor to X. X has repositioned itself as an everything platform, so for Threads to compete with it, it would also have to offer everything, too.

The reason Facebook succeeded is because Mark Zuckerberg created something new. He disrupted the way we communicate information. Threads is not disrupting the social media industry; it is copying what already exists, while offering less.

Unfortunately, the social media wars between Mark Zuckerberg and Elon Musk appear to be more about founder competition than actual product innovation.

We need to take the conversation back to the users. Too much of the discussion is focused on the founders of the platforms instead of the actual users on the platforms and what they actually want.

One reason why Threads is sinking in popularity is because the decisions to ship are directly proportional to the timeline of the brewing social media battles.

The race to social media dominance must be about the actual product. Even the question is fundamentally flawed of ‘What does Threads have to do to usurp the popularity of X?’

Social media dominance should not be about usurping the popularity of another platform. Rather, it needs to be rooted in core innovation, a superior product offering, and first to market advantage. One of the reasons Threads is struggling is because of precisely this: the emphasis on a popularity contest rather than what they actually launched.

When Facebook launched, no one was asking what they had to do to usurp the popularity of anything else. Why? Because they had a first mover advantage. Zuckerberg can have that again if he decides to innovate and stops trying to imitate.

What brands need to know about Threads:

Threads allows users to like, comment, repost, and share posts to your Instagram story or feed.

You can share your Threads to Instagram stories.

If you want to grow your brand and audience, cross sharing to Instagram will help you get more followers on Threads.

If you want to maximize your reach, it is a good idea to experiment with every new Twitter alternative until you find the platform that performs best for your business.

Instagram Threads Profile Management:

If you are an agency that manages multiple accounts on Threads, you can toggle back and forth between brand accounts.

Instagram Threads for business building:

• Thought leadership

• Establishing expertise and authority

• Networking + Community building

Threads Ad Monetization

There are currently no advertisers on the platform in the main Threads feed. This will most likely change after the first year.

Performance marketers are eagerly lining up to place ads on Threads due to the ability to reach a large audience and hyper target ad optimization.

Restrict, Block, or Mute on Threads?

“Mute just removes someone’s posts from feed, stories, or notes. Restrict does more. If they comment on your posts on Instagram, it looks like the commented but nobody else can see the comment unless you approve it, and if they DM you, those DMs go to the requests folder.”

Tech Titans’ Tussle – A Business Opportunity or a Personal Vendetta?

Was the launch of Threads purely a business decision where Meta saw an opening?

Zuckerberg wants a piece of the pie from Twitter.

“If there ever was an opening, now is the time,” said tech reporter Matt Binder in the TRT News segment.

Social Media Analyst Kris Ruby stated, “The timing is highly suspicious. Threads is a direct copy of Twitter.”

Musk Vs. Zuckerberg: The tussle between tech titans

Personal vendettas, seizing business opportunities, and new dynamics in the digital landscape

There has been speculation about tech billionaires conspiring against Elon Musk. However, upon closer examination of events leading up the launch of Mark Zuckerberg’s rival platform ‘Threads’, Binder asserted that Zuckerberg’s motivations align with long-standing ambitions rather than being an opportunistic move exploiting Musk’s missteps with Twitter. Ruby disagreed and thought the timing felt off.

Retaliation or claiming his share in the growing market?

Zuckerberg recognized the potential of microblogging before Musk purchased Twitter. He seized an opportune moment to launch the product.

Following Musk’s controversies at Twitter – Mark Zuckerberg claimed his share in the growing market of Twitter alternatives.

Is Zuckerberg, a tech billionaire, trying to put Elon Musk’s Twitter out of business with the launch of Threads?

For the past decade, Twitter held the primary position as the dominant social media platform for politics and media in the tech industry.

As Elon Musk continues to make questionable moves on the platform, Zuckerberg went in for the kill.

Still- Threads won’t put Twitter out of business.

Whether you are an executive looking for a new professional social platform or a casual user seeking a more positive brand experience, one thing is clear – more social media platforms means more content dissemination.

Don’t spread yourself too thin and post on the platform that you feel most comfortable on.

The choice for social media dominance now lies in the hands of consumers as they navigate the ever-expanding social media landscape.

With an assortment of new options to connect, it becomes increasingly easier to disconnect in real life.

Regardless of what platform you migrate to, make sure to connect with the people who matter to you offline.

Threads Social Media Marketing Services | New York, NY

“The best decision we made was hiring RMG for Instagram marketing. Not only did they help us grow our brand, but they also provided valuable insights and strategies to drive real results.” 

Looking to maximize your presence on Instagram? Ruby Media Group has our finger on the pulse of Instagram’s evolving landscape.

Hundreds of enterprise brands trust Ruby Media Group to manage their Instagram presence. Stay relevant. Boost your Instagram presence with Ruby Media Group.

Our expert led team of social media specialists at Ruby Media Group can help you grow your brand, increase engagement, and drive results on the new Threads App. Stand out from the competition.

“RMG has significantly increased our brand’s reach on Instagram. The team is knowledgeable and dedicated to delivering results.”

Increase brand visibility

RMG helps businesses increase brand visibility on Instagram, ensuring that your target audience sees your content and recognizes your brand.

Drive engagement and interaction

Our Instagram marketing service focuses on driving engagement and interaction with your target audience, helping you build a loyal community of followers on the new Threads App.

Maximize marketing results on the Threads App

With Ruby Media Group, you can maximize your results on the Threads App by leveraging our proven industry expertise in Instagram marketing. We’ll help you achieve your business goals.

“Thanks to RMG, our engagement on the Threads App has skyrocketed. We already have over 100 followers in five days. It’s been a game-changer for our practice.” -Doctor in New York

Boost your Instagram presence today.

Gain access to everything you need to launch on Threads

Want to boost engagement with patients on Threads?

Need help with an Instagram Threads Marketing Strategy?

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CONTACT US

Kris Ruby( CEO & Founder | Ruby Media Group )

KRIS RUBY is the CEO of Ruby Media Group, an award-winning public relations and media relations agency in Westchester County, New York. Kris Ruby has more than 15 years of experience in the Media industry. She is a sought-after media relations strategist, content creator and public relations consultant. Kris Ruby is also a national television commentator and political pundit and she has appeared on national TV programs over 200 times covering big tech bias, politics and social media. She is a trusted media source and frequent on-air commentator on social media, tech trends and crisis communications and frequently speaks on FOX News and other TV networks. She has been featured as a published author in OBSERVER, ADWEEK, and countless other industry publications. Her research on brand activism and cancel culture is widely distributed and referenced. She graduated from Boston University’s College of Communication with a major in public relations and is a founding member of The Young Entrepreneurs Council.  She is also the host of The Kris Ruby Podcast Show, a show focusing on the politics of big tech and the social media industry. Kris is focused on PR for SEO and leveraging content marketing strategies to help clients get the most out of their media coverage.