Threads – Will Meta’s new platform rival Twitter for B2B brands?

For at least the last decade, the social media landscape has been dominated by Facebook, Instagram and Twitter – for B2B, you can throw LinkedIn into the mix as well. As these channels have evolved, and issues such as privacy or ownership have sparked concerns, new platforms have entered the market, trying to offer a better social experience. The usual cycle ensues – the “fresh” new network or app promises to be “different”, initially sparks some excitement, a few early adopters proclaim that “actually, this is the Facebook beater” *cough* Google+... then, they fail to gain any traction.

Owned by Facebook and Instagram’s parent company Meta and its leader Mark Zuckerberg, Threads lets users share short updates, photos and videos with customers and followers. Of course, a social network, whether you’re a business or personal user, is only as good as its user base. It’s hard to tell so soon, but Threads already feels different.

Firstly, it’s run by a company with a wealth of social media experience and knowledge. On its first day, 30 million signed up (and it's still to launch in some places, such as the European Union). Furthermore, opening an account involves using your Instagram log-in – 1.6 billion people already have one of those, giving Threads a huge potential audience. It also comes at a time when the Twitter community, at least anecdotally, is crying out for an alternative since owner Elon Musk’s takeover late last year. Within his first month, around 4,400 of Twitter’s content moderators and developers had lost their jobs. This raised concerns about the platform's ability to tackle issues such as security, bots and misinformation. As a result, we advised clients and B2B marketers to take a cautious approach to the network in a blog post last December. The only problem was, we didn’t really have an alternative microblogging platform that would meet the same needs as Twitter to recommend.

Is Threads the one?

Before we look at what it could mean for B2B marketing, I’ve spent the last day or so having a play around with it myself using a personal account. And I like it. For context, I hadn’t personally been scrambling to jump off the Twitter ship – my user experience hasn’t massively decreased in the last year in the same way many others’ has. But Threads immediately felt clean, both in design and content. It felt like a place for people to just share their thoughts, like the early days of social media, free from bots, bloat, and misinformation and hate speech. It’s hard to know at this stage if Meta has a plan for successfully managing these common frustrations and challenges, but hopefully a blank canvas gives Meta the chance to implement better controls from the get-go.

For now, I’ve found myself rooting for Threads. I’d love the platform to take off, and I think B2B brands should ready themselves for it to be a success. Many people will use “switching” from Twitter as an opportunity to have a clear out, giving your brand an opportunity to stand out and actively connect with potential customers.

What could it mean for B2B marketing?

Threads could be a valuable tool for B2B marketers in several ways. First, as with Twitter, it can be used to build relationships with potential customers. Threads is a more personal and intimate space than other social media platforms, which can make it easier to connect with people on a human level. Second, Threads can be used to share short, bite-sized pieces of content that can help people learn more about your company and its products or services. Third, Threads can be used to drive traffic to your website or blog. So far, so similar to Twitter.

But there are some features which set it apart from Twitter, too. Threads allows a longer 500-character post limit (compared to 280 for Twitter), and 5-minute limits for videos (compared to Twitter’s 2 minutes and 20 seconds). Then there’s the fact that Threads is connected to Instagram, so you can easily share a Threads post to your Instagram story, for instance. The platform is also compatible with the World Wide Web Consortium’s ActivityPub open social networking protocol. This means Threads could be interoperable with other apps supporting the protocol, creating exciting potential connection possibilities for B2B marketers. On this subject, Meta says it hopes that “by joining this fast-growing ecosystem of interoperable services, Threads will help people find their community, no matter what app they use.”

Of course – all of this only becomes really useful if Threads sustains its strong start as a serious alternative to Twitter.

Should you use it?

At this early stage, we don’t yet know how Threads will pan out. The initial buzz might die down next week… or we might be looking at the next big social platform. One thing’s for sure, it’s certainly worth B2B marketers considering. By jumping on a social network early, you can ensure your business’s account is already well established and populated by the time the majority of users jump on. Upon sign up, users will be recommended followers; this is a good chance to catch their eye as they’re looking to follow people and brands they recognise. There’s also little to lose. Opening an account is free and, initially, the concept of Threads shouldn’t force any major adjustment to your current social strategy – especially if you use Twitter. 

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