Threads, Meta’s answer to X (formerly known as Twitter), recently debuted in July of 2023. Popularity caught on quickly and many brands have joined the platform. If you’re wondering if you should sign up, here’s what businesses should know about Threads:
What is Threads?
Threads, a social networking site similar to X, was launched in July 2023 by Meta, which also owns Facebook. It rapidly gained popularity as it provided a simple approach to social media. Much like X, it allows users to share posts, photos, and articles. Users can interact with fellow users by commenting, liking, and reposting posts.
What Businesses Should Know About Threads
If you’re wondering if your business should join Threads, here’s what you should know:
1. Threads is Integrated With Instagram
Since Threads is integrated with Instagram, it’s easy for brands to jump in and use it. This does mean that you need to have an active Instagram account in order to use Threads.
If you don’t have Instagram for your business but are considering it, get a business account and download the app. These are just a few things businesses should know about Instagram.
Since Threads was launched by Meta, it’s a seamless transition to integrate with Instagram. And if you have multiple Instagram accounts, you can set up separate Threads accounts for each one.
2. Threads Does Not Utilize Hashtags or Direct Messages
Hashtags are a helpful feature that allows users to search topics and find relevant content. It’s also one of the ways to get your content noticed. Instagram, Facebook, X, and other social media sites use this feature but Threads does not.
However, Meta announced that they are testing a feature similar to hashtags. It will work in a similar way – you select a hashtag but instead of showing like a hashtagged word on Instagram, it’ll show as a blue hyperlink. And unlike X or Instagram, users can only tag one topic. This might be an effort to prevent accounts from spamming posts with hashtags.
3. There Are Some Benefits to Using Threads
Just like any social media site, there are benefits to businesses using Threads. Here are a few to consider:
1. It Offers Cross-Platform Visibility
Because Threads is integrated with Instagram, it’s easy to get more visibility. Instagram allows you to share your Threads posts as stories in a seamless way.
This allows you to interact with more followers across both platforms and maximizes your visibility. Plus, sharing Threads posts is just one of the ways businesses can use Instagram stories.
2. You Can Repurpose Old Content
Repurposing old content is a great way to find new content you can post. And when it comes to Threads, even old content you repurpose is new on this platform. This allows you to work smarter, not harder, because you don’t have to come up with brand-new content.
However, you still need to plan out content. Planning out content in advance is just one of the things your business should be doing on social media. Try taking long-form content, such as blog posts, and break them up into smaller chunks to share on Threads. Doing so allows your content to reach a much wider audience and gives your content longevity.
3. Threads Can Help With Customer Service
Since Threads does not offer a direct messaging service, all of your interactions are publicly visible. So if you interact with a customer and help solve a problem, this is visible to all of your followers.
This is a great incentive to offer impeccable customer service. If you handle customer service inquiries positively, this will reflect well on your business and attract more followers. if you want to know how to use social media for customer service, be sure to be responsive and have a customer service plan in place.
This is just an overview of what businesses should know about Threads. Using social media for your small business can be an excellent way to build community, share content, and build your business.