It’s rare with any technology, let alone social media apps, when jumping into the fray makes sense shortly after launch.
I’m not a big fan of early adoption since there’s usually a need to work out the bugs and analyze whether the new “innovation” is more like a major letdown.
This is not the case with Threads, the new text-oriented social media app from Meta. Registering is incredibly easy since you just need to login using your Instagram profile. And then, in your Instagram account, you’ll find there’s a link people can click on to follow you in Threads. If it was any easier, Mark Zuckerberg would deliver the app on a silver plate.
There is some urgency to registering, though. It’s not to make sure you don’t lose your account (it uses the same one you have for Instagram) or for vanity purposes. It’s simply because this is an app that’s here to stay, and the sooner we all start building our platform and “threading” the better. (By the way, no one has a great term on what posting should be called yet. I think threading sounds too much like “shredding” but maybe it will become a common term.)
The good news so far is that it all seems pretty automated. People seem to be following my new account right and left. I’m gaining quite a few followers per day, presumably because they click the Instagram link for Threads but also because I’ve mentioned the new platform with a link to my profile on Twitter and LinkedIn.
The Threads app is riding a wave of extreme popularity, so jumping onto your surfboard and riding that wave right now makes sense.
Building up followers should be easier during this early launch period when millions of people are checking out the app and looking for new posts.
That’s a great opportunity for all of us — politicians, influencers, journalists, celebrities, or anyone who has something to say (preferably in text form). We’re talking explosive growth here, so the sooner you jump on the bandwagon, the easier it will be to connect with everyone else who is in the same frantic state of interest. Strike while the iron is hot.
The reality is that social media is in a serious tectonic shift right now. The fact that Twitter is in so much financial trouble and losing users just means this is a new opportunity for Meta, and it also means the landscape is changing. My view is that it is a good time to explore the new app and build a following, assuming that the interest will continue to rise and Threads will be a major hit.
That said, here’s the caveat.
You might also decide to sit this one out. I don’t think the app will fade off into the sunset as quickly as it rose above the horizon. Meta has enormous resources and will make sure the app is a success. If you decide to sit on the sidelines, or even stick with Twitter where you already have a following, it would make sense. There’s nothing terribly new here, and nothing that will rock your world. It’s basically a Twitter clone.
That leaves two choices. Either move quickly, set up shop, and establish yourself — e.g., make your Threads count for something — or simply stick with the current apps. I know quite a few influencers and they made their mark on LinkedIn already or on Instagram. In some cases, it does not make sense to abandon those platforms for the new kid in town.
For the rest of us, there is a whole new opportunity to make our mark.
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