One year of Threads: How is Meta’s X rival really doing?

🌈 Abstract

The article discusses the launch and growth of Meta's social media app Threads, which was positioned as a potential competitor to Twitter. It examines the app's initial success, its current user numbers, and the challenges it faces in a fragmented social media landscape.

🙋 Q&A

[01] Threads' Growth and Challenges

1. What were the initial expectations and growth projections for Threads?

• When Threads launched in July 2022, it saw a rapid influx of 100 million signups within days, prompting expectations that it could eventually reach 1 billion users.
• However, a year later, Threads has only reached around 175 million monthly active users, far short of the 1 billion target.

2. What factors have contributed to Threads' slower-than-expected growth?

• The article suggests that Threads' growth has been impacted by increased audience fragmentation and skepticism towards social media in general.
• There is now more competition in the "microblogging" space from apps like Mastodon, Bluesky, and Post, which have attracted users looking for alternatives to traditional social media.
• Some users have also reduced their overall social media usage or shifted discussions to private channels like group chats.

3. How is Meta positioning Threads and its future plans for the app?

• Meta remains enthusiastic about Threads and is focused on rapidly adding new features and functionality based on user feedback.
• The app has found success as a community hub for users interested in broad topics like literature, sports, and pop culture.
• Meta is also working to integrate Threads with the decentralized "fediverse" network, allowing cross-posting and interaction with other platforms like Mastodon.

[02] Threads' Approach and Features

1. What is Threads' approach to maintaining a "friendly" environment?

• The Threads team has worked to keep the app's tone positive and friendly, making it easy for users to control who can reply to their posts and providing ways to hide or mute content.
• Meta has also announced that it will not recommend political content from accounts users don't follow on Threads and Instagram, unless users opt-in to see it.

2. What key features and functionality does Threads offer?

• Threads allows users to share a variety of content, including photos, videos, and text-only posts.
• The app has added features like an API for developers, a more customizable web interface, trending topics, and integrations with the fediverse network.
• Threads is also focused on providing real-time updates and information around events, sports, and breaking news.

3. How does Threads' integration with Meta's other platforms like Facebook and Instagram benefit the app?

• Users can easily sign up for Threads by connecting their existing Facebook or Instagram accounts.
• Meta can also cross-promote Threads content and activity to users on its other popular social media platforms.
• This integration with Meta's broader ecosystem gives Threads a built-in user base and promotional channels.