Unlocking the power of Threads

Since its launch last year, Threads has quickly proven its value for brands looking for something that reminds them of Twitter’s heyday (RIP). With a witty, personality-led tone, Threads offers a space for brands to build communities, foster brand loyalty, and amplify their message. Our recent client work on the platform highlights its potential for brands.

Consistency is key

When we began working with one of our partner brands, they had little over 12,000 followers on Threads, with just one post to their feed. It was clear to our social team that there was much more that could be done to tap into the platform's potential. Recognising Threads' ability to cultivate engaged, cult-like followings, we encouraged our client to adopt a consistent and strategic approach – this meant regular posting, engaging with followers, and making the most of the platform's unique features – whilst tapping into current trends

The results speak for themselves: the audience grew from just over 12k to 35.5k followers in 6 months and we’ve seen a staggering 1.2m impressions to date – a testament to the power of persistence and smart content strategies.

Why Threads Works for Brands

Threads offers brands the opportunity to connect with audiences in a playful and authentic way. The platform is centred around humour and timely commentary, making it an ideal environment for brands that want to stand out and engage directly with users.

One of Threads’ key features is its advanced hashtag system ’Topic Tags’. More than 50 million of these have been created on Threads so far – these niche tags are particularly beneficial for brands who want to tap into smaller communities as they allow them to jump directly into conversations.

Engagement rates on Threads are also notably high. The average ER for one of our clients is 1.5% while the average ER for X is just 0.2-0.9%. Text and image-based posts typically perform the best, unless video is specifically targeted to Topic Tags as mentioned above. Meaning brands should tailor their content for the platform accordingly, for maximum effect.

The Power of Meta

Understandably, Threads is also heavily supported by its integration with Meta. The cross-platform share-ability of content is a game-changer, with easy ‘tap to share’ functionalities allowing content to be effortlessly shared across Instagram and Facebook – expanding reach beyond threads itself.  

Many users saw Meta’s investment in Threads as a waste of time in the early days, not seeing a purpose for the space when X was dominating. But Meta seems to be having the last laugh in recent weeks as X is losing users at mass, particularly in the UK over reports of hate and discrimination on the platform.

Meta has listened to its users and integrated reporting capabilities and API integrations that allow third party support, allowing for direct comparisons to be made between Threads/ X performance. This has turned Threads into a viable and valuable platform for brands looking to diversify their social media strategy.

Conclusion

After seeing users storm the platform when it first launched, only to feel like it never really took off again, in July 2024 Threads usage reached new highs as the user growth rate tripled over the month, hitting a milestone of 200 million users – an all-time high. [Source: Tribune]

With X losing followers faster than you can say “tweet,” and the growth we’ve seen with our partner brands on Threads, we don’t recommend disregarding the platform just yet – harness the engagement opportunities instead.

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