At the beginning of July, Meta did something that was sort of genius. Instead of just launching a new social media platform from scratch, they made it so users could sign up with a few simple steps directly from their Instagram account. Any hesitation about joining yet another platform inevitably lost out to the impulse-accommodating ease of a streamlined signup process.
Threads has a lot going for it, but it’s not yet fully baked. It lacks many features that seem standard for a modern social platform: things like hashtags, a chronological timeline, and, oh yeah, ads! This all may give marketers pause when considering whether or not to create their own Threads account.
While Threads may not quite be ready as a platform for event marketing or crisis management, there are still a few valuable opportunities marketers shouldn’t skip over.
1. Brand visibility
If you want your audience to see your message, you have to make sure they can actually see it. That means having an active presence on the platforms they use—and these days, that platform is Threads.
The massive user base on Threads means it’s an ideal place to amplify important events, product launches, and thought leadership. Conversations are happening every day on Threads, and being present in these conversations is an effective way to be visible and helpful.
Being active on Threads now also means that when your rivals realize the power of Threads and sign up late, you’ll already be an old pro. Plus, when you’re the first one in your industry there, you’ll have already captured a larger share of the audience—and their attention.
“The massive user base on Threads means it’s an ideal place to amplify important events, product launches, and thought leadership.” — Art Allen @punsultant Click To Tweet2. Real-time customer interaction
Unlike Instagram, Threads allows brands to interact directly with customers in real-time. This conversational environment means you can make an outsized impact whenever you have an opportunity to talk directly to a follower on the platform. That impact is then magnified when other users see the interaction.
Positive feedback on Threads also serves as social proof, bolstering your brand’s reputation and enhancing trust with potential customers. On the flip side, addressing negative feedback and helping customers resolve issues publicly demonstrates transparency and a customer-centric approach, which also goes a long way to improving brand perception and loyalty.
Direct, real-time communication between brands and followers has proven effective on Twitter for creating stronger customer relationships—and it’s clear that a direct line to brands is a huge selling point for Threads too.
“Positive feedback on Threads also serves as social proof, bolstering your brand's reputation and enhancing trust with potential customers.” — Art Allen @punsultant Click To Tweet3. Influencer marketing
Just as you need to be where your audience is, if there are influencers in your industry who are using Threads, you need to be there too. The platform may be new, but tens of millions of people are using it daily, which makes it an ideal platform for influencer marketing.
Even without paid advertising functionality, you can collaborate with influencers to showcase your offerings. These partnerships help you leverage the influencer’s reach and credibility to help you connect with a larger audience. For both brands and influencers, it’s important to remember to mark any paid content as promotional, either with a hashtag or in the text of the post.
Threads is also a good place to identify influencers for potential future collaborations. Keep an eye out for accounts that talk about subjects in your field that get a lot of engagement. You can even get the potential partnership rolling—and gain valuable visibility for your own brand—by starting to participate in those conversations yourself.
“Threads is also a good place to identify influencers for potential future collaborations. Keep an eye out for accounts that talk about subjects in your field that get a lot of engagement.” — Art Allen @punsultant Click To Tweet4. Content marketing
As a popular social media platform, Threads needs to be incorporated into your content marketing strategy. Because it’s already so widely used, you should be using Threads to share your content and to position your brand as a thought leader.
“Threads needs to be incorporated into your content marketing strategy. Because it’s already so widely used, you should be using Threads to share your content and to position your brand as a thought leader.” — Art Allen @punsultant Click To TweetBut don’t keep it to just text. Visual content like infographics, videos, and even memes are all effective and shareable ways to convey complex information. It’s also a lot easier to catch a user’s eye with colorful and interesting visual content than it is with yet another text-only post.
And don’t be afraid to repurpose your best performing Twitter content. Threads and Twitter have a lot in common, but the audience on Threads is coming from Instagram, so it’s likely they haven’t seen your Twitter account’s greatest hits. If it works, use it and reuse it!
Threads is a work in progress, but the future for the platform looks bright. Keep an eye on our blog for more insights into how best to use Threads—and whatever other new social media platforms pop up!
Whether it’s through social media, influencer, or search marketing, TopRank Marketing is in the business of elevating B2B marketing for global enterprise brands — contact us to get started.
