How SMEs can benefit from the Threads application
Threads is blowing up the web! It's the talk of the town, but how can SMEs benefit from it?
Last year, the social media landscape was rocked by a major jolt: the acquisition of Twitter Inc. by none other than Elon Musk. However, the new management has not been without controversy and challenges. A series of technical problems, difficulties with content moderation and a heated debate around the notion of "freedom of expression" introduced by Musk.
These upheavals have opened up a breach in the social media ecosystem. An opportunity that Mark Zuckerberg, head of Meta Platforms Inc., was quick to seize. His response? The launch of Threads, a new social platform designed to compete directly with Twitter. This fledgling application arrives with the audacious ambition of capturing a significant share of Twitter's audience, thus offering an important alternative to this platform.
So how can small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) benefit from Threads? That's what we're going to explore in this blog.
What is Threads and how does it work?
In a nutshell, Threads is a new social network based on the concept of Twitter. More precisely, it's a text-based conversation application. So it's a place where users can share content primarily in the form of text, but also images and videos.
Subscribers can like, share and reply to posts. Speaking of subscribers, as the app is integrated with Instagram, Threads allows users to transfer their existing subscriber lists and account names from Instagram.
The two platforms are directly linked. So it's possible to share Threads as Instagram stories, for example. By the way, to join Threads, you need to have an Instagram account. And if you want to delete your Threads account, you'll have to delete your Instagram account at the same time. A feature that's not here to stay.
Adam Mosseri, the head of Instagram, spoke out on Threads about account deletion. "To set the record straight, you can deactivate your Threads account, which hides your profile and content, you can set your profile to private, and you can delete your Threads posts - all without deleting your Instagram account. Threads is linked to Instagram, so for now it's the same account, but we're looking at a way to delete Threads accounts separately."
Why join Threads as an SME?
Taking advantage of our pioneering position
Most people who have a large subscriber base on Twitter, LinkedIn or YouTube will tell you that they got involved with these platforms early on. And there's an undeniable truth in that.
When a social network emerges, its primary objective is to attract as many users as possible. It favors your content over ads, and offers you incredible returns in terms of visibility and engagement. The aim is to seduce you into loyalty. Threads follows the same principle.
By registering now, you'll not only earn that precious username, but you'll also benefit from the strategies put in place by the platform to keep you as a user.
Testing a new communication channel
If you're tired of Reels and doubt interest in your LinkedIn publications, Threads could be the solution. It's always a good idea to experiment with a new platform to see what you can achieve. Perhaps you'll quickly make the acquaintance of interesting partners, sign up a new client thanks to your first post, or accumulate a large number of subscribers with the privileges that come with it? All you have to do is sign up, start using the platform and see what happens. Evaluate the effort invested against the results obtained and adapt accordingly.
Can I advertise on Threads?
Currently, it's not possible to advertise on Threads. Fortunately for businesses, the platform will be monetized when it reaches 1 billion users. So it's another potential distribution channel for your future campaigns.
What to publish on Threads as a company?
As a business, there are many types of content you can share. The goal here is to connect with your community rather than sell your services and products. Obviously, long-term organic engagement generates sales. But the goal is to create quality engagement with your community.
Here are some ideas for posts you can do as a business on Threads:
-Ask questions: inviting your subscribers to interact with you is a strategy to be applied on many social networks. Threads is no exception. It's the ideal way to foster a sense of community.
The platform is new, so don't worry if your first posts don't generate a lot of engagement. Ask a question that provokes thought, debate or simply allows your followers to share their ideas.
It's an old trick, but a good one. Remember that the question should be relatively simple or easy to answer. If it requires too much work, you risk losing readers.
-Quotes and Gifs: A quote accompanied by Gifs generally encourages engagement. Try to share content that your followers can relate to. A touch of humor is always appreciated by the community, especially coming from a company. You can also venture into more inspiring or thought-provoking topics.
This is the kind of content that will be easily shared.
-Advice: Give your best advice. You're the experts in your field. Give your subscribers a glimpse of your expertise.
-Important announcements
Looking for inspiration? The best way is to browse your news feed. Follow the competition, get inspired by what they're doing. It's all about taming the platform!
Don't forget that Threads is still in its first version. The application is not yet perfected. But given its phenomenal launch, Meta has every reason to believe in it. Definitely a social network to keep an eye on if you want to stand out as a company!
Do you have any questions? Short on time, but still want to get the most out of this platform? Planning Media can help! Let's discover this platform together and share our expertise with you.
