Mastering Threads: A Marketer's Guide to Expanding Social Reach

Last year, you may have started to notice a small update on your Instagram profile. In the top right, next to the ‘add a post’ button, appeared a squiggly ‘A’ (very similar to an ‘at’ symbol). That was how we – collectively – were introduced to Meta’s new social media app, Threads.

Threads is an app where you can view and share public conversations. Depending on how you use Threads, you can also post threads, reply to others and follow profiles you’re interested in. Threads and replies can include short pieces of text, links, photos, videos or any combination of these content types.

While Instagram is predominantly made up of video- and image-based content, Threads is – as Instagram says – a new way to share with text. The interface itself is remarkably similar to Twitter (or X), with a few differences. For example, Twitter posts have a 280-character limit, whereas Threads has a 500-character limit. Most notably, at this time, Threads does not allow for paid advertising; however, there is buzz that paid advertising will roll out on Threads in 2024, so ads may be just around the corner.

While advertising isn’t currently available on the platform, there are a number of reasons why businesses should set up a Threads account and start incorporating Threads into their content calendars. 

1. Own Your Name

Like any social platform, you must create a username and profile when you set up your Threads account. If you wait too long to set up your profile, your company name could get snagged by someone else. Even if you don’t plan to use your profile initially, set up a private Threads account in your business name so you don’t run into issues in the future. 

2. User Preference

Often, businesses think they know where their audience is spending their time online. If you’re a B2B company, you may think LinkedIn is the best place to reach your target audience. And yes, this could be true, but it doesn’t negate the fact that your audience (or at least a fraction of your audience) may prefer other social platforms for news updates and interacting with the latest content. So, why not expand your reach to Threads? Introducing a new social platform to your content mix won’t hurt your follower count or your social reach on existing platforms. In fact, it will only do the opposite. Expand your social footprint to Threads and potentially open your business up to new customers.

A simple way to kickstart your Threads account is to recycle your strongest-performing, timeless tweets that have proven to do well among your key audiences. As noted earlier, Twitter and Threads are remarkably similar, focusing on text-based posts that can spur conversation. Take what you’ve learned from Twitter and see how it performs on Threads! Just make sure that any recycled tweets are still relevant, and align with your core audience.

3. Interact, Engage, Expand

Threads is a great social platform to interact with current – and potential new – customers. Ask your Threads followers a question that sparks conversation, or encourage users to share their experiences with your products or services. You could even make Threads the go-to platform for exclusive updates and news around your product, with teasers on Instagram and Facebook to lure users onto your Threads page. The beauty of Threads is that it’s a new social platform; there’s no cookie-cutter way to use it yet. Make Threads your own! Test unique content, foster open dialogue with your audience…. you could even go back to your social slush pile and see if something that didn’t work out on one platform works on Threads.

The introduction of a new social platform for marketers is always daunting. A new platform usually means more content, and more work. But it can also be exciting! It’s a new way of interacting with your customers – both current and new. We strongly recommend setting your business up with a Threads account if you haven’t already, and start incorporating the platform into your social content calendars. And once Threads opens up to advertising, your account will be well-established and set up for success!

Ready to take your marketing to the next level? Contact Bluetext to learn about our digital orchestration and organic social services and how each can be tailored to your business’ objectives.