Threads is officially the fastest-growing app to ever launch, with +100M accounts created in less than a week.
It took TikTok nine months to reach that volume. That said, we are seeing a decrease in user engagement, meaning not all users have made Threads part of their regular social stack after downloading. On July 6 (launch day), Threads saw an average of 19 minutes over 14 sessions per user. As of July 25, those numbers went down 80% to 3.3 minutes over 2.7 sessions. Additionally, Weekly Average Users were down almost 30% between July 10–17. However, engagement has recently stabilized with minimal daily changes, and we may even start to see usage and adoption tick back up with this week’s web version launch of Threads..
It’s important to note that this behavior is typical of app launches: people are intrigued, download the app, and see what it’s all about before deciding if they want it to be a part of their regular app stack usage. This behavior is anticipated, and we expect to see that drop-off after sign-up.
Even with some usage leveling, we still believe there is value in getting in early and testing Threads as part of your organic strategy. Below are a few things to get you started:
- Share Your POV
- Spin up a Thread with text to share your opinion or start a conversation. Attach links, photos, carousels, and videos. Jump to the replies to get in on the action and react to commentary, humor, and insight from others.
- Control The Conversation
- Customize your settings and use controls to tune out the noise and manage who can see your content, reply to your Threads, or mention you. Accounts you’ve blocked will carry over from Instagram, and Threads is enforcing the same Community Guidelines to help ensure everyone interacts safely and authentically.
- Reach New Audiences
- Ways to discover more content and reach wider audiences are coming soon: upcoming features will allow you to search for, follow, and interact with users on decentralized apps and services like Mastodon and vice versa. In addition, creators may be eligible to be recommended to people who don’t yet follow them.
- As you begin to test things out, consider messaging and engagement strategies that will appeal to a variety of groups. Meta has shared a list of approaches brands are currently testing on Threads that you can implement into your organic activities as well:
- The Community Builder: Creating a two-way dialogue around key topics related to product, well-being, and more
- The Focus Grouper: Using comments to get real-time feedback on products, suggestions on campaign concepts, and talent
- The Sarcastic BFF: Your sassy friend who isn’t afraid of calling themselves and others out
- The Culture Whisperer: Topical and of-the-zeitgeist comments that are just a natural brand fit
- The Hype Person: Supporting talent and brands that are in/out of your category
- The AMA Sub-Redditor: Account takeovers to create a two-way dialogue with talent and influencers
- The Friendly Competitor: Celebrating and creating dialogue with a “friendly foe”
Threads developments will continue to hit quickly over the coming months, and with the launch of Threads for Desktop, which consumers have been asking about since launch, we may see usage uptick once again. We’ll be keeping a close eye on the platform through the second half of this year and encourage you to do so as well.
If you’re looking for more insights on the social media space, including the latest perspectives on disruptors and usage shifts, watch our latest Bold Builder Live webinar, which dove deep into “Social Media Disruption.”