Thriving in today’s competitive marketplace is not a child’s play; after all, nothing is offered on a silver platter.
Day in, day out, people are on the lookout for what they can do differently to stay afloat. Among other things, it takes innovation and consistency to jump through the many hoops.
At the heart of innovation is the necessity to embrace new technologies and media, and leverage it for business growth.
The past few days have witnessed the launch of a social media platform by Meta called Threads. This Instagram app, which is considered to be a Twitter clone, has stirred a huge online buzz.
With over 100 million sign-ups within the first week of its launch, users are optimistic that the Threads app will birth exciting possibilities; with some even thinking it will revolutionise digital marketing.
What is Threads and how does it work?
Threads is the text-based version of Instagram. When you create a Threads profile, it is automatically linked to your Instagram account, although you have to download the Threads app from the App store or Google Play, depending on your mobile device.
Female entrepreneurs whose businesses are heavily reliant on online promotions should be fast to jump on Threads
Having done this, you will use your Instagram credentials to sign-in. The Threads app presents you with an option to either customise or integrate your Instagram profile into it, but this is a question of choice.
Unlike Twitter, the Threads app allows users to craft content that are 500 characters long and upload videos that span five minutes. Plus, it gives room for attaching images with your posts.
Threads may be a less aggressive version of Twitter. This is inferred from its community guidelines, which bans sex-based content, hate speech, and so on; making it a safe space for users who consider Twitter toxic.
Twitter, however, is steps ahead of Meta’s Threads, in that the latter is yet to integrate some important features that make public conversations seamless, among which are direct messaging, hash tags, and built-in GIFs; although, Instagram Head, Adam Mosseri, claims it is in the pipeline.
Why do businesses need Threads?
It offers opportunity to boost your audience engagement: Considering the track record of Meta as a powerhouse in the social media scene, Threads stands a chance of being the go-to space for text-based dialogue.
The popularity of Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp in the community of online platforms partly accounts for the optimism and acceptance that followed the launch of the Threads app. Users have expressed enthusiasm in its profiting possibilities in the long run.
Adopting new social media platforms early enables you to learn the nitty-gritty of the platform, and become proficient in its use
Female entrepreneurs whose businesses are heavily reliant on online promotions should be fast to jump on it. Meta’s track record and Instagram robust user base is significantly amassing sign-ups to the Threads app. In fact, the platform is the first to reach 100 million sign-ups within the shortest period, making it the fastest growing app in the internet history.
Threads is a fertile ground for women in business to keep their customers engaged.
Integrate it as part of your holistic social media strategy.
Channeling all your marketing efforts into one area will not have much impact; a holistic social media strategy presents an opportunity to expand your reach. By integrating Threads into your social media strategy and analysing your digital performance regularly, you are able to identify ways to engage with your target audience on a deeper level, and map out strategies that will generate and convert leads.
Avenue to attract new customers: Instagram algorithm is set to create a compelling experience for users by using signals such as their search history, frequency of reaction to certain content, interaction history, and popularity of the content creator to predict what users would love to see on their feeds. This is the same on Instagram’s Threads.
Adam Mosseri, speaking about the threads algorithm, said that it is focused on building a following feed in the meantime, hence, users’ feeds will be flooded with posts from random accounts. He notes that it is important at this stage of its launch to get the algorithm working.
Female entrepreneurs should jump on this platform, especially now that it is relatively new and random content can pop up on users’ feeds. Also, with the non-existence of sponsored posts at the moment, you could generate leads organically and position your brand to be found easily by your target market.
This can be achieved by regularly publishing content that resonates with them. Content ideas worth sharing include: behind-the-scenes sneak peeks, products pictures and videos, company updates, customer reviews, amongst others. They have been proven effective across several online platforms.
Adopting new social media platforms early enables you to learn the nitty-gritty of the platform, and become proficient in its use. If you demonstrate competence and embrace consistency, you may have set the path to becoming an influencer in the long run. Plus, being an early starter gives you the luxury to use your preferred username, before another user tries to adopt it.
Building up followers would be quite easy now that many users are checking out the app and seeking something interesting. Also, bear in mind that it is the early starter that catches the worm. So, stay ahead of the game!
