Meta’s Threads is a relatively new but rapidly growing social media platform. It was built by the Instagram team as an alternative to Twitter. If you’re wondering whether to include Threads in your marketing strategy, you’re not alone.
Most marketers intend to try Threads but are concerned that it weakens the marketing potential of other platforms such as Facebook and Instagram, both of which are also owned by Meta. There are a variety of factors to consider when deciding whether to include Threads as part of your social media marketing strategy.
Social Media Budgeting
The world of social media is rapidly changing and marketers who are budgeting for social media marketing face an increasingly fragmented landscape. Many are bothered by the rebranding of Twitter to X, which has created an opportunity for a new platform for micro-blogging.
Elon Musk’s takeover of X has led to uncertainty and caused many businesses to explore other social media options. Threads is in its infancy, and marketers are trying to determine whether there’s a clear return on investment (ROI) before allocating part of their budget to this platform.
Posts on Threads can be up to 500 characters while posts on X are limited to 280. Threads allows texts, videos, graphics and photos, so marketers who wish to try this platform should experiment with a variety of different types of content.
Other Things to Consider
Some marketers are interested in giving Threads a try as an alternate place to engage with new prospects. Others prefer to wait until they see evidence that competitors are benefiting from being active on this platform before committing a larger share of their social media budgeting to a new platform.
Some things marketers need to consider include:
- Are there sufficient resources in your business to manage another platform?
- Does Threads or other new platforms deliver in security and safety?
- Do alternative platforms have the same must-have features that current platforms offer?
Many advertisers have stepped away from X because of the uncertainty surrounding it. But it appears that some marketers who paused advertising on X are ready to get back to previous activity levels, which indicates that they continue to find value on X.
The Best Approach to Social Media Marketing
For most marketers, the ability to engage with their target audience is uppermost in their mind when they make decisions about trying any new platform. A good approach is to find a balance between keeping brand awareness strong on existing platforms while working toward growing an audience on a new platform.
It’s too early to tell whether Threads is here to stay. It may be worth it to experiment with it to expand your social media presence. Don’t overcommit until you can evaluate whether Threads is beneficial to your business.
Advertising on social media is a great way to raise awareness of your brand and generate conversions, but it can be challenging to determine what platform is most often used by your target audience. The team at Softline Solutions can help you target your audience within the unique parameter of different social media platforms. Reach out to Softline Solutions today.
