Threads: 30 Million Downloads Day One
Here is what we know about Threads - the new public conversation app from Meta - and how museums and nonprofit may or may not benefit from giving Twitter’s newest competitor a try.
Please note: all information is subject to change. The app was released on Wednesday, July 5, 2023.
Well, 50 million people downloaded Threads in its first two days, making this the strongest Twitter threat on the market thus far. We jumped on the bandwagon and were shocked to find a list of international brands, funny celebrities, and many of YOU already on the app! I guess we’re about to witness a cage match of a different sort, playing out on the interwebs with Zuckerberg and Musk!
Waking up on July 8, we see that the app is still ranked as the number one download in Apple’s App Store. By the start of the day on Monday, July 10, Threads crossed the 100 Million user mark, making it the fastest-adopted app in recent memory.
What we know:
Threads is the number one downloaded app on Apple’s App Store as of July 10, 2023.
Once downloaded, you can use your Instagram picture, bio, and link to create an account with your organization’s name.
Familiarize yourself with the Threads lingo - glossary here!
It looks and feels a lot like Instagram and Twitter had a child.
Posts have a 500-character limit. You can think of this as a microblog.
If you join, expect glitches and changes in the next few days/weeks/months.
It took ChatGPT two months to get to 100 million followers. It took Threads under three days.
Zuckerberg says that he wants this to be a place for “friendly” conversation, but is that realistic? Meta laid off 20,000 workers in the last few months, many of which are in UX and risk analysis.
There aren’t ads (yet).
Twitter is threatening to sue Threads and Meta. Is Elon a little bit scared?
What are the early pros for museums and nonprofits on Threads?
It took 10 seconds to get up and running with all of our Instagram information intact.
It’s already available in 100+ countries with 30+ languages.
The current vibe is “new kid at school” and a lot of excitement and conversation is happening.
Meta has over 2 billion global followers - Twitter has 250 million, with many of those not active since Musk’s takeover. Meta will be investing to get people - YOUR followers - to Threads.
There is no waitlist or need for an invitation - just join using your existing Instagram information.
What are the early cons for museums and nonprofits on Threads?
There are constant concerns about what kind of data Meta accesses. Since this is part of the Meta suite along with Facebook, Instagram, and What’sApp, you know that this is another way to collect personal and organizational data.
It’s not easy to leave (as of July 7). The privacy policy states that you can only leave threads if you delete your Instagram account.
There could be technical glitches as this new product rolls out.
It’s one more place to be when organizations like small museums and nonprofits are already strapped for marketing support.
Will Threads actually engage people for the long haul? Will your investment in getting to know the new public conversation app pay off?
Should museums and nonprofits join Threads?
To be honest, we’re not sure! We think it’s best for you to read through the early pros and cons, talk to your leadership, and decide if another social media platform to manage is scalable for your workflow.
For now, you can find us on Threads and our other social media platforms @MuseumTastic.