The future for Threads is interesting and poses some key questions. First, will Meta attract X’s communities to Threads? Second, will the platform successfully engage influencers and creators? Third, will marketing and advertising budgets follow? And if all this happens, what will the impact of the influencer marketing industry be?
And while we are yet to see how all this plays out…Here’s where Threads may have an edge.
Advantageous links with Instagram
One of the notable features of the platform is its provision of free verification through users’ Instagram accounts, a factor that has rapidly attracted sign-ups – engaging over 100 million users in its first five days of being live. And it’s through this syncing, that Threads is also able to leverage the wealth of data from Instagram – making it a strong competitor in marketing and advertising spaces.
Although Threads is raising serious questions about its potential to outpace X’s brand spend when it launches advertising due to the audiences it is attracting, its European launch has been delayed and a significant loss of active users has been reported. It is still early days, and we are yet to see how Meta will approach Threads’ user retention and expansion strategies.
Threads’ positioning as a friendly space
In the world of social media and brand marketing, brand safety and reputation are paramount considerations for brands and advertisers. One of the reasons why brands have been drawn to advertising on Instagram over Twitter is the former’s stronger emphasis on brand safety and content moderation. From a reputation standpoint, the links between Threads and Instagram will likely prove advantageous, particularly as Meta has already indicated it’s committed to making the environment for communities on Threads “friendly”, which will make it more attractive to brands and influencers. X’s lack of robust moderation, on the other hand, has decreased brand trust in the platform.
With a focus on ensuring a positive and supportive space, Threads may become an attractive option for brands and content creators seeking a platform that prioritises reputation, community and brand safety. And so, it could be a game changer in the world of advertising and influencer marketing spend, alike, as brands look for platforms that align with their values and image.
Legacy community preference for lifestyle and entertainment topics
X has not been high on the priority list for brand investment in influencer marketing due to its discussion based textual format around hard news. Indeed, WeArisma’s analytics show that this year investment from global luxury and beauty brands, some of the biggest investors in influencers, is on average 2% for X, compared to 83% for Instagram, 9% for TikTok and 6% for YouTube.
Instagram has been attractive to brands due to its focus on creative lifestyle and entertainment content, making it a strong platform for influencer partnerships. On the basis of Threads being an extension of the Instagram community, it may place more focus on lifestyle and entertainment topics that can therefore be more relevant to brands and advertisers.
By offering a community and influencer-friendly space with content that resonates with audiences, Threads has the potential to attract both brands and influencers looking to connect with their target demographics. Therefore, when Threads launches ads, which Mark Zuckerberg has confirmed is the plan, Meta may witness a surge in advertising dollars.
A battle to attract talent and influencers with strong monetisation opportunities?
X’s approach to influencer monetisation has not been as robust as other platforms, leaving many influencers to seek better opportunities. If Threads incorporates more attractive monetisation options, such as revenue-sharing deals, it’s likely to entice creators and influencers that have been loyal to X, away.
The availability of compelling monetisation opportunities can not only attract influencers but also open up new possibilities for brands to forge influencer partnerships. This dynamic ecosystem of brands, influencers and communities could transform Threads into a vibrant marketplace for influencer marketing.
With X recently announcing that it also now offers ad revenue share deals to some creators, the jury is out on who will end up providing stronger influencer monetisation opportunities.
Although Threads’ future may look promising, it is still early days…The platform needs time to mature and brands, influencers and communities time to adopt it. At the time of writing, Elon Musk had just rebranded Twitter to ‘X’ signalling that there may be some interesting developments in store.
