Threads 101: What You Need To Know About The New Kid On The Block

Last week the social media world’s mind collectively blew as Instagram/Meta launched a new social platform—Threads. Whenever a new network drops, business owners have a tendency to immediately panic, get overwhelmed, frustrated and question everything they’re doing.

As your marketing and social media bestie, I’ve got your back. You don’t have to figure it all out. I’ll do that for you, and share what you need to know so you can make decisions that are best for you and your business. Now, the app is a brand new newborn baby, so we are all still learning the ins and outs and pros and cons. Beware…anyone who claims to be an expert or have hacks and Threads strategies at this point is a modern day snake oil salesman. Run, don’t walk back to me if they try to tempt you, okay?

This article not about how to hack the Threads algorithm or use it strategically. This is all about getting you up to speed on the basics. I will continue to update my content, thoughts and tips as I learn more.

So what do you say? Should be dive in? In this article, I’m going to cover:

  • What is Threads
  • How to set up and use Threads
  • Pros and Cons
  • Answering the question: Should you use Threads for your business?

What is Threads?

Threads is a new app, built by the Instagram team, for sharing text updates and joining public conversations. Yes, it’s Instagram’s “solution” to Twitter.

Instagram’s vision with Threads is to take what Instagram does best and expand that to text, creating a positive and creative space to express your ideas. Just like on Instagram, with Threads you can follow and connect with friends and creators who share your interests – including the people you follow on Instagram and beyond.

The Bigger Picture

Instagram is talking a lot about the idea of creators being able to “take their followers with them” to other apps. We all know this is a concern with social media marketing. You don’t own your followers, the network does.

Instagram has said they are committed to giving you more control over your audience on Threads and that they plan to work with ActivityPub to provide you the option to stop using Threads and transfer your content to another service.

If you have a public profile on Threads, this means your posts would be accessible from other apps, allowing you to reach new people with no added effort. If you have a private profile, you’d be able to approve users on Threads who want to follow you and interact with your content, similar to your experience on Instagram.

How to Set Up & Use Threads

Once you download the Threads app, set up is SUPER easy. Which is probably why over 70 million people created accounts within the first 3 days of the app’s release. Your Instagram username and verification will carry over, with the option to customize your profile specifically for Threads.

To set up Threads, just go to threads.net or download the app in the Apple App Store or Google Play Store. It will walk you through setting up a customized profile, or you can simply import your info from your Instagram profile. You can choose a public or private profile. Then you’re good to start “threading”.

How Threads content works:

  • Posts can be up to 500 characters long and include links, photos, and videos up to 5 minutes in length.
  • You can choose to follow the same accounts you do on Instagram, and find more people who care about the same things you do.
  • You can easily share a Threads post to your Instagram story, or share your post as a link on any other platform you choose.

Pros & Cons

No social platform is perfect, so let’s talk about the pros and cons (in my humble and early opinion).

Pros:

  • Text only is welcome. Even though you can add photos and videos, posting text only posts is more than welcome. This is good for those who prefer not to show their face or are hesitant to share video.
  • Seamless integration with Instagram for set up & sharing content across platforms
  • No ads (yet). The plan is to wait at least a year before any monetization of Threads.
  • There are no DMs (take that spammers)
  • There are really no rules right now. It’s like a content playground where you can experiment and test things out.

Cons:

  • It’s another platform to manage
  • The constant posting can be hard to keep up with. There isn’t any categorization of content (no hashtags either) so it can be a little hard to keep up.
  • If you weren’t a fan of Twitter (even before SpaceMan came along), you might feel the same about Threads.
  • No DMS. I know this was on the pro list, too. But it means every conversation is public and you can miss out on deeper connections you can build in DMs on Instagram.
  • You can’t schedule Threads or save drafts so you have to be on the app to post in real time.
  • No desktop version
  • If you delete your Threads account, it will also delete your Instagram account

Should YOU Use Threads?

Now for the million dollar question—is Threads right for you and your business? The answer to this question isn’t black and white. It is completely up to you and your brand, business, and bandwidth.

Some things to take into consideration:

  • If you are in a groove on Instagram and don’t struggle with consistency there, and you WANT to try Threads, go for it. If you are still struggling to build a consistent presence on Instagram, keep your head down and focus on building that foundation.
  • New shiny objects (or apps) can be a distraction from your strategy. Remember…strategy isn’t affected by trends. Strategy is rooted in your goals. Always come back to your strategy before adding a new tactics.
  • Keep your customer in mind. Are they hanging out on Threads? If so, you might want to consider it.
  • Whether you are a big brand or a solopreneur, post on Threads as an individual talking to another individual. For bigger companies, treat it like one employee broke in, took the login info and went rouge.
  • Think of your content on Threads the same as Stories. While anything goes, there is power in consistency. Play around with different content pillars to see what resonates with your audience. After a testing period, you can narrow your content pillars focus. It doesn’t have to be the same pillars as Instagram.
  • Don’t forget about the power of external engagement. A comment that is thoughtful. insightful, witty or polarizing can be just as powerful as an insightful, witty or polarizing original post.
  • Threads is where people want to add their two cents. Try to think of topics that people won’t be able to resist commenting on or sharing. But don’t get too deep. People aren’t on Threads to overthink.

Final Thoughts

Only you can decide if a social platform is right for you. But I want you to know and remember…you don’t have to be everywhere. Actually, you really shouldn’t be everywhere. It is totally fine to choose one social platform and go all in on it. So if Threads isn’t for you, that’s totally fine.

It’s also important to know the difference between choosing one social platform and one marketing channel. Choosing one social platform is fine, but you need to have more than one marketing channel. Relying on only one marketing channel is too risky and also not effective. Marketing is all about repetition and staying top of mind so that you show up when and where your audience is when they are ready to buy. 

If a channel stops working for your business or goes away, you’ll have to start over from scratch. 

Just like your income, you need to diversify your marketing efforts. Think about choosing channels that serve different purposes and work well together. Choose one social platform, use email marketing, content marketing through blogging, and also incorporate some offline, in-person networking and marketing. That way you are diversifying, but not spreading yourself too thin.

What are your thoughts on Threads?

How To Use AI For Your Business

One thing that will always be true about technology is that it’s always changing…

You can’t do anything to slow down technology. What you can do, is learn how to leverage it to your advantage.

But I know it can be overwhelming as a business owner to know what tools are worth your time or not.

That’s why you have me, right?

First…what is AI?

The definition of AI is a software technology that learns and adapts over time.

Kind of sounds like what we try to do as business owners, right? So maybe it’s not as scary as we think.

One misconception I see a lot is people thinking AI and automation are the same thing. They are not. Automation is great and if you haven’t embraced automation in your business, you definitely should. But that’s another blog post in and of itself.

Some stats to consider

  • Chat GPT reached 100 million monthly active users within two months. It took TikTok nine months and Instagram two years to hit that same goal.
  • What’s the biggest benefit?
    • 67% of marketers say the biggest benefit of AI is the ability to create content faster. (hubspot)
    • 48% of marketers say the biggest benefit of AI is the ability to generate new ideas. (hubspot)
  • 13% of marketers use AI to repurpose content

Ways to use AI in your business

  • Summarize content into key points – blog post, video transcript, etc.
  • Create outlines – courses, presentations
  • Brainstorm content ideas
  • Rewrite content
  • Name products, services, freebies
  • Generate headlines, email subject lines
  • Edit photos
  • Take meeting notes for you

How to use AI in your life

Not ready to embrace AI in your business? What about leveraging it to save you time in your everyday life so you can have more time for your business?

Here are a couple ideas:

  • Create meal plans and shopping lists
  • Make decisions more easily

Some tools to consider

Think ChatGPT is the only option for AI? Think again.

  • Canva: magic write, magic eraser, magic design/presentation
  • ChatGPT: brainstorm content, generate outlines, summarize large amounts of content
  • Noty.ai: creates transcriptions, action items, summaries, and follow-ups in seconds.
  • Rationale: see two sides of the coin, make rational decisions.
  • Descript: Edit your videos and create a text-to-speech model of your voice

General rules and best practices

  • Let AI handle the mundane so you can focus on your genius
  • Don’t just copy and paste content
  • Remember – the legal system moves A LOT slower than technology
  • Experiment – understanding the technology and it’s uses/limitations is more important than how much you use them

Tell me…how do you feel about AI? Love it or loathe it? Or somewhere in between?

When should you invest in your marketing?

One question I’ve been asked a lot lately is this…

When starting out, what’s the best way to invest when it comes to marketing?

Since I offer marketing services, I might regret this answer, but…the best way to invest when you are just starting is to invest your time, not your money. 

Invest your time in:

  • Honing in on your ideal client/customer: who needs what you offer and why do they need it?
  • Dialing in your messaging: what problem does your product or service solve, and why are you the one customers should come to for the solution? Focus on messaging that resonates with your customer, not your competitors.
  • Setting goals for your business: what does success look like now and down the road?
  • Creating a marketing strategy: create a roadmap of where you want to go, and how to get there to support the goals you’ve set for your business. Not sure where to start? I have a free workbook you can download to help you create a flexible, realistic strategy that fits you and your business now and that you can grow into.

What NOT to invest your time in:

  • Don’t be tempted to download ALL the free courses and content. You’ll wind up overwhelmed and more confused than ever. Just because it’s free doesn’t mean you have to take it.
  • Following experts that make you question everything you’re doing. There are a lot of “experts” out there. Invest your time and energy in the ones who make you feel confident and empowered, not confused or overwhelmed.

So, when should you invest your hard earned money? 

This is completely individual, of course, but here’s what I recommend…

  • Pay attention to where you struggle most. What parts of your business light you up, and which ones drain you? Are there things you can invest in to help make the areas that drain you less draining? If it’s accounting, can you outsource your bookkeeping?
  • Kick things up a notch. A great time to invest is once you have a foundation and are ready to take things to the next level. This is when a Pick My Brain session or VIP Week works great for my clients. We’re able to take what’s working, learn from what isn’t, and improve and expand on that. This way you aren’t spending money on spaghetti to throw at the wall.

What should you invest in? 

Not sure what you should invest in? Here are some things that are worth the money in my eyes.

  • Software: project management (Asana, Trello, Clickup, etc.), billing/invoicing (Honeybook is my favorite), content software (Flodesk for email, Canva, social media scheduling tool, etc.).
  • Website: depending on what you do, having a professional website is important for branding, credibility, lead generation and sales. WordPress and Squarespace are my two favorite website builders, but find a website builder you like and keep things simple. You can always upgrade to a higher subscription later on if needed.
  • Expert help: if you’re ready for a nudge (or shove) in the right direction, someone to keep you accountable or learn new skills, hiring an expert you trust can add gasoline to the fire you’ve already started, accelerate your efforts, and save you time and a lot of frustration .
  • Virtual or IRL Assistant: take tasks off your plate that take time away from you doing what you do best. Delegating can be hard, but a good assistant will help guide you.

An important note…who you hire matters.

Outsourcing or automating can save you time and make you more money in the long run. But trusting the wrong person, hiring the first person you find or the cheapest option just to check a box can backfire. Take your time to do your research and your due diligence. 

I can’t tell you how many clients come to me after an awful experience with an individual or company that doesn’t have their best interest at heart or even know what they’re doing.

I always say this, and I mean it….if you aren’t sure if a company or service provider is qualified or worth the money, ask me. We’re besties, right?! I will tell you what I think, what questions to ask, or if you should run the other way. 

Some service providers prey on business owners who are lost or confused. I want you to feel confident to invest from a place of POWER, not desperation or confusion. If you want to feel that, let’s connect. My inbox and DMs are always open. 

👉 Tell me…what’s been the best investment you’ve made in your business (from a time or 💵 perspective)? If you are hesitant to invest, what’s holding you back?