As users flock to the microblogging app by the millions, creators are excited to test it — but they warn that new Twitter competitors won’t be around.
WWithin two days of launch, Meta’s new Twitter rival Threads became one of the fastest downloaded apps ever, 70 million Content creators with massive followings of users are flocking to text-based apps — largely because they can retain all their Instagram followers (if they’re already on the platform) and their blue verification ticks instead of starting from scratch.
Haley Kalil, a content creator with 1.7 million followers on Instagram and 2.7 million subscribers on YouTube, was one of the first to join the platform, along with celebrities like Shakira and some Meta employees, still in its beta version. For her, the temptation to port over all her followers with a few taps was too compelling to resist — though she’s still wary of posting on other apps.
“Obviously, as a content creator, it’s another pain for me. I haven’t had much sleep for the last day and a half because I’ve been messing around with threads,” said Kalil Forbes.
It’s even attracting creators who primarily post images or videos, not text. Kalil, who makes fashion, lifestyle and comedy videos, says he has never used Twitter because most of his Gen Z audience doesn’t use the app. “I think threads are like Gen Z taking over Twitter. It’s really fun to watch.”
Makers are still waiting to see if Threads will meet the same fate as other ephemeral apps like the voice-based social network. clubhouse and TikTok’s sister app Lemon8, on which creators started posting new and repurposed content only to later realize the platforms weren’t mature enough and lost steam. They also worry about the extra effort to create content and engage followers in a new medium. “Anyone else half-excited, half-exhausted at the thought of managing yet another social media platform?” Catarina Mello, a travel content creator with 547,000 followers on Instagram, posted in the thread.
“There’s a lot of time spent doing research, understanding what conversations are going on and just being a part of those conversations that isn’t necessarily creating content or actually writing your post,” Mello said. Forbes.
“As a content creator, it’s a different time for me.”
The 32-year-old influencer said Threads, which currently doesn’t run ads or have a way for creators to monetize, runs the risk of drawing users’ attention away from Instagram and “cannibalizing” a primary revenue-generating platform. “I’ve noticed a drop in my engagement numbers on Instagram because so many people are using Threads,” she said.
Builders who don’t plan to move to Thread may also be affected. Because people can have limited time on social media, more time on Thread can lead to less time on Instagram, Mello said. “The last day and a half, it’s been absolutely cricketing on Instagram and I’ve heard from other creators and they’re wondering if it’s worth posting here now.”
Touted as a Twitter killer, Thread’s user interface is surprisingly similar to Twitter, missing features like a trending topics tab, a direct message feature for users, and hashtags. It is a series of social media networks that have positioned themselves as a good alternative to Twitter, including Bluesky and Mastodon Although these apps are growing, they are still struggling to catch up. Bluesky just arrived First million installs Since its launch in February and the decentralized network Mastodon has active users fallen More than a million to nearly a million active users.
Threads, though, can be a bigger threat. Its explosive growth — 70 million in less than two days, Instagram chief Adam Mosseri announced on Threads Friday — is due in part to users not needing to create accounts, usernames or profiles separate from Instagram.
“The energy I got was more like you’re in a huge group chat and everyone’s excited to meet everyone.”
Musk is clearly feeling the heat. In an inflammatory the letter Written by his attorney Alex Spiro, Twitter threatened to sue Meta for stealing trade secrets and intellectual property by using “dozens” of former Twitter employees to create a copycat app (Musk laid off about 6,000 people at Twitter after taking over the company). In response, Meta spokesperson Andy Stone made a post thread Saying “No one on the Threads engineering team is a former Twitter employee – it’s just not a thing.”
For some content creators, Twitter has never been a place where they feel comfortable sharing their thoughts. Chelsea Davis, a luxury travel and food products maker, said she never used Twitter because it was too cluttered. “There were many chefs in the kitchen. Many people thought they were great leaders and thinkers. And I was blown away by the app,” Davis says Forbes. He’s looking forward to using Threads, which allows users to post vertical photos, a feature Instagram doesn’t have.
Video creators, who typically post reels, YouTube videos, and TikToks, joined the thread in hopes that the written format would become a new way to interact with their followers on a one-on-one basis and discover a diverse audience. Adam Wahid, who makes comedy videos for his 5 million followers on Instagram and 12.8 million subscribers on YouTube, said he plans to write short and funny punchlines for his newly acquired 340,000 followers on the thread.
“It feels like it’s a little bit more of an open conversation where people can really share their opinions,” said Wahid, who was the 242nd person to join the thread, a notification and a badge he received from Instagram.
While Instagram is considered a platform for aesthetic photos, fun and cool videos, and being “beautiful and perfect,” travel creator Jessica Ufuoma says she, like other creators, plans to use Threads to express a more authentic side of her personality. But he worries that the text-first format might invite creators to speak their minds — which could get them into trouble. “A lot of creators are starting to be strategic about how they’re appearing,” says Ufuoma, who has 127,000 followers on Instagram and now 10,000 threads. “As long as you’re on the Internet you can’t be 100 percent completely authentic.”
“I’ve noticed a drop in my engagement numbers on Instagram because so many people are using Threads.”
Other manufacturers have questions about the algorithm that powers the thread feed. Inga Lam, a food YouTuber with 423,000 subscribers, was initially excited about using Thread. “I think the energy I got was a lot like you’re in a big group chat and everyone’s excited to meet everyone,” Lam says.
But as she spends more time on the app, she finds her feed filled with a mix of familiar faces and random posts from strangers she’s never interacted with before. “Nobody had any idea [the algorithm] Everyone out there is still expecting something to go wrong,” he says.
An email response about Thread’s algorithm Forbes, Meta said the algorithm that powers the thread recommends posts from accounts that users follow if they meet Meta’s community guidelines. Creators who have more followers on Instagram, join threads early and share original content will get more exposure in the thread feed.
The ease of starting a thread also highlights Meta’s dominance in social media. “It’s scary to own a bunch of mini platforms under one platform,” says Gabe Erwin, who creates comedy reaction videos on YouTube, Instagram and TikTok for a combined 6.7 million followers. But ultimately he appreciated the ability to move between Instagram and threads. “I like the idea of ​​immediate click media and they immediately designated connectivity to each other,” says Erwin.
While it’s still early days for Thread, content creators are waiting to see if the app stays popular after its initial buzz. “As you know I’ll be curious to see what happens, things develop and maybe some drama. I am interested to see how it will be handled,” said Waheed.
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