People are flocking to Meta’s new social media platform, Threads. However, as of now, it lacks a direct monetization program and some content creators aren’t sure it’ll ever be really profitable.
What is Threads?
Threads, which has been likened to Meta’s version of Twitter, gives content creators a space for text-based content. Its speed race to 118 million users pushed the app to the top of download charts, but the app is showing signs of losing its momentum and many of the content creators who are on Threads are playing the long game. The app currently has no opportunities for content creators to monetize their presence on it and without ad options, brands might not jump at the chance to partner with influencers. Chas Lacaillade, CEO of influencer talent agency Bottle Rocket Management, told CNBC that he’s not sure if Threads will ever get to the point that users can steer their audience to websites where they can sell merchandise or promote their brand.
What do content creators think of Threads?
Sasha Kaletsky, co-founder and managing partner of Creator Ventures, told CNBC that he predicted most content creators are going to wait and see how Threads evolves before investing a lot of time making content on the platform.
“Obviously, as a content creator, this is another time suck for me. I haven’t really gotten much sleep for the last day and a half because I’ve been messing around on Threads,” Haley Kalil, a content creator with 1.7 million followers on Instagram, told Forbes.
Marcel Floruss, a fashion influencer, told CNBC that his content thrives on visuals, so Threads isn’t the best place for him. Having never found value in Twitter, he’s struggling to see how Threads is going to be much different. He’s going to explore the app, but, as of now, he doesn’t see the potential benefit outweighing the work he’ll have to put into Threads.
However, Kalil, who never got into Twitter because her audience wasn’t attracted to it, said her Generation Z following is very much into Threads.
Benefits of Threads
One of the best parts about Threads, though, is how easy it is to gain an instantaneous following. Unlike other social media platforms that force users to start from square one when they join, Threads lets users import their information from Instagram. That includes automatically following the people a user follows on Instagram, so content creators have the potential to start with a solid base of followers.
Catarina Mello, a luxury travel content creator, told Forbes the hype around Threads could hurt content creators who don’t join the platform and start building their brand. Mello said she’s seen a drop in her engagement on Instagram because of people using Threads.
“The past day and a half, it’s been totally crickets on Instagram and I’ve been hearing from other creators as well and they’re wondering if it’s even worth posting here now,” Mello said.
While Threads rejects any comparisons to Twitter, it’s rooted in the same focus on text and photos. Users have 500 characters per thread to get their message across, can tag people using the @ symbol, and repost someone else’s thread by clicking a single button.
Unlike Twitter, there’s no website for people to access the platform on a desktop, and Threads has no hashtag or topics section. It puts emphasis on algorithms to show users content they’re interested in but can make it difficult for content creators to capitalize on a specific trend or try to grow their audience.
“My guess is that there’s going to be a bunch of people that end up being very successful on Threads who you wouldn’t really expect,” Connor Hayes, a Meta product vice president, told The Washington Post. “You might look at them now as a visual content creator, but they have a lot of great things to say they just haven’t had the place to say them. And our hope is that Threads can be that place.”
For most content creators, it’s too early to tell if Threads will be the next big hit or if it’s a flashy jewel that people will get tired of. Those who are likely to thrive on the app are the ones willing to put in the time now for a potential payoff later, whether that be in direct monetization opportunities or growing their audience by reaching new people.
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