• With the grand debut of Threads, Meta, Facebook, and Instagram's parent company, has made a significant splash in the social media landscape.
• Threads is an app from Instagram where you can post threads, reply, and follow profiles you're interested in, almost like Twitter.
• Threads reached 100 million users within a few days after its launch.
This highly anticipated app, a competitor of Twitter, is a text-based conversation app that, according to Meta, is designed to be a space "where communities come together to discuss everything from the topics you care about today to what will be trending tomorrow. Whatever it is you’re interested in, you can follow and connect directly with your favorite creators and others who love the same things — or build a loyal following of your own to share your ideas, opinions, and creativity with the world."
The app received five million sign-ups within a mere 4 hours of its launch and garnered a remarkable 100 million sign-ups in just five days, breaking records to pass 109 million users in the first 7 days of its launch on July 5. This lightning-fast rate shocked users and industry experts, fueling the fire and making people even more curious about this app.
What happened next?
This meteoric rise and success, however, was short-lived. Meta’s new Twitter alternative has seen nearly a 70% drop in the number of daily active users since its peak, according to market intelligence firm Sensor Tower. with the number of daily active users dwindling from 44 million to a mere 13 million. Even the average daily time spent on the platform suffered a setback, plummeting from 19 minutes on its launch day to a meager four minutes.
In contrast, Twitter, the social media giant Threads sought to dethrone, continued to hold its ground with around 200 million active daily users. Sensor Tower's data revealed that users spend an average of 30 minutes per day on Twitter, a remarkable contrast to Threads' dwindling engagement.
It seems that due to the lack of key features such as desktop functionality and the inability to search for topics, rather than just users, Threads’ popularity has declined. These features have proven to be crucial omissions in maintaining user interest.
Because of this setback, The Wall Street Journal reported that the company is diligently working on introducing new features to rekindle user engagement and secure Threads' position as a competitive player in the world of social media.
In reaction to the setback, Meta executives stated that they anticipated a drop in usage and told users that they were committed to making the app more appealing.
It is unclear how Meta's attempts to increase the app's appeal will be received by users or if it will recapture the enthusiasm that once drove its spectacular launch as the industry keenly monitors Threads' course. Only time will tell if Threads can overcome its current difficulties and carve out a niche for itself in the very competitive social media market.
Nevertheless, Threads, the seemingly controversial Twitter alternative, burst onto the social media scene with an impressive start, attracting a significant number of users within a short period. However, Meta is now presented with a series of challenges. In an effort to regain its momentum, they are actively working on introducing new features.
The question remains: Will this app be able to reclaim its position in the competitive, fast-moving, social media landscape, or will it fade away amidst the vast array of online platforms? As Threads' fate plays out, we eagerly await its next move.
Edited by Shruti Thapa
