Given the importance of Facebook and Instagram to small business promotion these days, the fact that parent company Meta has launched a new social media platform is big news.  Threads is similar to Twitter, which claims a higher organic reach than other social media platforms. Founder Mark Zuckerberg claimed that Threads reached 100 million sign ups the weekend after it was launched earlier this month.

There are several differences between Threads and Twitter. A tweet may contain a maximum of 4 photos, a GIF, a video of up to 2 minutes and 20 seconds, links, and text (which is limited to 280 characters). Meta’s new social media site allows 500 characters in a post, and videos of up to 5 minutes.Threads is integrated with Instagram’s user base, which includes almost independent retailers who promote on social media. For now, Threads is exclusively designed as a mobile app.

Many businesses that have stopped advertising on Twitter over brand safety concerns are excited about the possibility of advertising on Threads, once that option becomes available, according to CNBC. They go on to note that “in order for Threads to have a major impact on online advertising, it’s going to need users who regularly interact with each other on the site.”

Instagram says that their 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. And you can use our existing suite of safety and user controls.”

In order to get started with Threads, you just need to log in through your Instagram account.  Your same user name and password carry over.  Take a look at it to see if it’s something you might find useful for promoting your store, and for keeping in touch with your customer base. I found this short video – created within days of the launch of Threads by Techboomers – helpful to see how this new platform works.

Happy Retailing,

Carol “Orange” Schroeder