Why Threads was Doomed to Fail

Newsthink

19 Jul 202306:15

Summary

TLDRMeta's new social media app, Threads, launched with high initial engagement but quickly saw a significant drop in user activity. Despite its rapid acquisition of 100 million users, concerns over privacy, limited features compared to Twitter, and the inability to delete accounts without deleting Instagram accounts have dampened its appeal. The app's future remains uncertain as it struggles to differentiate itself and compete in the crowded social media market.

Takeaways

📉 Meta's Threads app has seen a significant drop in engagement and time spent on the platform since its launch.
📈 Despite the decline, Threads had the largest initial user base growth of any social media app, reaching 100 million users in five days.
🔒 The ease of joining Threads through Instagram and the feature to transfer followers might have skewed the perception of genuine user engagement.
🚫 Users are unable to delete their Threads account without deleting their Instagram account, which could be a deterrent for some.
🕵️‍♂️ Privacy concerns are high as Threads collects more data than Twitter, including sensitive information, hindering its launch in Europe.
📱 Meta's history with privacy issues, particularly with Facebook, raises concerns about how user data is used on Threads.
🚧 Threads has limited features compared to Twitter, lacking a home feed for just followed users and chronological post viewing.
💡 The success of imitators often comes from offering an improved version of the original, which Threads has not achieved with Twitter.
🏆 Meta's strategy for Threads is to brand it as a 'kind' and 'friendly' space, contrasting with Twitter's focus on politics and news.
💰 Twitter is responding to competition by sharing ad revenue with creators, incentivizing quality content on their platform.
🤔 There is speculation that Threads might be part of a larger plan for the metaverse, aligning with Meta's vision for a decentralized online ecosystem.

Q & A

What was the initial reaction to Meta's Threads app after its launch?
-Engagement with Meta's Threads app dropped significantly after its launch on July 5th, with time spent on the app declining 60% from its peak and daily active users dropping from 49 million to 24 million within a week, according to SensorTower and SimilarWeb.
How does the user growth of Threads compare to other social media apps?
-Threads had the greatest start of any social media app, reaching 100 million users in five days, which is faster than the rise of ChatGPT.
What factors may have contributed to the initial surge in sign-ups for Threads?
-The ease of joining Threads through an Instagram account with just a few clicks and the feature of transferring Instagram followers directly onto the new platform could have amplified the popularity of Threads, giving a skewed perception of genuine user engagement.
Why might users feel 'locked in' to Threads?
-Users cannot delete their Threads account without also deleting their Instagram account, which could make them feel locked into the platform.
What privacy concerns are associated with Threads?
-Threads gathers more information than Twitter, including sensitive data such as racial or ethnic data, sexual orientation, pregnancy or childbirth information, disability, religious and philosophical beliefs, trade union membership, political opinion, genetic information, or biometric data.
Why is Threads not yet available in Europe?
-Threads is not yet able to launch in Europe due to the higher standard of legal consent required for collecting sensitive information under EU law.
How does Meta's Threads app compare to Twitter in terms of features?
-Threads has limited features compared to Twitter, lacking a home feed just for people you follow and the ability to view posts chronologically or search for specific posts.
What is Meta's sales pitch for Threads in terms of user experience?
-Meta is branding Threads as a 'kind' and 'friendly' place where politics and news are not emphasized, aiming to create a different user experience from Twitter.
How has Twitter responded to the launch of Threads?
-Twitter started sharing ad revenue with creators, beginning with a portion of the revenue earned from replies to their posts, as a way to incentivize people to post great content and bolster its appeal.
What could be the bigger plan behind Threads according to the script?
-Threads could be part of Mark Zuckerberg's wider goal to build the metaverse, a virtual reality space that enables users to interact within a computer-generated environment, and aligns with Meta's vision for a seamless online ecosystem.
What is the potential future competition between Twitter and Meta's Threads?
-The script suggests that despite the initial drop in engagement, Threads might still pose a challenge to Twitter, especially if it improves and integrates into Meta's broader metaverse strategy.

Outlines

00:00

📉 Threads' Disappointing Start

Meta's new social media app, Threads, launched with great fanfare but quickly saw a significant drop in user engagement. Despite boasting the fastest start of any social media app, reaching 100 million users in just five days, the app's daily active users plummeted from 49 million to 24 million within a week. Factors contributing to this decline include the ease of sign-up through Instagram, which may have skewed perceptions of genuine engagement, and the inability to delete a Threads account without deleting the linked Instagram account. Additionally, privacy concerns are highlighted by the app's collection of sensitive information, which is more extensive than Twitter's and has hindered its launch in Europe. Threads also suffers from limited features and an algorithm that pushes content from non-followers, which may not align with user preferences.

05:01

🤼‍♂️ Speculations on Tech Rivalry and Promotions

The script humorously speculates on a potential MMA-style match between Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg, emphasizing the importance of their contributions to the tech industry. It then transitions to a promotion of Brilliant, an educational platform offering interactive courses in math, data science, and computer science. The speaker recommends Brilliant for enhancing analytical thinking skills and provides a special link for a free 30-day trial and a 20% discount for the first 200 sign-ups. The video concludes with a call to action for viewers to follow @Newsthink on Twitter and a mention of a highly viewed interview on the platform, reinforcing the ongoing relevance and appeal of Twitter despite competition from new apps like Threads.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡Meta

Meta is the parent company of Facebook and other social media platforms. It is central to the video's theme as it discusses the launch of Meta's Twitter-like platform, Threads. The script mentions Meta's attempt to compete in the social media space and its challenges, such as the decline in engagement after Threads' launch.

💡Threads

Threads is a social media app launched by Meta, which is being compared to Twitter in the script. It is a key concept as the video discusses its rapid user acquisition and subsequent drop in engagement, highlighting the challenges new social media platforms face in retaining users.

💡Engagement

Engagement in the context of social media refers to the level of interaction and participation by users on the platform. The script notes a significant drop in engagement for Threads, indicating a potential issue with user retention and satisfaction.

💡SensorTower

SensorTower is a software company mentioned in the script that provides data on app usage, such as time spent on the app. It is used as a source to illustrate the decline in user activity on Threads shortly after its launch.

💡SimilarWeb

SimilarWeb is another software company cited in the script that reported a drop in Threads' daily active users. It underscores the rapid decrease in user interest following the initial surge of sign-ups.

💡Instagram

Instagram is a social media platform owned by Meta and is relevant to the video as it allows easy sign-up for Threads, potentially skewing the perception of genuine user engagement. The script discusses how Threads leverages Instagram's user base to boost its initial popularity.

💡Privacy Concerns

Privacy concerns are highlighted in the script as a significant issue with Threads, which gathers more user information than Twitter, including sensitive data. This is a key point as it discusses the implications for user trust and the platform's ability to operate in regions with strict data protection laws, like the EU.

💡Imitation

Imitation in the context of the video refers to the strategy of creating a product similar to an existing one, in this case, Twitter. The script evaluates whether Threads successfully improves upon Twitter or merely mirrors it, which is crucial for understanding its potential for success.

💡User Experience

User experience (UX) is a concept that encompasses how a product feels and functions from the user's perspective. The script critiques Threads for its limitations in features that affect UX, such as the inability to view posts chronologically or search for specific posts.

💡Ad Revenue

Ad revenue is the income generated from advertising on a platform. The script mentions Twitter's strategy to share ad revenue with creators as a way to incentivize content creation and enhance its appeal, which is a direct response to the competition posed by Threads.

💡Metaverse

The metaverse is a concept of a virtual reality space where users can interact with a computer-generated environment. The script suggests that Threads could be part of Meta's broader vision for the metaverse, indicating a potential strategic direction beyond direct competition with Twitter.

Highlights

Meta's Threads app, a Twitter copycat, is not meeting expectations.

Engagement on Threads has plummeted, with a 60% drop in time spent within the first week.

Daily active users on Threads fell from 49 million to 24 million within a week, according to SimilarWeb.

Despite a record-breaking start with 100 million users in five days, Threads' engagement has waned.

The ease of joining Threads through Instagram may have led to misleading initial sign-up numbers.

Threads' feature of transferring Instagram followers could have inflated perceived user engagement.

Users cannot delete their Threads account without deleting their Instagram account, which raises concerns.

Privacy concerns are high as Threads gathers more data than Twitter, including sensitive information.

Due to data collection practices, Threads is not yet launched in Europe where legal consent standards are higher.

Meta's history with privacy is questionable, with Facebook known for its data collection practices.

Threads lacks features compared to Twitter, such as a home feed for followed users.

The Threads algorithm pushes content from non-followed users, aiming to increase time on the platform.

Threads does not improve on Twitter; it merely mirrors it, with a few missing features.

Meta's strategy for Threads is to position it as a 'kind' and 'friendly' space, differentiating it from Twitter.

Twitter is responding to competition by sharing ad revenue with creators to incentivize content posting.

There's speculation that Threads could be part of a larger metaverse plan by Meta, aiming for a decentralized approach.

The rivalry between Elon Musk's Twitter and Mark Zuckerberg's Meta extends beyond the virtual world.

Brilliant is recommended for enhancing skills in math, data science, and computer science, with a special offer for viewers.