Threads, the Twitter rival launched by Meta, formerly known as Facebook, has had an astonishing first week. The app quickly shot to the top of the app store charts and became the fastest-growing app of all time, surpassing previous records set by chatGPT and TikTok. In just five days, Threads gained over 100 million users, an impressive feat considering it’s not even available in the European Union, one of Meta’s most important markets.
Threads employed tactics similar to Meta’s growth-hacking playbook, such as sending users notifications on Instagram and pre-populating their feeds with content and followers. However, Meta’s CEO, Mark Zuckerberg, claimed that most of Threads’ early growth was organic. He stated, “That’s mostly organic demand, and we haven’t even turned on many promotions yet,” indicating that Threads’ success was not solely due to promotional efforts.
Undoubtedly, Threads’ early success is bad news for Twitter. Although it is too early to determine if this success will translate into long-term growth, it is clear that Threads has dominated Twitter in its first week. Various metrics indicate that Threads is not only a viral hit but is also directly impacting Twitter’s user base.
Several indicators suggest that Threads is attracting current Twitter users. A recent poll from Ipsos revealed that 58% of American Twitter users were likely to try Threads or had already tried it. Additionally, 46% of American Twitter users stated their intention to move or have already moved their Twitter activity to Threads. These statistics highlight the potential migration of Twitter users to Threads.
However, it is essential to consider that early virality does not guarantee long-term success. Past examples, such as Google+ and Clubhouse, experienced initial growth but eventually fizzled out. Therefore, it remains to be seen if Threads will maintain its momentum or face a similar fate.
Despite the potential loss of users, Twitter still has a core group of dedicated users. The Ipsos poll found that more than half of American Twitter users showed no interest in migrating to Threads, at least in the near term. Furthermore, data from app analytics firm Sensor Tower indicated that Twitter’s engagement remained steady in the days following Threads’ launch, while average time spent in Threads actually decreased.
Twitter’s leadership, including newly appointed CEO Linda Yaccarino and Elon Musk, aimed to reaffirm the platform’s value. Musk claimed that Twitter experienced its “largest usage day since February” during the same week Threads launched. However, these claims were met with skepticism, as it is unclear how Musk measured the reported metric.
Nevertheless, Threads’ overnight success is undoubtedly cause for concern for Twitter. While various Twitter alternatives have emerged since Musk’s influence intensified, none have reached the level of success achieved by Threads. For example, Mastodon, one of Twitter’s rivals, reports only 2 million monthly users, while the invite-only service Bluesky has approximately 300,000 sign-ups.
Moreover, Threads has successfully attracted brands, indicating a significant advantage over its predecessors. Brands have received substantial organic engagement on Threads, surpassing their engagement on Twitter. Website Plant reported that 87% of brands received more likes on Threads posts than on Twitter, even for brands with a higher Twitter follower count.
Although these are early statistics, brands’ increased engagement on Threads may incentivize them to invest in advertising once the platform allows it. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg has stated that Threads will introduce ads once it reaches a user base of 1 billion. Nevertheless, reports suggest that Meta is already working on branded content tools for Threads, indicating an eventual introduction of advertising.
Wall Street analysts are optimistic about Threads’ future prospects, estimating that the platform could generate up to $8 billion in revenue for Meta by 2025. This further exacerbates Twitter’s financial struggles, as its ad sales have plummeted by 59% compared to the previous year.
However, the dominance of another Meta-owned platform in the online ecosystem raises concerns about speech norms and standards. Meta, particularly Instagram, has different guidelines regarding acceptable speech on its platform. Additionally, there are lingering questions about Meta’s integration of Threads into the broader Fediverse.
Despite these concerns, it is impossible to ignore Threads’ significant momentum and its impact on Twitter in just one week. The success of Threads highlights the intense competition in the social media landscape and the potential for newcomers to disrupt established platforms.
