Last week I was harassed by a guy at the gym. Because I have trouble recalling details after events like that, I made the decision to film my story and post it to Instagram. And then it seemed right to also write it out to cement the details, so I posted it on Threads.

The Instagram Reel was too long to do well, so it really only hit with my friends. After about twelve hours on Threads though, the story was taking off like wildfire. To the point that I couldn’t keep up with each individual comment and still carry on with my day. So I didn’t. I just hopped in as I felt like it and replied to what called me. Oh the joy of not being an organization in this moment and being able to concentrate on work and family instead of what Nancy said about me on Threads.

As the comments came rolling in, a lot things about Threads really started clicking for me. So I might as well share all of that, right?

Threads is not like any other network

There is a couple of different urges when it comes to Threads.

The first is to treat it like Old Twitter. Oh those golden days when we talked and had fun. It was super social and you really got to know people. The nature of Threads is very different. People dip into conversations and then dip back out. The algorithm has a tendency to show just as much people you aren’t following in your feed as those you are following. And to be honest, these one-off long stories aren’t enough to get me to press that follow button. I just go onto the next one and that makes creating relationships super hard.

The next is to just go completely unhinged on Threads. It’s been successful for some brands, but now it’s the norm. And that means you won’t stand out when you do this. So you’re just being unhinged to be unhinged, especially when that strategy is not tied back to any business goals.

Your best bet is to live on the network and figure out what is working for your audience. Treat it like its own special network and really go on a discovery mission to figure out how your audience is using it. You might be surprised.

Long form works

I can’t tell you how many people’s very LONG stories I have read on this network. I get these glimpses of people’s lives and then I dip out at the conclusion of the story, whether it’s at the end of their Thread post or after multiple Thread posts. To me, despite the fact that I’m not making any real relationships, it’s actually super enjoyable. It’s the reason why I keep coming back to the app even thought I don’t post all that often.

It’s so enjoyable that I wonder why brands aren’t using the app to tell stories rather than the unhinged behavior. Fan stories have always been super successful for my clients on other networks. This seems like you could take it a step further. It could give followers a glimpse into lives, be a place to help fans get peer advice, etc. With the way the algorithm works, this could actually be an excellent way to gain more attention on the app and extend the reach of your messages.

Of course, if you are spotlighting fans in this way, the increased reach into the four corners of Threads means you have to be even more careful about protecting those fans you are highlighting. Trolls do like to come in and tear anyone apart that comes across their path.

Advice

The thing I learned above all else is that people love to try to help on Threads. You take that with a grain of salt because people are just dipping in and giving advice without really knowing all the circumstances. But this need is something you can use as a brand.

Find ways to let this audience give their opinions in constructive ways. It’s like the old days of social media. Ask them to help plan little things about an upcoming event. Give them a sneak preview of two possible publication covers and have them pick the one they like the best. Whether small or big, it can give them a bit more ownership in your organization.

Allowing your fans some ownership in what your organization does can make them loyal and more willing to help you other things like marketing events. And that can be absolutely vital when you have a small budget and not enough hands to do all the work.

Overall, Threads is a great place where people are trying to do their best. Recognizing that and using it to create something productive can put you head and shoulders above other brands who still have no clue what is going on over there. Give it a try and see what happens.

Are you on Threads? Is it getting you results?