The launch of Threads, Meta’s challenge to Twitter, was met with great enthusiasm, but its popularity has since dwindled. According to data from market analysis firm Sensor Tower, the average daily usage of Threads has plummeted by over 75% since its impressive debut on July 6. Initially, the platform garnered over 100 million sign-ups in just five days, surpassing the record set by AI tool ChatGPT as the fastest-growing consumer app. Early adopters, disenchanted with Twitter under Elon Musk’s leadership, found solace in Threads, with some even closing their Twitter accounts.
However, weeks later, Threads experienced a significant decline in new sign-ups, as reported by Sensor Tower. Despite its problems, Twitter remains dominant as a platform for online commentary and news. Silicon Valley investor and analyst Jeremiah Owyang believes that Threads will not be able to dethrone Twitter, stating that Musk would have to completely destroy it to drive away its audience for good. Although Threads was launched in 100 countries on Apple and Android app stores, it is not available in Europe due to uncertainty regarding compliance with the European Union’s data privacy legislation. Twitter boasts approximately 200 million regular users, but since Musk’s acquisition of the platform last year, it has been plagued by technical failures and controversial decisions.
Threads’ Challenges and Limitations
Threads had a significant advantage over other Twitter alternatives due to its ability to tap into Instagram’s existing user base. With at least a billion users on the image-focused social network, Meta easily prompted Instagram users to create Threads accounts. However, Threads still has much to prove and improve to become a viable alternative to Twitter. Jasmine Enberg, an analyst at Insider Intelligence, suggests that Threads must nurture creators to engage users and establish its own identity separate from Instagram and Twitter.
One limitation of Threads is the user base it inherited from Instagram. Owyang notes that this user base is not ideal for chats or microblogging, as Instagram users primarily engage with the platform for visual content rather than discussions or controversies. Additionally, Creative Strategies analyst Carolina Milanesi highlights the differences between the audiences of Instagram and Twitter, emphasizing that Threads lacks Twitter’s focus on news and politics.
Another obstacle to Threads’ growth is its absence from the European Union market. Milanesi points out that excluding such a significant portion of the market hinders Threads’ potential success. While frustrated Twitter users seek alternatives, no single competitor has emerged as the perfect solution. Owyang likens Twitter quitters to a diaspora, scattered across platforms like Mastodon, Bluesky, and Threads in search of a new social media home. Although Threads has been downloaded over 184 million times globally since its launch, according to Data.ai Intelligence, it has not proven to be significantly different from Twitter in terms of features and functionality.
Threads started with a bang but has faced a decline in popularity in the weeks following its launch. Twitter continues to dominate the online comment and news space, and Threads lacks the capability to overthrow it. While it had the advantage of tapping into Instagram’s massive user base, Threads still needs to enhance its features and establish its own identity. The absence of Threads in the European Union market and the lack of a centralized alternative to Twitter pose additional challenges. Despite its initial success, Threads must overcome these obstacles to become a true rival to Twitter.
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