August 3, 2023: From hype to fade! What caused the dramatic fall of Threads? A lesson to learn? Keep reading to know more!
In the quick-moving world of social media, there is intense competition, and new platforms appear with bold claims of changing the existing trends. One such competitor was Threads, a Twitter rival that launched to much hype and attracted both early users and investors.
When Elon Musk started making modifications to Twitter, many dissatisfied users started exploring alternatives. Threads had been marketed as the "Twitter killer" at the time.With over 184 million (18.4 crore) downloads and 100 million (10 crores) active users globally in just 5 days since launch, Threads has experienced the fastest growth of any program in history!
The platform, however, suffered a significant setback just 15 days after launch on 5 July 2023 , losing a shocking 75% of its traffic.
Traffic- Social media traffic refers to the flow of users and visitors in social media platforms and websites.
(Quick recap- Threads is an American social media platform and social networking service owned and operated by Meta Platforms. The app offers users the ability to post and share text, images, and videos, as well as to interact with others and Twitter is a free social networking site where users create short posts known as tweets.)
More information available on our previously written article -
The hype that seemed promising
Threads made bold promises when it first entered the social media market that it would overcome Twitter's flaws and offer a more simplified and engaging user experience.
The network appeared to offer an appealing option for those looking for a unique social media experience because of its modern user interface, customisable feeds, and improved privacy settings. Early marketing initiatives and support from influential people generated a lot of excitement and hype, which significantly increased early visitors.
When Threads launched, there was a lot of interest, which sparked a rush of sign-ups and early user uptake. Users were drawn to Threads by its boasts of being a more community-driven and user-friendly platform since they had grown tired of Twitter's strict policies and data privacy concerns.
Additionally, few influencers and famous people who moved to Threads inspired their followers to do the same, expanding its fame and reach.
The dramatic downfall of Threads & the reason behind it
Users started reporting technical problems and problems with the user experience as the site gained momentum. Users became irritated and dissatisfied with Threads because of its slow loading times, frequent crashes, and restricted functionality.
The platform's navigation was also thought to be complicated, which confused users. As a result, many users who initially signed up were dissatisfied with the service and swiftly switched back to more established platforms.
Despite its ambitious goals Threads was unable to develop a unique selling concept that would set it apart from other major social media competitors. Because Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram already held the majority of the market, Threads was unable to convince consumers to switch from these well-known platforms to a newcomer. As a result, consumers lost interest in Threads as the initial excitement and curiosity faded.
The user interaction techniques used by Threads also fell short of expectations. The platform made an effort to create a feeling of community through specific forums and groups, but it lacked the level of participation needed to support active interactions.
The platform's lack of well-known influencers and famous individuals further reduced its popularity. Threads underestimated the impact of network effects, which resulted in poor user engagement and a reduction in traffic.
As Threads' user base declined, disagreements surfaced over the platform's rules for managing posts. Users and media outlets brought attention to cases of hate speech, misinformation, and harassment on the network, which resulted in negative coverage and a public backlash.
Initial responses from Threads to these problems were slow and insufficient, worsening the platform's reputation and losing potential users.
The lack of clarity regarding the goal of the Threads app caused it to lose popularity. At first, it seemed to be aimed at unhappy Twitter users, but it soon became clear that Threads and Twitter served quite different user bases.
Politicians, celebrities, athletes, journalists, and other public figures have all used Twitter as a news and political discussion platform. Instagram and other Meta platforms, in contrast, prioritize visual content and stay away from political discussions. Due to this difference in strategy, Threads lost its ability to clearly define its identity, which reduced user engagement.
A lesson to learn
The rise and fall of Threads should serve as a lesson for ambitious social media online platforms looking to take on industry giants. Despite promising starts, the platform's inability to live up to its impressive promises, along with technical issues, inefficient user engagement techniques, and controversies, caused traffic and user interest to drop off quickly.
The failure of Threads serves as a reminder of how crucial careful planning, solid foundation, and attending to users' requirements are to sustaining growth in the intensely competitive social media industry. Future competitors must learn from Threads' failures and provide genuine innovation in order to secure a lasting position in the rapidly changing social media industry.
