5 Half-Baked Predictions about Threads 🪡
🧵 Threads = Google+ It will probably last longer than Google’s foray into a true social network, but Threads is skyrocketing because it’s already building off other Meta products. And, much like Google did, look for Threads to be integrated into everything else Meta: WhatsApp, Oculus, their idea of the metaverse, even the Facebook app itself. 🧵Threads is the savior of Meta’s ad business Meta has lost massive troves of user data due to ad blockers, privacy sandboxes, and iOS App Tracking Transparency. They need more signals, coming in with more velocity. Nothing moves faster than a microblogging network, and Twitter (before acquisition) was making ~10% of their revenue off data licensing. More data = better ad targeting. New platform = new ad units and packages to sell. 🧵 Threads will also save Instagram Kylie Jenner-gate already told us that users (and especially influencers) want Instagram to be the place for photos, not so much Reels. TikTok already has short vertical video boxed out so well, and with Twitter becoming…whatever it is, users were already using Instagram more for *text* than ever before. Threads lets everyone get along: Instagram stays focused on photos, and celeb or influencer “I’m sorry you feel that way” confessions go on Threads, rather than posting screenshots of a Notes app page. 🧵 Threads will NOT put Meta in jeopardy with the FTC The FTC has been giving Meta the side-eye for a long time, mainly for user data privacy and anticompetitive practices. Cloning another social network *would* have been a bad move in this environment, *if* the network you were copying wasn’t already owned by another FTC pariah: Elon Musk. 🧵 Threads = Fediverse “Big Bang” You’ve been sleeping on the fediverse. You’ve vaguely heard about Mastodon or PixelFed, and possibly the ActivityPub protocol. It’s time to dive in and go deep: Threads at least *will* be part of the fediverse, and is arguably already its biggest network. (More here: https://help.instagram.com/169559812696339)
















