Threads, an alternate to Twitter, just celebrated its first anniversary. Threads was launched on Apple store on 5 July last year. Now boasting 175 million users, Threads has reached a significant milestone.
As per report, its significant number of followers is also because of promotion on Instagram. As both accounts share same user accounts which is being favored for thread and cause of loss for meta.
Challenges in User Engagement
Threads is falling to increase user engagement because it’s not as newsy as Twitter and maintains more privacy compared to Mastodon or Bluesky.
New Features to Enhance User Experience
To gather users’ feedback and enhance platform threads team launched new features. By these enhancements support for having numerous profiles, a web app, a desktop interface akin to Tweet Deck, trending topics in the United States, and advanced mute and quote reply options.
Integration with Fediverse
The company also integrated with Fediverse, where users can connect their accounts to activity pub protocol and share posts with Fediverse. View, likes, and replies from a broader network. However, the ability to follow users from other servers is not yet available.
Lessons from Other Social Networks
Last year threads added tags, users frequently shared messages with many tags for same event or trend. You have to save search terms then you will find out relevant posts
But in Blue Sky automated feeds collect posts on specific topics instead of being limited to a single hashtag, you can create customized feeds and simplify content discovery.
API Availability and Developer Limitations
Recently, Threads made its API widely available to developers, allowing them to publish content for users and display it within an app, meaning businesses will publish content on person’s behalf on threads and display those posts only to person who created it.
This limitation prevents developers from creating third-party apps that consume Threads. Over the last few years, social networks have limited user data access, impeding the development of new user experiences.
Including such capabilities in the API or developing a bespoke list implementation would be a significant improvement.
Independence from Instagram
Threads initially set its user base through Instagram integration. Now company can be separated from Instagram. Like a few months ago, the thread permitted its followers to delete its account independently, without deleting associated Instagram accounts.
But until you cannot create a separate profile from Instagram, u have to use Instagram to send DMs. You need to sign in with the same account, and you’ll automatically follow the same accounts.
Head Adam Mosseri also showed a vision for thread future independence. In an interview, he says the threads is getting better over time, but is still deeply integrated with Instagram, but over time, I want it to be more and more independent.
We are developing features such as threads-only accounts and data separation.
Managing Political Content and Trending Topics
Threads don’t amplify news and political content, nor do any political topics appear on trending, but threads expand to other regions. There will be times when political content will inevitably become more prominent. The company needs to refine the product to manage these issues without suppressing news.
Algorithm Refinement for Better User Experience
No social network has a perfect algorithm, but I must say TikTok might have improved the way interesting posts are served.
Unlike threads, often appears bizarre, suggesting strange posts to users unrelated to their interests.
But Thread really needs to refine its “For You” algorithm to make the timeline more relevant.
Showcasing Local Content
To showcase local content, Threads doesn’t need to look far beyond Instagram, Twitter also has regional partnership teams to surface relevant content.
Recently, it missed a significant opportunity to engage cricket fans by not offering live updates during the T20 World Cup. Instead, it focused on adding live scores for the NBA, MLS, and Euro 2024.
Reports suggest that interestingly, India is one of the active countries on threads globally.
While there are areas for improvement, the frequent release of new features suggests these gaps might be addressed soon.
