Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg recently announced that Threads, Meta’s social media platform designed to rival Elon Musk’s X (formerly Twitter), has reached a significant milestone: 175 million monthly active users within its first year. Launched on July 5th, 2023, Threads’ rapid growth can be attributed to its seamless integration with Instagram, allowing users to sign up using their existing Instagram accounts. This strategy has been crucial in drawing a large portion of its user base from Instagram promotions.
Despite this impressive growth in monthly active users, Meta has not yet released daily user figures. This omission suggests that Threads might still be attracting a lot of casual traffic rather than becoming a staple in users’ daily routines.
Zuckerberg’s vision for Threads is ambitious. He aims to make it Meta’s next billion-user app, with a particular focus on expanding in markets like Japan. Meta sees potential in capturing more market share from X in these regions. Although Threads is still a financial investment for Meta, the company is considering introducing ads next year. Given its integration with Instagram’s ad system, Threads could offer a safer advertising environment for brands looking for alternatives to X.
Threads was launched in response to the controversial changes Musk implemented at X, including mass layoffs, relaxed moderation rules, and the introduction of paid verification checkmarks. These changes, along with Musk’s polarizing presence on the platform, have driven many users away from X and towards Threads.
The initial launch of Threads set a record for the fastest-growing social media platform, reaching 100 million users within 5 days. Over the following months, Threads continued its growth, reaching 130 million users by February 2024 and 150 million by April. Now, with 175 million users, Threads is closing in on X’s user base of 250 million daily active users, a figure that has remained stagnant since November 2022.
While Threads’ growth has slowed, with the platform adding 5 million new active users per month recently (down from 7.5 million per month earlier), it remains on a positive trajectory. If this trend continues, Threads could surpass X in active users by October next year. However, this assumes that X does not attract new users during this period, which remains uncertain.
One of Threads’ significant challenges is its current resistance to real-time news content. Meta aims to create a platform focused on positive discussions, steering clear of divisive political content. This strategy might appeal to users tired of political debates dominating their social feeds but could limit Threads’ appeal during major real-time events, where X still excels.
Despite these challenges, Threads is making strides in enhancing user experience. The platform has added many features over the past year, including a web version, built-in translation, chronological search, and more. To celebrate its first anniversary, Threads introduced custom icons designed by the community, adding a fun and personalized touch for users.
As Instagram head Adam Mosseri noted, the goal is for Threads to become a culturally significant platform with hundreds of millions of users. Meta is working on improving real-time engagement features, which could help Threads compete more directly with X during live events.
Threads has made substantial progress in its first year, but the journey to becoming a billion-user app is far from over. Meta’s strategy of focusing on positive content and integrating with Instagram has laid a strong foundation. However, the platform’s ability to attract and retain users during real-time events and introduce effective advertising will be crucial for its long-term success.
As Threads continues to grow, it holds the potential to become a significant player in the social media landscape. With careful planning and execution, it might just achieve Zuckerberg’s vision of becoming Meta’s next billion-user app.