Should Your Law Firm Join Meta's Threads?

In the ever-evolving social media landscape, Meta (formerly known as Facebook) continues to introduce innovative platforms designed to connect people and enhance their online experiences. The newest platform is Meta's Threads, a social networking app quickly catching users' attention worldwide. In this article, we will delve into what Meta's Threads is all about, exploring its features, functionality, and whether or not your law firm should jump on the platform. 

Meta's Threads: An Overview

Meta's Threads is a social networking app developed by Meta, offering users a way to connect with each other in short sound bites. The app has been dubbed the “Twitter killer” due to its almost identical appearance and functionality.  Threads “aims to foster meaningful connections and facilitate engaging discussions within various communities, allowing users to explore various topics and connect with like-minded individuals.”

Key Features and Functionality

Thread Creation and Participation:

Meta's Threads revolves around "threads" - individual discussion topics or conversations initiated by users. These threads act as virtual spaces where users can contribute their thoughts, ideas, and opinions on a subject. You can create a thread or participate in existing ones, encouraging dialogue and interaction within the community.

Interest-Based Communities:

The app focuses on building communities based on shared interests, allowing users to explore and join groups aligned with their passions and hobbies. Users can access curated content by joining relevant communities, engaging in discussions, and connecting with like-minded individuals. While there are certainly opportunities, this feature does create the potential for echo chambers and dissemination of misinformation, a heavily criticized issue for Meta. 

 
Content Sharing and Discoverability:

Meta's Threads enables users to share various forms of content within their communities, including text posts, links, photos, and videos. The goal is to generate engagement and encourage users to share valuable resources, inspiring conversations, and collaborations among community members. Additionally, the app employs algorithms to enhance content discoverability, making it easier for users to find and engage with threads of interest. As of today, there are no hashtags on the platform. 

 
Strengths and Weaknesses of Threads 

Emphasis on Privacy and Moderation:

Meta's Threads strongly emphasizes privacy and moderation, enabling users to control their data and the content they share. The app includes customizable privacy settings and tools to report and address inappropriate or harmful content, hoping to foster a safe and secure user environment.

Enhanced Community Management:

While Meta's Threads provides users with the ability to create and participate in conversations, journalists are highlighting the need for more robust community management tools. The app could benefit from features like thread moderation, community guidelines, and better thread organization to ensure a seamless and organized user experience.

Expansion of Features and Integration:

As a relatively new app, Meta's Threads is continuously evolving and expanding its feature set. It has been suggested that integrating additional functionalities such as direct messaging, event organization, and enhanced search capabilities will further enhance the app's utility and user experience.

Should You Open A Threads Account for Your Law Firm

As with all new social media platforms, mass adoption and understanding of best practices will take time. Ease of account creation has fast-tracked the adoption rate; 30 million users signed up in less than 24 hours. To start using Threads, individuals must download the app and can then log in with their Instagram credentials.  

But does it make sense for your law firm? Firms utilizing Twitter to connect with media, customers, or government officials will want to consider jumping into Threads immediately. Law firms that have ignored, left, or devalued Twitter in their marketing strategy, can wait until their audience uses the platform en masse. 

 Those concerned about an imposter taking their unique handle can rest easy if they have an Instagram account. Users can only access Threads through an Instagram account, and the handle remains the same. 

Meta's Threads is an interesting addition to the social media landscape. The app shows promise with its focus on privacy, moderation, content discoverability, and a large, well-funded parent company. As Threads continues to evolve, incorporating user feedback and expanding its feature set, it has the potential to replace Twitter, but the majority of law firms will want to wait for their target audience to utilize the platform regularly before they jump on. 

About the Author

Katherine Doble is the president and founder of INGAGE. Since founding the firm in 2011, Katherine has developed award-winning social media and online campaigns for all sizes of organizations, from top Fortune 500 companies to privately-owned businesses. 

Sources

CNBC. "How to Use Meta's Threads App and What's Missing." July 6, 2023. Retrieved from: https://www.cnbc.com/2023/07/06/how-to-use-metas-threads-app-and-whats-missing.html