Associate professor of practice Lisa Low is available for media questions.
Pitch
When it comes to quickly consumable information, Twitter was the preeminent social platform for many years, until last week, when Meta launched its latest application called Threads.
The platform allows users to post content and allows others to respond by creating threads. According to a quote from Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg to CNN Business, the vision for the platform is to create a friendly public space for conversation.
However, many Twitter loyalists are apprehensive of the new app, even hostile toward it, claiming it's not a competitor of Twitter but a knock-off.
No matter your opinion on the matter, what's clear to Texas Tech University associate professor Lisa Low, is that Threads is likely here to stay. With more than 100 million accounts registered in its first week, the platform is now the fastest-growing application in history. Whether you prefer Twitter, Threads or both, an understanding of the new platform is important for communication practitioners, brand managers, business owners, and individuals.
Expert
Lisa Low, associate professor, (806) 834-5309 or lisa.low@ttu.edu
Talking points
- Threads' identity portability makes it unique. Someone who already has an Instagram account can simply send that information to Threads and it will fill out your profile for you. It will even link your Threads account back to your Instagram. While this is certainly streamlined, it also poses hacking risks.
- According to Low, Twitter created a void when its processes became less predictable. Meta filled that void, but its success will depend on the company's ability to continually communicate. While most people resist change, Meta usually lets you know when one is coming. This allows professionals to prepare for possible disruptions.
- A single Tweet can prompt a crisis. When audiences receive a limited amount of information with no context, there is often dissemination of misinformation. One potential strength of Threads is the simplicity of finding the original post. Its functionality is user-friendly.
Quotes
- “The things that make Threads easy are the things that make it vulnerable.”
- “The arrival of this competitor is bittersweet. But Twitter has become very erratic and unpredictable, and for communication professionals, it's hard to make a strategic plan when you don't know what is going to happen.”
- “I would caution communicators to wait and see how their audience responds. I wouldn't immediately migrate away from Twitter. Right now, Threads is a Twitter competitor. However, we don't know what iterations of the platform could lie ahead.”
