What Threads Could Learn From Other Social Networks

One Year In: How Threads Can Innovate by Adopting Features From Bluesky, Mastodon, And More

 

Threads, Meta’s answer to Twitter, has recently celebrated its first anniversary. With a user base of 175 million monthly active users, Threads has grown rapidly since its launch on July 5 last year. Despite this success, Threads is still finding its unique identity in the social media landscape. As it strives to distinguish itself from competitors like Twitter, Mastodon, and Bluesky, Threads can benefit from adopting and improving upon several features found in these other networks.

Rapid Feature Development and Fediverse Integration

Over the past year, Threads has introduced numerous features at a brisk pace, gathering feedback directly from its users. Notable additions include support for multiple profiles, a web app, a TweetDeck-like interface for desktops, trending topics in the U.S., and custom controls for muting and quoting replies. Furthermore, Threads has made strides in integrating with the fediverse, allowing users to connect their accounts to the ActivityPub protocol and share posts across the fediverse. However, the ability to follow people from other servers remains absent.

Enhancing Topic Discovery and Custom Feeds

One area where Threads can significantly improve is in topic discovery. Bluesky excels with its custom feeds, which pull posts related to specific topics programmatically. This is more effective than relying on tags alone, which can be inconsistent and fragmented. Implementing a system that allows users to create and follow custom feeds would enhance content discovery on Threads, making it easier for users to find posts relevant to their interests.

API Availability and Third-Party Apps

Threads has made its API widely available to developers, enabling them to post content for users and display posts within apps. However, this API does not support the development of third-party apps to consume Threads content. In contrast, both Bluesky and Mastodon support ecosystems where third-party developers can create their own clients. Allowing third-party apps would provide Threads users with more options to interact with the platform, catering to different user preferences and enhancing overall engagement.

Decoupling from Instagram

Threads initially built its user base through tight integration with Instagram. While this strategy helped quickly amass users, it also created limitations. Currently, a Threads profile is still tied to an Instagram account, and there is no way to create a separate Threads profile. Users also cannot send direct messages on Threads without using Instagram. Moving forward, Threads should aim to become more independent from Instagram, allowing users to create and manage Threads-specific accounts and features.

Handling News and Political Content

Threads has taken a cautious approach to news and political content, not actively promoting or amplifying it. Despite this, such content often surfaces, particularly in U.S. trending topics. As Threads expands to other regions, it will need to develop strategies to manage news and political discussions without suppressing legitimate content. Taking inspiration from Mastodon’s feature that shows bylines linked with writers' accounts could add valuable context to news posts, helping users discern credible information.

Improving the “For You” Algorithm

A major challenge for Threads is refining its “For You” algorithm. Currently, users often encounter irrelevant posts, making the feed seem disjointed. Improving this algorithm to better reflect user interests will enhance user satisfaction and retention. Learning from platforms like TikTok, which excel in serving engaging content, could provide insights into creating a more appealing and personalized feed for Threads users.

Boosting Local Content

Local content is another area where Threads can improve. Instagram's success in this realm can serve as a model. By developing regional partnership teams, Threads can surface more relevant local content, enhancing user engagement. Threads has already introduced live sports scores for events like the NBA, MLS, and Euro 2024, but missed opportunities such as engaging cricket fans during the T20 World Cup highlight the need for a more comprehensive local content strategy.

Looking Ahead

While Threads has made impressive strides in its first year, there are several areas where it can learn from and innovate upon features found in other social networks. By enhancing topic discovery, supporting third-party app development, decoupling from Instagram, refining its algorithm, and boosting local content, Threads can continue to grow and solidify its position in the social media landscape.

As Threads aims to outpace Twitter, adopting these improvements will be crucial in offering a unique and compelling user experience.

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Source: Tech Crunch

Photo Credit: AI

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