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Meta has a track record of creating winning social media platforms that improve how brands can connect with their audiences, and Threads is no exception.
Since its launch, Threads has quickly gained traction among major brands, offering a fresh way to connect with followers in an increasingly crowded digital landscape.
Some brands have already started seeing impressive reach through the platform, and in this article, we identify which ones are effectively using Threads to engage their audiences.
Why should brands use Threads?
Threads was launched in mid-2023 as Meta's answer to the growing demand for platforms that support more nuanced and ongoing conversations.
Users set the tone of a platform, and Threads users have decided it’s a place for storytelling, community building, and real-time interaction.
Here are some other reasons that brands should consider adopting Threads:
- The nature of posts encourages users to engage with content more meaningfully. This increased engagement is beneficial for brands looking to build a loyal audience.
- Threads facilitates genuine conversations and interactions, which can help brands build trust with their audience. This is particularly important in an era where consumers are increasingly skeptical of “traditional” and digital advertising.
- The app fosters a sense of community, allowing brands to create dedicated spaces for their followers to interact and share ideas. This community-centric approach can lead to stronger brand loyalty and advocacy.
- The ability to seamlessly integrate various media types within Threads allows brands to come up with new, dynamic, and engaging content. This versatility can help capture and retain the attention of diverse audience segments.
Are you curious about which brands are taking Threads by storm? Here are seven that I find the most interesting in their use of the platform.
Apartment Therapy uses visuals to draw attention
The content opportunities for a visually driven brand like Apartment Therapy are endless, and they take full advantage of them.
In their content, they maximize all available features of Threads, from polls to carousel posts. For example, in this post, they share their theme for the month, but instead of just stopping at a declaration, they add a poll to encourage engagement. P.S. I personally love the chaos of a colorless shelf.
Post by @apartmenttherapyView on Threads
In another post, they convert an article from their website into a visually appealing carousel with simple text about the color psychology of bedrooms.
Post by @apartmenttherapyView on Threads
These posts are especially great because they grab attention in the feed immediately and are a zero-click way to showcase the expertise of the article and generate curiosity about the full content, as shown by this comment.
Aside from generating original content, they’ll also use a meme if they can make it work for their brand—and there aren’t many trends that don’t. This is one of my favorite memes because any brand can use it in its content without worrying about how it comes across.
Post by @apartmenttherapyView on Threads
Dupe Photos educates their audience on the value of their tool
Dupe is a great stock image tool for anyone looking for Pinterest-like photos to use in their content and who wants to avoid copyright.
In their content, the brand leans into the associations with “aesthetic” platforms and away from the traditional expectations of stock photography tools in their content.
Post by @dupephotosView on Threads
You’ll often see content about the process of generating images for social media that acknowledges how high effort it can be, which inevitably positions them as a solution.
Post by @dupephotosView on Threads
They also take a down and wide approach to posting relatable content for their audience that addresses some common issues they encounter, even outside of stock photography. For example, knowing that a lot of their audience is social media managers looking for images that aren’t overused, they tend to post a lot of content related to social media management.
Post by @dupephotosView on Threads
As a small brand playing against bigger and tenured competitors like Unsplash and Shutterstock, they also spend much time acknowledging users who spotlight them.
Post by @dupephotosView on Threads
Beyond Meat lets its persona decide what gets posted
The vegan meat brand is far on the other end of the spectrum, with one of the larger followings and brand awareness on this list. However, that doesn’t mean they don’t have fun with their content.
Beyond Meat toes the line between posting fun, relatable content that is still relevant to its brand. Its language is very Internet-friendly but reflects its mission and ideology.
Post by @beyondmeatView on Threads
Post by @beyondmeatView on Threads
In another approach, knowing that many of Threads' current audience is people who work in and around social media, their content reflects that reality.
Post by @beyondmeatView on Threads
Grammarly uses humor to connect with its audience
As a brand known for helping its users improve communication, Grammarly plays the role of a digital communication coach, but they don’t let that restrict its content.
Their Threads strategy weaves between open-ended questions that encourage engagement to light-hearted memes.
Post by @grammarlyView on Threads
Post by @grammarlyView on Threads
Their use of trends is also top-tier, injecting humor into situations their audience can connect with.
Post by @grammarlyView on Threads
Post by @grammarlyView on Threads
Square puts the spotlight on its audience
As a financial technology company, Square could easily fall into the straightlaced social content trap that a lot of its peers do. However, they instead lean into their role in helping small business owners grow and use that to fuel their content.
Post by @squareView on Threads
As a result, they see many benefits from creating content that spotlights and encourages small businesses.
Post by @squareView on Threads
Post by @squareView on Threads
They also get content from repurposing, like this post adapted from a report they did on restaurants. And to create more mileage, they added a poll to generate more engagement on the otherwise straightforward, informational post.
Post by @squareView on Threads
Bliss leans into a viral moment
Skincare brand Bliss happened upon a common experience for people – receiving packages – and got a viral post out of it.
Post by @blissView on Threads
It could have ended there, but they decided to lean into it in their content to extend the life of the post and win over some new fans.
Post by @blissView on Threads
By capitalizing on the initial excitement and engagement from their viral post, Bliss continued to create content highlighting the unboxing experience, showing the joy and anticipation of receiving their products. This approach resonated with their existing audience and attracted new followers who could relate to the universal thrill of package delivery.
Barnes and Noble posts about books – and only books
If there’s one brand that created an identity and stuck with it, it would be booksellers Barnes and Noble. On the surface, the brand’s content strategy is to post about books and books alone. Every other post is about or related to books and reading.
Post by @barnesandnobleView on Threads
Even memes and trends don’t deviate from the pattern and are adapted to be about books, often to hilarious effect.
Post by @barnesandnobleView on Threads
They only interrupt this pattern on special occasions, like this Pride post.
Post by @barnesandnobleView on Threads
Their audience (me included) clearly love this approach, as their short and sweet posts get a lot of engagement, including several comments – a rarity on Threads.
Post by @barnesandnobleView on Threads
What’s Buffer doing on Threads?
Buffer’s approach to Threads is very community-oriented, allowing us to win over our audience and new fans. We post everything from short videos to polls.
Post by @bufferView on Threads
A prominent form of content is Bufferchats (every last Thursday of the month at 8pm UTC), which consists of several questions built around one topic.
Post by @bufferView on Threads
Mitra, our social media manager, sends them out periodically over the course of an hour, and our audience replies with their answers and experiences. It’s one of our most engaging formats on the platform, beating out even polls.
And now that you can schedule Threads in Buffer, it’s easier than ever for us (and you) to create content on the platform.
So if you’re not using Threads yet for your brand, this is your sign to get on it, right away. Happy posting!