Forget Tiktok, this platform could soon be the cool one

Anyone who accesses the Threads interface will mostly see an interface with a familiar tone, where random users talk about dating or everyday things, running a kind of microblog, or have serious discussions with other users. Although the platform is managed by Meta, it is not yet fully part of the Metaverse, as Reels, which are available on Facebook and Instagram, are not yet available on it at all. However, this contradicts the fact that Instagram users can use it smoothly.

The platform is mainly text-based, short microblog posts of a few hundred characters can be shared on it, to which we can associate images, videos and even voice messages. At the same time, the algorithm works similarly to Tiktok, that is, we can not only view the posts of the users we follow, but also those that the algorithm finds interesting for us.

If we browse longer among the posts that appear, we can quickly connect with other users, regardless of how many followers they have. The main topics of the Hungarian Threads community include dating and Tinder experiences, but there is also a microblog run by a taxi driver about his passengers and the conversations he has with them.

We can find an audience for practically any topic, provided, of course, that we present it in a sufficiently interesting and attention-grabbing way.

This goes somewhat against the previous trends, as such platforms tend to be heavily dominated by visual content. Still, X has a strong base in the US, with plenty of politicians and celebrities using it to share more personal messages and thoughts.

However, since Elon Musk acquired the platform, many companies and opinion leaders have moved away from it. It is important to note that disturbing, politically incorrect, and even pornographic content appeared on it even before the Tesla leader took the stage. However, at that time even a serious management of moderators kept the posts under control, which, according to many, often curtailed the freedom of expression of opinion. It is enough to think of JK Rowling’s expressions or the short life of the Superstraight movement, which included Reddit he agreed.

It is therefore not surprising that marketers want to dedicate a more sophisticated environment around their advertisements. And according to Luca Urbán, the creative director of Hello Agency, there is every opportunity for this, starting with the rapidly growing user base of the platform.

Microbloggers against vloggers

The specialist told Economx that the most popular platforms active in Hungary include Facebook, which is widely used by all age groups, and TikTok, which is especially popular among the younger generations.

Luca Urban said in response. According to him, the reasons for this include the initial dominance of iWiW and the subsequent growth of Facebook. Threads, on the other hand, is a recent entrant aimed at users who are disappointed with X but prefer text formats. He added that although the Hungarian user base on Threads is constantly growing, their exact number is still unknown. However, Meta continuously plans to introduce additional features and advertising opportunities in the future to increase activity and revenue on the platform. According to Luca Urbán, some of these can help make the platform more attractive.

According to foreign literature, Meta plans to introduce ads on Threads this year, as soon as they reach the appropriate number of users. To this end, they are experimenting with different advertising formats, such as sponsored posts and brand collaborations, he added, emphasizing that, in his view, the new platform is still finding its place among the major social media players.

Small texts without big data

The Creative Director of Hello Agency believes that if Threads allows for advertising, and if an agency sees that clients can appear authentically and effectively on this platform, then it can definitely be incorporated into a marketing strategy.

You can already see that compared to X, Threads offers less confrontational content, which may appeal to some brands, especially if they want to convey positive, community-building messages.

Therefore, if the advertising opportunities become available, we are ready to transfer our customers to Threads so that they can reach their target audience there as well, the expert told our newspaper. He added that the target audience of Threads currently consists mostly of Instagram users, I am one of those who are already active there and can easily transfer their connections to the new platform. Because of this, the target audience is currently younger, more visually oriented, and probably less interested in the fast, trending content of TikTok or the diversity of Facebook. At the same time, big data does not yet show an accurate picture due to the dynamic change of user activity and its continuous growth.

My posts for an ad

So far, Threads has not achieved a big breakthrough among Hungarian influencers. It is difficult to derive statistics from the start, given that, to put it mildly, the majority of Hungarian influencers do not have a Threads account, and those who do, do not actively use it either. One of the most viewed Hungarian influencer teams, TheVR, for example, was last active on the platform on August 22, which means that they haven’t posted new content here for the longest time. and their follower base is by far the smallest compared to other platforms. At the same time, they have a remarkable following even without advertising.

However, the numbers do not mean much for now, as the Threads community is still in its infancy. However, according to Luca Urbán, if Meta monetizes the interface, the planned advertising models may include brand collaborations and sponsored content, which are directly connected to Instagram’s advertising ecosystem. However, for this the user base must reach a critical mass, i.e. roughly one billion users.