Can You Message on Threads (Everything You Need To Know About The Threads

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Threads, the new app from Instagram, is quickly gaining traction as a valuable tool for making money on social media. But as you settle in, you may wonder if you can message on Threads. This feature has become a key component of social media apps, facilitating interaction and helping users connect to mutually beneficial opportunities. The good news? You can message on Threads; and this guide will explain how to make money on Threads.

Blacktwist can help you achieve your goals on Threads by showing you how to grow your audience. Why does this matter? The more followers you have, the more opportunities you have for making money on social media.

What Are Threads, and How Do They Work?

Threads is a new social media platform, Meta (formerly Facebook), launched in July 2023. Its purpose is to provide a real-time, text-focused space for conversations, very similar to Twitter, but with integration to Instagram, which Meta also owns. The app has been designed to offer users a streamlined, less cluttered platform where they can share brief, text-based posts while connecting smoothly to their Instagram followers. The launch of Threads was Meta's answer to the growing demand for a Twitter alternative, especially after Twitter experienced various changes and challenges.

How It Works

Integration with Instagram

To use Threads, you must have an active Instagram account. Once you're logged into Instagram, you can sign up for Threads using your Instagram profile, and your followers from Instagram automatically transfer over to Threads. This integration makes it easier for users to maintain their social media presence across platforms with minimal effort.

Text-based posts

The platform focuses on brief, real-time text posts, similar to tweets on Twitter. Users can post updates, share news, comment on trending topics, or provide quick thoughts. The posts can be up to 500 characters long, offering more room than a typical tweet but still adhering to the "quick update" style of microblogging.

Though Threads emphasizes text, it allows users to share media such as photos, videos, and GIFs. These are typically attached to text posts, adding a visual layer to the content. This feature makes Threads a hybrid between platforms like Twitter and Instagram, enabling a more visually rich conversation than Twitter but remaining focused on written engagement.

User Interface

Threads offers a simple and minimalistic design. The user interface is designed for easy scrolling, and the home feed shows posts from users you follow. The platform allows for effortless engagement through likes, reposts, and replies, making it easy to interact in conversations.

Real-Time Engagement

Just like Twitter, Threads thrives on real-time engagement. It is ideal for participating in current conversations, following live events, and reacting to ongoing news stories. This immediacy encourages users to stay connected to the platform, providing a constant flow of new content.

Key Features of Threads

Public conversations

Threads are designed for public engagement, where anyone can view posts. This makes it an excellent platform for creating and joining public conversations around trending topics, global events, or niche communities.

Follower-Based Growth

By linking Threads directly to Instagram, Meta has made it easier for users to transition from one platform to the other. Followers from Instagram can easily follow your Threads account, and vice versa, allowing a unified experience for people with an existing social media presence.

Focus on Conversation

Threads prioritize conversation over curated content, making it more akin to a "discussion forum" where the goal is to share opinions, news, and thoughts in an organic, flowing format. It's designed to foster interaction, not just content consumption.

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Can You Message on Threads?

Threads do not allow for direct messaging like we’re used to on Instagram or Twitter. The app focuses on public, text-based interactions within the feed. Users can post text, images, and videos to share with their followers and those they follow. However, all communications are conducted as comments, reposts, or likes rather than private, one-on-one messaging.

Public Comments Are the New DMs Threads

So what does that mean? Instead of sending DMs, users can engage in conversations publicly by commenting on each other’s posts. These comments can serve as a form of messaging, but they are visible to others, keeping the interactions transparent.

What Are the Interaction Options on Threads?

Here’s a breakdown of the interaction options on Threads:

Public Conversations

All interactions on Threads occur publicly, either in posts or replies. When users want a back-and-forth discussion, it happens directly under a post or through replies to comments, making it visible to all participants and followers.

Replies and Mentions

Instead of messaging someone privately, you can reply to or mention them in your posts. This creates a form of communication where others can also see the interaction. This engagement is more suited to public dialogue, creating a forum-like discussion environment.

Reposts

You can repost another user’s content to your followers, sharing or commenting publicly on their posts. This is not the same as private messaging, but it is a method of engaging with content or users.

Like Twitter, Threads allows users to share text, images, videos, and links in a way that encourages open engagement. While the app is not built for private sharing, users can still make their posts more personal through the content they share and how they interact with their followers.

Community Engagement

While private conversations aren’t an option, the platform's open and public nature encourages deeper community engagement. Users can build relationships through shared content, conversations, and community-driven posts, ultimately serving as an alternative to direct messaging.

Will Threads Ever Introduce DMs?

Whether Meta plans to add a direct messaging feature to Threads is still unclear. The app was built with a focus on public conversation. Still, based on user demand and the success of features on other platforms (like Instagram and Facebook Messenger), there may be an option to introduce private messaging as the app continues to evolve.

Threads’ focus on public interactions aligns with Meta’s strategy to create more open, community-driven platforms. However, for those looking for more private forms of communication, using Instagram's DM feature or other messaging platforms remains the go-to option.

How BlackTwist Helps You Grow Your Audience on Threads

BlackTwist helps you grow your audience on Threads. Our app streamlines your Threads management with crucial features, including automated post-scheduling, multi-account management, engagement automation, content repurposing, and analytics insights. We help you reduce repetitive tasks, allowing more content creation and community-building time.

Whether an individual creator or a business, BlackTwist helps you to scale your influence efficiently. With our distraction-free editor, lightning-fast engagement tools, and data-driven insights, you can focus on what matters most - creating compelling content and growing your Threads following. Create and schedule your first Threads post for free today with Blacktwist.

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How Threads Stacks Up Against Twitter

Threads and Twitter are designed to facilitate public, real-time conversations, making them highly similar in concept. However, there are key differences:

Post Length and Structure

You’re limited to 280 characters per Twitter, encouraging brevity and quick, punchy content on Twitter. Threads, on the other hand, offer a more flexible experience in terms of post length. While there are no character limits, posts on Threads tend to be more conversational, as users can engage in extended back-and-forth threads.

Direct Messaging

Unlike Twitter, Threads does not yet offer direct messaging (DM) as a core feature, making its interactions strictly public. This gives it more of a broadcast feel, whereas Twitter allows for private conversations through DMs.

Integration with Instagram

Threads are built with Instagram in mind, and you can easily share posts between both platforms, unlike Twitter, which operates independently of other social apps. This integration encourages seamless content sharing and engagement across different meta platforms.

How Threads Compare to Instagram

While Meta owns both apps and shares some similar user interfaces, Threads, and Instagram are designed for different purposes:

Type of Content

Instagram is primarily a visual platform where users share photos, videos, and stories. Threads, however, is text-heavy, focusing more on text-based posts and public conversations. While you can share images and videos on Threads, the platform's essence is rooted in written interaction.

Engagement Style

Instagram encourages engagement through likes, comments, and private messaging, whereas Threads center more around public replies and reposts. The interactions on Threads are designed to be open and community-driven.

Audience

Instagram has a broad and diverse user base, with a wide range of content creators, influencers, businesses, and individuals. Threads have initially drawn more attention from Twitter users and those interested in public conversations.

How Threads Differs From Facebook

Threads and Facebook both belong to the Meta family, but their approaches to social interaction are quite different:

Facebook is a multi-faceted platform that accommodates text posts, videos, photos, and links and allows for public and private engagement (such as private groups and DMs). Threads is tailored explicitly for real-time conversations and open public engagement, with no private groups or messaging options.

User Experience

Facebook has evolved into a newsfeed-based platform where users interact with friends, family, and business pages. Threads emphasize open dialogue and interaction between followers and creators, focusing on conversations rather than content consumption.

How Threads Differs From TikTok

TikTok is known for its short-form video content, while Threads leans towards public text-based posts, making them fundamentally different in content type.

Content Focus

TikTok is built around viral video content that relies heavily on algorithms to surface videos for users. Threads, on the other hand, place more emphasis on text and conversations. While you can still share images and videos on Threads, its primary focus is on communication and real-time dialogue.

Interactivity

TikTok’s platform encourages one-way content consumption, where users view content created by others. Threads allow users to comment, reply, and repost others' content in a more interactive and community-driven way.

How Threads Differs From LinkedIn

LinkedIn is a professional networking platform focusing on business, career-building, and industry-specific content. Threads is more casual and geared toward personal interaction, public sharing, and online community-building.

Purpose and Audience

LinkedIn is typically used for professional connections, business growth, and industry thought leadership. Conversely, Threads targets a more general audience looking for open discussions and personal engagement.

Tone of Content

Content shared on LinkedIn is often more formal and polished, whereas Threads encourages casual conversation and real-time engagement without the constraints of professionalism.

What Makes It Stand Out

Understanding what makes Threads unique will help you decide how to make the most of it in your digital communication strategy. While the app is still relatively new, it offers several distinct features that differentiate it from other social platforms.

1. Smooth Instagram Integration

One of Threads's standout features is its deep integration with Instagram. When you sign up for Threads, you do so with your Instagram account, making the onboarding process seamless. Threads share your Instagram bio, profile picture, and followers, which helps you instantly build an audience.

This integration ensures that your Threads posts are easily discoverable by your existing Instagram followers and allows you to share content between the two platforms effortlessly. The ability to connect with an established Instagram community right from the start makes Threads an attractive option for Instagram users looking for more interactive, text-based conversation tools.

2. Real-Time, Public Conversations

Unlike platforms like Instagram or Facebook, where posts may remain static or rely on algorithms to boost engagement, Threads is designed for real-time, open dialogue. The emphasis is on public conversations, which means that all content shared on the platform is visible to anyone, not just your followers. This encourages a greater sense of community and transparency. It’s perfect for users who want to engage in open discussions on trending topics, current events, or general chatter.

3. Simplified User Interface

Threads boasts a minimalistic, user-friendly interface designed for fast engagement. The app is easy to navigate, emphasizing simplicity and clear functionality. You can view and engage in threads with just a few taps, making it an accessible option for anyone new to social media or looking for a low-friction experience. Unlike more cluttered platforms, Threads ensures that users can focus on what matters most: the conversation.

4. Reposts & Replies

Threads encourage more interaction by allowing users to repost (similar to Twitter’s retweets) and reply to posts within threads. This creates a more dynamic interaction between users, where content can quickly spread and evolve. The option to quickly interact with others’ posts by replying or reposting them leads to more engagement and makes it easier for ideas and conversations to snowball. This is especially useful for those who want to participate in active discussions or trending topics.

5. No Algorithmic Curation (For Now)

In contrast to platforms like Instagram and Facebook, which rely heavily on algorithms to determine what content you see, Threads currently takes a more chronological approach to content display. Posts appear in the order they are posted, which allows for more authentic engagement. For users tired of algorithmic content curation, they can interact with real-time posts more transparently and directly.

6. Focus on Text Over Visuals

Threads is much more about text-based communication than it is about visuals. While you can share photos or videos, the main content format on Threads is writing. This makes it an ideal platform for users to share their thoughts, opinions, or experiences in long-form posts. For those who enjoy Twitter’s short-form text but desire a more engaging, threaded conversation format, Threads provides a comfortable balance.

7. Potential for Brand Engagement

Threads offer businesses, creators, and brands a unique opportunity to engage with audiences conversationally. Since the platform emphasizes open interaction, brands can use Threads to participate in public discussions, build brand awareness, and communicate with customers more directly. Whether sharing updates or responding to customer inquiries, Threads can be a valuable tool for fostering a personal connection with followers, much like Twitter but with the added benefit of Instagram's built-in audience.

8. Future Developments

Given its early stages, Threads has a lot of room to evolve. While the app doesn’t yet feature private messaging or groups, future updates could bring more features, such as DM capabilities or more in-depth content curation options. Meta (Instagram’s parent company) has a history of introducing new features based on user demand, so it’s likely that Threads will evolve to incorporate more functionality over time.