Meta’s text-based social network Threads, launched three months ago, currently has under 100 million monthly users. However, during Meta’s recent earnings call, CEO Mark Zuckerberg expressed optimism about the platform’s potential, suggesting that it could potentially reach 1 billion users in the next few years.
Key Takeaway
Mark Zuckerberg believes that Meta’s text-based social network Threads has the potential to reach 1 billion users in the next few years. Despite current challenges with engagement, the platform continues to develop sought-after features and aims to become a place for empowering creators and real-time events.
A Positive Trajectory for Threads
Zuckerberg stated that he is pleased with Threads’ progress so far, emphasizing the platform’s growth trajectory. He believes that there is a need for a public conversations app with a positive focus, and he sees Threads as the potential solution. While it may take a few more years to achieve their vision, Zuckerberg believes that Threads has a good chance of reaching a billion users.
Engagement Challenges for Threads
While the number of monthly active users is an important metric, it may not accurately represent engagement on a social network like Threads. Opening the website or app once qualifies as an active user. Comparatively, Threads’ main competitor, X (formerly Twitter), boasts nearly 550 million monthly active users, as shared by Elon Musk in September. X’s CEO, Linda Yaccarino, also reported 245 million daily active users.
Despite achieving 100 million sign-ups within a week of launch, Threads has experienced a decline in engagement since then. In response, Meta has introduced sought-after features such as post search, a web version, an edit button, and easy account switching. The company is also working on upcoming features like trending posts and separate account deletion from Instagram for Threads.
The Path to Increased Engagement
Threads’ main challenge is to increase engagement and grow its community. While Meta aims to make Threads a platform that empowers creators, it currently lacks real-time news updates as not all reporters and publications are posting on the platform. Nevertheless, reporters are seeking an alternative to X, which has made life difficult for publishers with actions like removing headlines from link previews. Threads could potentially fill this gap in the market, especially for real-time events, pop culture moments, and sports events.
