Your guide to content for Instagram Threads
Has Instagram Threads caught your attention and now you’re wondering what you might post on a new platform?
You might even have dabbled with Threads and feel ready to get a little more strategic with how you’re using it to support your business.
Hang by for my thoughts on creating content for Threads. (I’m using the word ‘creating’ in a loose sense, as there’s far less creating needed on Threads compared to other social media platforms.
Threads is about having conversations and is being marketed as the place to ‘Share ideas and trends with text’. So it’s a text first platform. But don’t worry, images are supported too and actually look amazing.
What is Threads?
Instagram’s Threads app launched with a boom in early July 2023, reaching a whopping 30+ million signups and 95 million posts in the first 24 hours.
Driven by its seamless link to Instagram, the Twitter-style app is easy to set yourself up on. And simple means Instagrammers initially headed over in droves. They were interested to find out what it was all about. Ready for a fresh and authentic way of being social.
And of course there was been plenty of FOMO at play in the early days. Will this be the place where your account finally goes wild? Hmm… we can only hope hey.
The initial buzz faded but Instagram continues to work hard to make it a fabulous platform and updates and improvements are slowly rolling out. Threads are now often seen within both the Instagram and Facebook feeds, in an attempt to hook the curious in to have a deeper look at the new newest Meta app.
Meta is also encouraging anyone they have calls with to be active on Threads as a way of grow your audience. Time will tell on that one, but I have to say, if I enjoy a Thread by someone, I do head over to look at their Instagram profile.
Expect to see many of your Instagram community over there – you’ll be prompted to connect up with those you follow on Instagram when you join.
Also expect to broaden your audience. Someone commented that it’s like a WhatsApp chat that everyone’s involved in. You’ll see posts and responses from the communities of your own community, so it’s a really useful way of expanding your audience.
I’ve met a lot of people and joined some interesting conversations. I’ve even met Sarah Richards #2 who responded to one of my posts with a lovely ‘Hello I think we have something in common’.
Content for Threads
Content for Threads feels free, positive and truly authentic. It feels like a place to have a voice and a kind opinion.
In the early days of the app, there were few tips or ‘how to’ style posts, it was just day to day conversation about each person’s subject area, but also random thoughts – the sort of content that I would group under a connection content pillar. Like someone asking (can’t remember who) why was it they always accidentally thanked the driver waiting at the other end of the temporary traffic lights. Yep I continue to do that too.
In general the content has moved on a little now, although it still strikes a happy mix of people talking about their subject area and adding random light hearted life chats to provoke conversation. Think of it as a combination of your curated Instagram feed and your behind the scenes Instagram stories all wrapped up into one.
If you have used Twitter / X, then the Threads format will feel really familiar to you. Without the strong politics and negativity that has crept in over there.
Threads offers a great opportunity to share your unique thoughts and ideas and more than anything start conversations.
At the beginning there were a lot of people saying that there are less content idea problems on Threads. People are just talking. Although now that the initial excitement has faded, Threads is no different from any other social media platform. And there are plenty of what to post content challenges. As well as thoughts about how small business owners can get value from their efforts on the platform.
I have to say, the unrestricted format is bliss. No one’s asking you to sing or dance or squeeze your thing into a specific format. It’s really free.
Starting out on Threads
How to get started on Threads
Like with any new platform you use for your business, it’s worth thinking about what that platform will do for your business. Who are you on the platform and what value will you bring – and that can just be having a chat and making connections.
Not everyone can instantly think of what they might want to post about on a new app. New places are always a cue for imposter to rise up. If this sounds like you, this is a good place to start with content for Threads.
Don’t overthink anything when you start out. Just test and have a play.
Or if you are someone who wants to think a little more, grab a pen and paper and ask yourself these questions.
- Who am I? / Who are we as a business?
- What will we use this new platform for?
- What are the key messages that I will aim to communicate on this platform? How do I want to be seen?
- What are the conversations that I want to start or be involved in?
- How can I help my potential audience? How might I add value to a conversation?
- What content do I have that adds value to this light-hearted community
- Can I post shareable content? What would be really helpful or funny?
- What content do I already have that could be reworked to become a Threads post or series of Threads posts.
What content is best for Threads – the first post
If it feels like you have stage fright and you haven’t a clue where to start on your thread, your first message could be exactly that.
- Start with the truth. “Hello I’m here. Show me the way.”
- It could also be a short intro. “Hello Threads. I’m Sarah, I’m a content marketer and I’m here to chat about all things content, marketing and business”
- Start with a funny comment or a sneak peek into your day. “I’m a content marketer and this is the reality of work today” (pic of scrolling)
Moving on. An initial content plan for Threads
I am not about to claim I’m an expert on Threads. That would be ridiculous. It’s brand new and there are no experts. And those with large followings have grown them on the back of other social media platforms, particularly Instagram.
As I look at the world in content, I’ve looked at Threads through the eyes of a content marketer and in my opinion, this is the content that’s working on Threads. There will be plenty of businesses not knowing how to make a start or what to talk about and if this sounds like you, this blog is all yours.
I’ve already seen a tonne of people saying they’re not witty enough for Threads. But it’s not just wit and humour that’s needed. There is plenty of room for thought leadership.
So here’s a plan:
- Set your goal. How can Threads support your business? Will you use it to grow your audience?
- Look to your content pillars. Which of your content pillars and key topics do you need to address?
- Plan. When you are planning out your content, think about how your key messages can be spread out on Threads. Maybe that’s just underlining certain words from a blog or Instagram post that will also work on Threads.
- Post off the cuff content too. Daily happenings, thoughts, ideas – use it to test ideas and gain feedback and just to have a conversation.
What can I write on Threads?
- Be helpful
- Add thoughts about your topic area
- Share your take on news from your industry
- Give or share announcements
- Share inspiration
- Test reactions to new products, ideas, theories
- Ask for help. How would you handle this
- Ask questions.
- Wise words: repost and add to the wise words from others you wished you’d thought of yourself.
- Join in with trends. @mosseri posted ‘This is where I post from…’ – this was quickly followed by many many people doing the same
- Link to your lead magnets
- Tell people about the useful stuff that gets shared in your email newsletter
- Launch you new products
- Show some personality. Add some light-hearted banter, Funny pics, words or statements.
- Share the memes and gifs – but don’t follow me for any of that. Memes and gifs are not my thing.
- Spread positivity
- Your unique opinions
- And most of all share relatable content – what are you doing, thinking, seeing that your audience can relate to?
Who is posting great content on Threads?
Check out @metoffice – they are fun and lighthearted, engaging, interesting and educational too.
For a small business / creative doing Threads well, have a peek @louisetilbrookdesigns. From day one Louise has gone hard with working her new Threads community.
Pinterest expert and coach @MeaganWilliamson gets the Threads mix perfectly right in my opinion. She talks Pinterest, giving her tips for the platform and talking about her programs, but mixes it beautifully with real life and broader content.
Final thoughts
Threads appears to be about expression and conversation with an instant community to support you. It’s a new app, but you greet your own Instagram community over there, so you’ve already made a start. What I really like is chatting with Instagrammers who have fallen off my radar a little. It’s lovely to reconnect. Hello again.
Content formats for Threads
What content formats can you post to Threads
- A simple couple of lines of text and up to 500 characters.
- Longer text. Like Twitter you can write longer posts. To do this you would write your interesting intro (that hooks the reader in) using the 500 characters and then add additional points as replies to your own post.
- Post any size image. Photographers are loving the quality of their photographs on the app. Maybe it’s the white space or the lack of visual content that makes them stand out so beautifully.
- You can post up to 10 images onto a single thread, so it appears like a carousel. They look great.
- Video can be posted too. Up to 5 minutes long. Tall portrait or square or landscape. As you wish, but remember as with Instagram, the taller a visual post is, the more space it takes up in the feed.
- You can post gifs too. I’ve never posted a gif in my life so don’t expect any from me.
- Link posts. Copy a url and paste it into Threads and the article will post. Outbound links are accepted here.
- Yep you can post Canva style graphics too, although I’m not seeing ‘too’ many just yet. And there is certainly no requirement to do so. Threads is marketed as ‘Share ideas and trends with text’.
Final thoughts on content for Threads
- Be active – freely chat with other people’s content. It’s a great way to be seen.
- Post shareable content if you can.
- Repost (with a quote) great content that will add value to your conversation with your audience.
- Have plenty of conversations and just remember it’s a much more open platform than Instagram. You are not just commenting on a post, your reply is open for all to see. For example, my hubby keeps liking my replies to people.
- It’s a little addictive. So remember you don’t have to start on another app. Just do you!
For more content help, get The Inspiration Edit in your inbox each week.
And if you’d like a hand in getting your Threads content strategy sorted, I offer one hour 121 content sessions that will have you pulsing with ideas and a plan to follow.
Happy contenting.
Sarah x