Social media is one way for artists to get the word out about their art. Meta’s Threads app is the latest addition to the social media landscape. Should artists use Threads? Mmh, that’s the one-million-dollar question… In this post, I give you a quick rundown of what I think being on Threads will be like. Read through the post and then decide for yourself whether Threads can be a good platform to post your art!
Let’s talk about Threads… again. Because I already published a post on whether Threads is worth it for artists. But it got a bit lengthy, so not everybody might want to take the time and read it. Even though it’s an absolutely interesting read that I highly recommend. ʕᴖᴥᴖʔ
This post, I'm going to keep it short and sweet, so ya'll can get the hard facts and decide for yourself whether Threads is a good platform for your art—or rather not.
We all know that Threads is (yet) another social media app and, like any other social media network, it can potentially help artists to showcase and sell their art.
But before we get into it, let me quickly clue you up on what Threads is.
What is the Threads app?
Threads is the latest addition to the social media landscape. It belongs to Meta, the same company that owns Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp, and was launched in 2023.
Basically, Threads is Mark Zuckerberg’s response to Twitter, which has been rebranded as X when Elon Musk took it over.
There’s fierce competition in the social media market. It seems like networks must always have the latest features to maintain their user base and attract new users. The TikTok-ification of Instagram happens for a reason.
Stories on Facebook and Insta, plus IG Reels, is Meta’s effort to compete with TikTok and drive TikTok’s “Gen Z” users over to their older platforms, i.e. Instagram and Facebook, both with declining user numbers.
And, well, Threads is supposed to be the new Twitter, looking very similar in terms of user interface and functionality. Just like on Twitter/X, you can post text, images and video on Threads, and interact with other users via likes, replies, and reshares.
So much about the background of the Threads app.
Should artists use Threads?
Before I tell you my opinion about Threads as an artist, let me just drop the hard facts I mentioned at the beginning.
Read through these eight points before you decide whether artists should use Threads. Here we go:
1. Users have been leaving Threads in flocks—shortly after getting on to it.
Ok, let’s start with Threads’ user numbers: when Threads was launched at the beginning of July 2023, it quickly gained over 100 million users in the first few days, making it the fastest-growing consumer app in history.
However, by the end of the month, the app had already lost 80% of its daily active users… probably also being the fastest-shrinking app we’ve ever seen so far.
Well, I don’t know about you, but I think these numbers are very telling. Can Threads really be a good app for artists in the first place, if millions of users can’t wait to get off quickly enough? You tell me.
2. Threads will ditch the chronological feed in favor of an algorithm-based feed.
We’ve seen it happen on Facebook and Instagram: both platforms replaced their chronological feed with an algorithm-based feed. Now, the bots decide what you get to see and in what order you get to see it.
If you’re a Facebook user, you’re used to seeing only the posts of the last ten people you interacted with—even if you have more than a thousand friends!
Instagram has become pretty much the same. When you take a look at your analytics, you’ll notice that your posts are only reaching a minimum of your followers now. Likewise, you can be sure that you no longer see all the posts of the people you follow! A lose-lose for everyone (except Meta).
3. Constant algorithmic changes leave you bumping around in the dark.
I cannot even count anymore how many times that Instagram algorithm has been changing, making your hard work to get your art noticed obsolete overnight.
Just think of the hashtags. First, you were supposed to use the hashtags in the first comment, now they must be in the caption. (For heaven’s sake, don’t post hashtags in comments anymore!)
First, it was best to use 30 relevant hashtags (in the caption, of course), with different search volumes, so your posts had the best chances of getting seen. Since recently, the rule is to use no more than eight hashtags. Anything above that is too much and harms your reach. But who actually knows for sure what’s working and what’s not?
As if that wasn’t enough, there’s the posting frequency. Not too long ago, it was recommended to post every day. At best multiple times a day—as often as you could. Now, posting every day is a big no-go. Instead, posting three times a week at the same time is the road to Instagram success—at least for the next couple of weeks.
I guess it’s safe to say that Instagram wants their users to remain in the dark—and eventually pay for getting their posts seen. But more on that later on.
4. You will have to use Threads' newest features—even if you don't like them.
Currently, there are no “new features” on Threads, but they will come. That’s for sure. And when they come, you’ll have to use them—otherwise your reach will crumble.
When Instagram came up with stories, reels, and what have you, users who made use of them got a boost from the algorithm. Well, implementing new features costs the app developers money. If people don’t use those features, that money has been wasted. And nobody wants that. (At least not the developers.)
The problem with “new features” is that they may not be adequate for all types of content and not everyone might feel comfortable using them. Reels, for example, are not really working for visual artists who mainly create static imagery. And getting in front of a camera is not everybody’s thing—especially if you’re the introvert type of artist!
5. Meta needs your money—desperately.
Oh, what a bold statement. Meta needs your money—desperately. How can I even dare to make such an assumption?
Well, there are some hard facts, too, that support my keen hypothesis. Especially in recent year, Meta has lost a lot of money—to its competition and to lawsuits.
You can check out this Wikipedia page of lawsuits against Meta to get the entire picture. For now, let me just give you some of the most recent examples:
When Apple introduced their ATT feature, millions of iPhone users opted out of app tracking, i.e. of being shown ads that potentially match their search behavior. As a result, Meta suffered losses in Facebook advertising revenue of US$10 billion in 2021, of US$12.8 billion in 2022, … and it continues.
Then, there are the many lawsuits that hit Meta really hard, financially. In 2019, the company was fined a staggering US$5 billion for selling the private information of millions of Facebook users. In 2021, the company paid a $650 million settlement when they got sued for storing users’ face-recognition profiles.
Do you think this has anything to do with the staggering surge of ads that Instagram users have been seeing in their feeds? I’m asking for a friend… Fact is you cannot scroll down your Insta feed without coming across some sort of ad after every two organic posts. Same in the stories.
It has come to the point where even Kylie Jenner and Kim Kardashian are complaining. This just goes to show to what level user dissatisfaction has risen on Instagram. What does Meta do? They announced to double the amount of AI recommendations… That’s how much they care about happy users.
6. You will have to pay for exposure. Very soon.
A bit more about happy users. Instagram does not only want you to see ads, they also want you to pay for ads to ‘boost your posts’. Meta restricts your reach, you pay to get it back. That’s what I meant above by it’s lose-lose for everyone, except Meta.
You’ve surely noticed the tons of ‘Boost post‘ suggestions that appear in your feed and in your stories these days. In other words, growing a following organically doesn’t really work any more like it did in the past. You have to pay for exposure.
Fun fact: Insta even suggested me to ‘boost a post’ that I reshared from another account! Can you believe it? Things have really gotten out of control. But that’s not even what took the cake.
Instagram seriously managed to suggest me the same artworks as paid ads that it restricted my account for. Yes, Insta restricted my account without telling me—and at the same time, they wanted to pay for… unpermitted ads. They must be really desperate for money… (and have a huge problem with AI recommendations).
If you don’t believe it, watch my little video about the “Life of an Artist on Instagram” below. For more entertainment and the bigger picture, read my post about the “Social Art Dilemma.“
7. Instagram is pushing users hard to get on Threads—to maintain their reach on Instagram.
As I already mentioned above, Instagram’s algorithm is designed to push accounts that make use the latest features. Stories, Reels, IG TV, broadcast channels… and now Threads.
Yes, it’s no coincidence that you see so many big Instagrammers hop on Threads and promote their Threads account on Insta.
When Meta notices that your content goes viral, you’ll get an invitation to have a call with one of their marketing experts—to get advice on how to grow your IG following.
One key piece of advice they’ll give you is this: join Threads.
It’s no longer enough to be active on Instagram with stories, reels, and consistent postings (with the currently right number of hashtags, of course). Now, you also have to get on another Meta app—in order to maintain your reach on Instagram!
If that’s the way it goes on Instagram, what will you eventually have to do stay on top of the game on Threads?
8. Twitter is not the best platform for art and Threads is very much like Twitter.
Last but not least, keep in mind that Twitter/X isn’t necessarily the best app for artists due to its text-focused nature.
Since Threads is basically Meta’s copy of Twitter, chances are that Threads might not be optimal for posting visual art as well!
Now, with all of the above in mind, here comes the one-million-dollar question: should artists use Threads?
Drop your answer in the comments and if you’re right, you’ll get the million!
I’ve never been a fortune-teller, but considering the development of Facebook and Instagram, it’s pretty obvious to me where things will be going with Threads. I didn’t get on Threads so far and I’m not planning to use the app any time soon. There are much better ways to get exposure as an artist.
But that’s only me. Maybe your experiences with Threads are different. Do you think that Treads is a good platform for artists to use? Let me know in the comments below. I’d love to hear from you! Don’t forget to sign up for my email list so you don’t miss out on new blog posts and other cool stuff. ♥
