Meta’s newest platform, Threads, has reached a remarkable milestone by attracting 100 million users within a week of its launch. This achievement surpasses the previous record set by OpenAI’s ChatGPT as the fastest-growing online platform to reach the same number of users. Mark Zuckerberg, the CEO of Meta, shared this news in a Threads post where he attributed the rapid growth to predominantly organic demand. He also mentioned that the company has not yet implemented many promotional efforts.
Unlike some other platforms, Threads currently does not display any advertisements. Zuckerberg stated that Meta would consider monetization options once they reach the goal of one billion users. Threads is similar to Twitter in many ways, allowing users to create posts with up to 500 characters and share links, photos, and videos up to five minutes long. However, it currently lacks features like hashtags and keyword search functions, which may limit its appeal to advertisers and real-time event coverage.
Adam Mosseri, the head of Instagram, clarified that Meta is not aiming to replace Twitter with Threads. Instead, they envision it as a platform focusing on lighter subjects such as sports, music, fashion, and design. The goal is to position Threads as a friendly and engaging option for public discourse online. Since its launch, Threads has seen a surge of celebrity, politician, and news outlet accounts joining the platform. Analysts view this as the first serious threat to Elon Musk’s platform, adding excitement to the social media landscape.
Twitter previously reported 240 million monetizable daily active users as of July last year. However, data from web analytics companies indicates a decline in this number. Following the launch of Threads, Twitter experienced an 11 percent decrease in web traffic compared to the same period last year. Nevertheless, Twitter CEO Linda Yaccarino emphasized that Twitter remains a unique platform with its largest usage day since February occurring last week. Musk responded, suggesting that it may achieve an all-time record during that same week.
In response to Threads’ launch, Musk took to Twitter to threaten a lawsuit against Meta. He claimed that the company used trade secrets and confidential information to develop the platform. This conflict adds an interesting twist to the competition between the two tech giants.
Meta’s success with Threads has been astonishing, capturing the attention of millions of users in an incredibly short amount of time. The absence of advertisements on the platform has created a refreshing experience, further fueling its popularity. As the number of users continues to grow, Meta will need to carefully consider its monetization strategy while maintaining the unique and friendly atmosphere that sets Threads apart. With this current trajectory, Threads has the potential to become a formidable competitor in the social media landscape.
