Threads, a social media app linked to Meta’s Instagram, has gained over 90 million users within four days of its launch, presenting a potential challenge to Elon Musk-owned Twitter.
- The app’s quick rise in popularity can be attributed to its access to billions of Instagram users and its similar interface to Twitter.
- Threads allows users to post text updates, photos, and videos, and it quickly became the top app on both Apple’s App Store and Android Play Store in South Africa.
- The growth of Threads raises questions about potential competition for Twitter and whether it will result in a decline in Twitter’s market share.
- Social media dynamics in South Africa are evolving, with TikTok surpassing Instagram to claim the second position in the country’s social media market, according to a study by Ornico and World Wide Worx.
- Meta’s Facebook remains the dominant social media platform in South Africa, while Twitter has experienced a decline in usage among major brands as a marketing platform.
- Competitors to Twitter have emerged following Musk’s purchase of the platform, and the market is watching to see how Threads’ rise impacts Twitter’s position.
- Creating a more positive platform and addressing issues of violence, abuse, and toxicity on social media are areas where competitors could potentially capitalize.
- Threads was initially launched as a standalone messaging app by Meta (formerly Facebook) in 2019 but was later shut down due to low usage. Its relaunch as a rival to Twitter indicates Meta’s intention to capture market share in the changing social media landscape.