The New Threads App By Instagram…(WHY, WHY NOT and DEMO of HOW to use it)

Instagram just launched a new app called ‘Threads‘.

You might be wondering, what is ‘Threads’? Do we really need another app? How do you get it and what are some of its limitations?

Essentially, Threads is an alternative to Twitter. Mark Zuckerberg said that there should be a public conversations app with over a billion people on it and that Twitter had the opportunity to do this, but hasn’t nailed it…

You probably don’t need an Instagram alternative to Twitter but FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out) is a powerful force. A lot of people are jumping on the bandwagon right now.

But as a business owner, especially if you’re a coach, you have to ask yourself “is this the best use of my time?”

My advice is…

I wouldn’t put a lot of time, energy or money into Threads.

Why you ask? Remember…

Google+? Clubhouse? Periscope?

We were supposed to have people in our circles and those circles amount to this circle. Essentially, it was absolutely nothing when it came to marketing.

So, is Threads going to be the next “gold rush”? Maybe.

But there are so many other things which make better use of our time. I know a lot of people such as Gary Vaynerchuk are pushing it, but they (like Gary) have a whole team of people to help repurpose their content.

So, unless you have a big team like Gary’s, it’s not the best use of your time.

What I do recommend is…

• Reserve your username
  In my video above, I show you how to do this via the Instagram app.
• Post old content
  Take some content you’ve posted on Facebook or Instagram and post it to Threads
• Have a ‘wait and see’ attitude
  Wait for months. If it takes off, then join in on the conversation and create content specific to Threads.
• Try not to get FOMO
• Put all your resources into the best use of your time (like Facebook)

How do you get Threads?

1. If you’re on Apple, head over to the App Store. If you’re on android, head over to the Google Play Store. 
2. Search for “Threads”
3. Open the app and click “Login with your Instagram Account” 
4. If you’re already logged into Instagram, it should automatically load your account information from Instagram. Otherwise, it’ll say “login request sent”, which will prompt you to go to your Instagram app and accept the login request.
5. Select your profile privacy and everything else will most likely port from Instagram to your Threads account.
6. Follow the same accounts you do on Instagram by hitting “Follow All”
7. You’re done! 

What are its limitations?

Unfortunately, you can’t see certain posts from accounts you follow. You can’t search posts either.

You can’t delete your Threads account without deleting your Instagram account too. This is HUGE.

And finally, there’s no monetisation available yet (as in, you can’t run ads to it).

As a side note, it’s not available in Europe.

So, what is the best use of my time as a Business Owner, Coach or Influencer?

There’s a lot of bright shiny objects you see on social media. But if you haven’t nailed the main things like Facebook, Google, email marketing and potentially running Zoom event…then you haven’t done the things that have already stood the test of time.

Take email marketing for example. People don’t post about it on Instagram, YouTube or Threads…but you could fill an entire coaching calendar or Zoom event with one push of a button (if you’ve been building your email list correctly!). It’s not as exciting, but it’s free in your time opposed to social media.

With social media, you’re on a constant treadmill. You need to keep up with the trends, how-to’s, hashtags and even music to use. My advice is to focus on what’s the best use of your time and things that have stood the test of time.

If you’re a small business owner, coach, educator or influencer, what I recommend is what I call the ‘Client Attraction Fast Track’. It goes through four critical assets you need to have in your business.

If you want to see it in action, I recommend you check out my short masterclass called “How To Attract Coaching Clients Consistently”. It’s highly practical, no fluff, no hype and I get straight to the point.