Instagram Threads Review: Is it Worth Using?

Instagram Threads is probably the biggest thing to hit the social media world since Elon Musk took over Twitter.

There’s certainly hype for this new Meta app, but is it worth your time, and can it help you grow your brand? In this Instagram Threads review, I’ll break down everything we know so far about the app, as well as what could be in store for us in the future.

What is Instagram Threads?

To start, what exactly is Threads?

For those who are not familiar with this brand new social media platform, it is essentially a Twitter clone.

This is nothing new, as Twitter has seen a multitude of clones in recent years, for various reasons. Since Twitter tends to be the hub of political discourse in the social media sphere, many have attempted to create alternate versions that purport to be more lenient toward free speech.

Truth Social, the app championed by Donald Trump, along with Jack Dorsey’s Bluesky, are just two examples.

These platforms, while honoring the fundamentals of Twitter, lacked any kind of wide appeal and have yet to see any meaningful traction that would actually impact Twitter’s place in the grand scheme of things. Certainly no one would be going out of their way to advertise on Truth Social right now, unless you fall under a very particular demographic.

Instagram Threads is the first Twitter clone with legs.

The key reason why is that it’s integrated with Instagram. The apps share UI elements and you can immediately port over all of your Instagram followers when you join.

No doubt the clean Instagram look and feel is a part of what makes Threads attractive. Twitter has never really had a slick UI, even in its heyday. While it is good-looking and usable, it has always had more of a clunky, or full aesthetic.

While this isn’t a huge factor for success, it does help.

There are other reasons why Threads is attracting a lot of attention. Beyond the connection to Instagram, which is making it easy to amass a quick following, the algorithm is also more favorable, as is often the case with newer social media platforms.

Since there is no advertising component yet live on the app, organic reach is sky high. Compared to other social media platforms like Twitter, and even Instagram itself, it’s fairly easy to reach a wide audience right now as long as you simply post a lot.

Another factor that could be contributing to the early success of Threads is an emphasis on positivity.

Twitter has a reputation for being somewhat hostile. While it really depends on what circles you run in, as with any public or online forum, Twitter does have its fair share of arguing and drama, more so than the average social platform.

Mark Zuckerberg has stated that he wants Threads to be a positive space, and so users are finding out early on that a lot of what flies on Twitter does not fly on Threads.

This is a bold approach, because one of the main reasons why others have tried to create Twitter clones is because they have felt too restricted by Twitter.

Most people that scroll through social media aren’t actually looking for drama, however. They just want to shop, talk to friends, or be entertained. This is probably the right approach, especially if part of the end game of Threads is to attract advertisers.

Threads Features

No Instagram Threads review would be complete without going through the app’s features.

If you are familiar with Twitter, you likely already have a good idea as to what the app is used for. Compared to Twitter, however, it has far fewer features.

This might sound like a bad thing, until you realize that Twitter has been around for well over a decade and has amassed quite an assortment of different features that some would consider useless.

Currently, Threads could be considered a minimalist version of Twitter. Here are its main features:

• Does not rely on a hashtag system. Current search functionality is user based not content based.
• When you post images, it respects the aspect ratio. You can post extremely vertical or horizontal images and they will not get cropped in the feed.
• Posting multiple images results in an attractive carousel, not an image grid like on Twitter.
• Users that appear in your feed that you are not already following have a “plus” sign overlapping their profile image, indicating that you can follow them right from the feed without having to click into their profile.
• Instagram icon on user profiles seamlessly connects you to their respective Instagram profile.
• Share button (paper plane icon) allows for seamless posting to your own Instagram feed or story. Oddly enough you can also share right to Twitter.

Other than that, it’s a fairly close clone of Twitter, minus direct messaging, live video (spaces), bookmarking, and some of the other common Twitter features. Some of these, many believe, will be added in the coming weeks.

The Future of Instagram Threads

It appears that Zuckerberg did not, in fact, set out to simply clone Twitter for the lols.

There is some kind of method to the madness, and it all has to do with the so-called “Fediverse.”

When users first join the platform, they are greeted with a message that mentions the Fediverse, which is a portmanteau of “federation” and “universe.”

According to what we know about this, Meta has plans for a kind of decentralized network of self-hosted social media platforms or servers. Your Threads account will act as an account within this Fediverse, and users will be able to follow you across servers via Threads.

This is quite a departure from the same old kind of social media platforms we are used to, and has wide applications. Especially for those interested in decentralized spaces and social media personalization, this could be big. No doubt this will all integrate into Meta’s wider vision for a “metaverse,” in whatever form or fashion it arrives in.

Given that there is a clear roadmap for Threads, and it seems quite ambitious and innovative, it only makes sense to be present on the platform if you are trying to cultivate a brand.

It’s important not to fall into “shiny object syndrome” when it comes to managing all of your social media platforms, especially as a brand, but since Threads is so easy to get started on, this seems like an easy choice.

The upcoming advertising component is also worth mentioning here. It’s not a matter of if, but when.

In that same intro message that mentions the Fediverse, Instagram Threads also lets you know that certain user data is being collected for a better ads experience. Once the platform gets out of its learning phase and has enough data to use, Meta is going to turn on advertising functionality.

This could be a big opportunity for eCommerce brands to make their mark in a space that could see strong growth, if Meta’s vision takes off.

Chances are there will be some kind of integration with the wider Meta business suite functionality, although this is only speculation. Rather than launching through Facebook or the Meta business manager, that Threads launched solely through Instagram is interesting. It could be an indication that Zuckerberg has different plans for Instagram – there has been some talk of paring it back down and going back to its roots.

Instagram is a powerful marketing platform and secondary eCommerce platform at this point, so it will be interesting to see what, if anything, happens to it.

Regardless, it’s clear that there is much more at play here than the birth of another Twitter clone, so my verdict on Instagram Threads is that it is definitely worth our attention. For anyone who is trying to grow their online presence, whether individually or as a brand, take a few minutes out of your day to be present on the platform. It could pay off big in the coming months.