I’m sure you all know about Threads by now. I only need to log into Instagram where I’m currently being bombarded with ‘JOIN ME ON THREADS!’ messages, and it’s starting to become a little annoying. If you’re not sure what I’m talking about, Threads is a new, mostly text based, app developed by Meta (the owner of Instagram and Facebook) which supposedly rivals Twitter. It’s like Notes that we have here on Substack. Or so I’m told as I haven’t downloaded Threads. So, do we really need another social media platform, and should we all hop on the bandwagon and join Threads? Well, there’s a few things to consider first.
I never could get into Twitter, and by the sounds of things lately, I haven’t missed out 😬.
Yes! That’s what I keep thinking too. It’s still owned by Meta and that just doesn’t sit right with me. I just know it’ll be constantly tweaked and ‘improved’, and it’ll end up being the opposite of whatever good it was in the first place. I don’t have the energy to keep up with it all so it’s easier not to bother.
We’re thinking similar things this week Sophie! I have a post going out tomorrow about how I’m feeling about Instagram at the moment. I guess social media is on all of our minds!
As I mentioned on Notes to you, I am not joining Threads but I can see how it would be enticing to some. I feel for me personally, I have hit max capacity in terms of social media accounts. I simply can’t take on another one. And honestly, I am really trying to not be on my phone so much. I feel like Substack is the platform that I enjoy the most, between reading everyone’s posts and also the interaction on Notes 🤗
I feel exactly the same! I too have hit max capacity, which is good that Substack is meeting all of my needs and I don’t need multiple platforms. Looking forward to your post! 🤩
I love it here in Substack and I don’t have enough capacity to take on anything else. I think there’s always the underlying worry that for someone growing a business, that we do need to be in all the places, so I understand the pull and the FOMO. I don’t feel like I’m missing out by not being there.
I agree, Substack is definitely my platform now. I love it, and that’s why I don’t feel the need to move on from it. I highly doubt Threads could give me anything else. But yes, I know what you mean. The business owner in me certainly worried about missing out on potential customers 😅
It is a no for Threads. Most people I follow on IG share them to their stories ofr feed anyway so I see no need for it. Plus, I feel no need to sign up for yet another thing on where to engage with people. Substack does that so well.
In a way, I’m lucky to be based in Denmark and it’s not come here yet or I would have joined in frantics. I have had time to think about it and I will prob head there, get my handle, post the substack link and put it in a folder.
I’m still learning to love Notes, so I am sticking to here and Instagram (I’ve always loved it, hate the reel focus and the fast living - so I used the ‘followning’ filter a lot).
I really don’t need a new platform, I only have Facebook because of messenger and work. Twitter was so not me, I tried and just gave up.
Yes! I read somewhere that threads isn't available just yet in Europe. I think you'd be at an advantage when it comes to you because the initial wave of people who joined and realised it wasn't for them will have moved on, and it'll be a better place for those who remain.
Notes is a tricky one for me. I do dabble, but I honestly thought I'd be on it all the time, as a new social media replacement. Actually, I'm rarely on there and I quite like that unintentional boundary I have in place.
Ah yeah, I remember you saying about using the 'following' feature. I always forget to use that. It's been a while since I've logged on, but next time I'm over there, I'll try to remember to switch. It would be great if you could save the 'following' feed as a default instead of having to switch.
Facebook is a work thing for me too! I have to have it for my VA work, but I never use it personally. And I could never get into Twitter. I deleted it almost instantly.
Absolutely! Some readers/ writers will like to use Notes, others will love Chat, and this is what I love about Substack, there’s something for everyone and we don’t NEED to do all of the things 🙌🏻
I enjoyed Threads for the first 24 hours - mostly because I was in a sleep-deprived-new-mom haze that day and just needed to zone out for a while.
What I do like about it is the low bar for entry - you don’t have to have photo to post or to worry about how things are going to look on grid. You can share what’s on your mind with very little effort or time involved, and I think that can be helpful for those of us who feel burnt out by the work that goes into maintaining and Instagram page. I find it even easier than stories, because those still have some type of graphic/visual element.
I also like the ability to share links. I think Threads could be a great place for news and updates/linking to other places we’ve shared our work like substack. It’s nice that they stay around and don’t disappear like stories.
But even with those considerations, I’m just effing tired of social media. I’m tired of feeling like I need to keep up. So while I recognize some value in it, I don’t know if it’ll stick for me.
I see. That makes complete sense. I can see how having a space that's less curated appeals. Sometimes the pressure to get it right can be overwhelming and it ends up being easier not to post at all.
Thank you for opening my eyes to Threads a little more. I'm with you on being tired of social media!
Threads has been fun now that I’ve curated my feed. I’ve been able to connect to some fun writers & gained 5 subscribers in less than 24 hours after posting my Substack there. Which was surprising and nice. It’s been described as TikTok for writers, which I agree with. It is what you make it, but that curation takes time and care.
I also get that people don’t want to go near it. It was a lot at first.
My plan was and is to direct people towards my Substack through Threads.
Ah, I can see how that would help massively! Was curating your feed taxing? Did it take a long time to do, and did you have to sift through all of the nonsense first?
Oh wow! That's wonderful news. So there's definitely some potential to use Threads as a way to promote your Substack then?! That's interesting to know. Thanks for sharing!
I was one of the first 100,000 users so it was like a rave at first. Noisy, wild, free for all. I had to do a lot of muting to curate my feed. I would say it took about half a day of muting and also following/finding other writers. The writing community on Threads is significant so finding them wasn't very difficult. It was the muting that was a tad tedious.
They were showing me sports and all kinds of content that I have never had any interest in but I chalk that up to the app being brand new. They are currently working on a feed that only shows you the people you are following, they are also working on an edit button, and some other things. I don't think Instagram anticipated how huge it was going to be when they launched it so they are running to catch up.
I would say people joining it now would have a much easier go of it than I did joining it the day it launched.
With the exception of Substack, all social media is a little bizarre to me. I just use the apps as tools to drive people to my Substack. My strategy is this: keep my Twitter (I left when Elon bought it) and Instagram private. Threads is public. Substack is obviously public. People don't need to access me on every social site and if they want to find out what I do/support me they can do so through my writing and for a little extra dazzle dazzle they can follow me on Threads. What makes social media so exhausting is that we are constantly giving parts of ourselves away on multiple platforms. It is unsustainable. Especially as artists!
I spend most of my online time on Substack and that will remain. Threads is a fun dollop of whip cream.
This is great! Thank you for sharing. I completely agree that we constantly give ourselves to the various different social media platforms that we use. I don’t want to do that right now. Maybe I’ll dabble in Threads down the line but I’m happy here on Substack
I was hit by FOMO real hard and all the great things people where saying really had me convinced and I was going to download it. But it’s not yet available here in Germany. I now see that as a blessing in disguise because I know now that I don’t need another social media platform. So yo won’t find me on threads even when it does become available over here:)
I never could get into Twitter, and by the sounds of things lately, I haven’t missed out 😬.
Yes! That’s what I keep thinking too. It’s still owned by Meta and that just doesn’t sit right with me. I just know it’ll be constantly tweaked and ‘improved’, and it’ll end up being the opposite of whatever good it was in the first place. I don’t have the energy to keep up with it all so it’s easier not to bother.
We’re thinking similar things this week Sophie! I have a post going out tomorrow about how I’m feeling about Instagram at the moment. I guess social media is on all of our minds!
As I mentioned on Notes to you, I am not joining Threads but I can see how it would be enticing to some. I feel for me personally, I have hit max capacity in terms of social media accounts. I simply can’t take on another one. And honestly, I am really trying to not be on my phone so much. I feel like Substack is the platform that I enjoy the most, between reading everyone’s posts and also the interaction on Notes 🤗
I feel exactly the same! I too have hit max capacity, which is good that Substack is meeting all of my needs and I don’t need multiple platforms. Looking forward to your post! 🤩
I love it here in Substack and I don’t have enough capacity to take on anything else. I think there’s always the underlying worry that for someone growing a business, that we do need to be in all the places, so I understand the pull and the FOMO. I don’t feel like I’m missing out by not being there.
I agree, Substack is definitely my platform now. I love it, and that’s why I don’t feel the need to move on from it. I highly doubt Threads could give me anything else. But yes, I know what you mean. The business owner in me certainly worried about missing out on potential customers 😅
It is a no for Threads. Most people I follow on IG share them to their stories ofr feed anyway so I see no need for it. Plus, I feel no need to sign up for yet another thing on where to engage with people. Substack does that so well.
I feel the same way about TikTok videos being shared on Instagram, so there’s really no need to have TikTok too.
You’re right, Substack does have the best community and engagement abilities. It’s magical here 🥰
I’m not on Threads. I hated Twitter when I was on it so Threads holds little appeal to me.
I love Substack and I feel like this is the place I am meant to be.
Yes! I feel like I’m meant to be here too 🥰
In a way, I’m lucky to be based in Denmark and it’s not come here yet or I would have joined in frantics. I have had time to think about it and I will prob head there, get my handle, post the substack link and put it in a folder.
I’m still learning to love Notes, so I am sticking to here and Instagram (I’ve always loved it, hate the reel focus and the fast living - so I used the ‘followning’ filter a lot).
I really don’t need a new platform, I only have Facebook because of messenger and work. Twitter was so not me, I tried and just gave up.
Yes! I read somewhere that threads isn't available just yet in Europe. I think you'd be at an advantage when it comes to you because the initial wave of people who joined and realised it wasn't for them will have moved on, and it'll be a better place for those who remain.
Notes is a tricky one for me. I do dabble, but I honestly thought I'd be on it all the time, as a new social media replacement. Actually, I'm rarely on there and I quite like that unintentional boundary I have in place.
Ah yeah, I remember you saying about using the 'following' feature. I always forget to use that. It's been a while since I've logged on, but next time I'm over there, I'll try to remember to switch. It would be great if you could save the 'following' feed as a default instead of having to switch.
Facebook is a work thing for me too! I have to have it for my VA work, but I never use it personally. And I could never get into Twitter. I deleted it almost instantly.
Yeh, I think you are right. The initial fuss will be over and done with, and it is prob a more realistic crowd there.
I feel you with notes, I try but I love to read more than making quick posts. It’s about being present where feels roght, right?
Have a lovely day x
Absolutely! Some readers/ writers will like to use Notes, others will love Chat, and this is what I love about Substack, there’s something for everyone and we don’t NEED to do all of the things 🙌🏻
Life is too short for Facebook and his other divisive money making schemes.
Yep! I have to have Facebook for work, which is infuriating as I never use the platform personally.
Perhaps your boss might rethink that and find something less toxic for humanity.
Here is a piece on big tech in the NYT. https://www.nytimes.com/2023/07/14/opinion/big-tech-european-union-journalism.html
I enjoyed Threads for the first 24 hours - mostly because I was in a sleep-deprived-new-mom haze that day and just needed to zone out for a while.
What I do like about it is the low bar for entry - you don’t have to have photo to post or to worry about how things are going to look on grid. You can share what’s on your mind with very little effort or time involved, and I think that can be helpful for those of us who feel burnt out by the work that goes into maintaining and Instagram page. I find it even easier than stories, because those still have some type of graphic/visual element.
I also like the ability to share links. I think Threads could be a great place for news and updates/linking to other places we’ve shared our work like substack. It’s nice that they stay around and don’t disappear like stories.
But even with those considerations, I’m just effing tired of social media. I’m tired of feeling like I need to keep up. So while I recognize some value in it, I don’t know if it’ll stick for me.
Ha! I understand that haze very well.
I see. That makes complete sense. I can see how having a space that's less curated appeals. Sometimes the pressure to get it right can be overwhelming and it ends up being easier not to post at all.
Thank you for opening my eyes to Threads a little more. I'm with you on being tired of social media!
Threads has been fun now that I’ve curated my feed. I’ve been able to connect to some fun writers & gained 5 subscribers in less than 24 hours after posting my Substack there. Which was surprising and nice. It’s been described as TikTok for writers, which I agree with. It is what you make it, but that curation takes time and care.
I also get that people don’t want to go near it. It was a lot at first.
My plan was and is to direct people towards my Substack through Threads.
TikTok for writers sounds very accurate
Ah, I can see how that would help massively! Was curating your feed taxing? Did it take a long time to do, and did you have to sift through all of the nonsense first?
Oh wow! That's wonderful news. So there's definitely some potential to use Threads as a way to promote your Substack then?! That's interesting to know. Thanks for sharing!
I was one of the first 100,000 users so it was like a rave at first. Noisy, wild, free for all. I had to do a lot of muting to curate my feed. I would say it took about half a day of muting and also following/finding other writers. The writing community on Threads is significant so finding them wasn't very difficult. It was the muting that was a tad tedious.
They were showing me sports and all kinds of content that I have never had any interest in but I chalk that up to the app being brand new. They are currently working on a feed that only shows you the people you are following, they are also working on an edit button, and some other things. I don't think Instagram anticipated how huge it was going to be when they launched it so they are running to catch up.
I would say people joining it now would have a much easier go of it than I did joining it the day it launched.
With the exception of Substack, all social media is a little bizarre to me. I just use the apps as tools to drive people to my Substack. My strategy is this: keep my Twitter (I left when Elon bought it) and Instagram private. Threads is public. Substack is obviously public. People don't need to access me on every social site and if they want to find out what I do/support me they can do so through my writing and for a little extra dazzle dazzle they can follow me on Threads. What makes social media so exhausting is that we are constantly giving parts of ourselves away on multiple platforms. It is unsustainable. Especially as artists!
I spend most of my online time on Substack and that will remain. Threads is a fun dollop of whip cream.
This is great! Thank you for sharing. I completely agree that we constantly give ourselves to the various different social media platforms that we use. I don’t want to do that right now. Maybe I’ll dabble in Threads down the line but I’m happy here on Substack
I was hit by FOMO real hard and all the great things people where saying really had me convinced and I was going to download it. But it’s not yet available here in Germany. I now see that as a blessing in disguise because I know now that I don’t need another social media platform. So yo won’t find me on threads even when it does become available over here:)
This is great that you’ve realised this 🙌🏻. Less is often exactly what we need 😌