06 July 2023 , 11:16
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Mark Zuckerberg's Threads is a "little opportunistic" but if the app can "build trust with users" it can challenge Twitter, according to social media experts.
Threads, which is named after a series of tweets on Twitter, has been launched by Meta, the company behind Facebook and Instagram.
Described as a "text-based conversation app", it is expected to operate in a similar way to Twitter - with users able to post real-time text updates to groups of followers, who can like, reply, share and send direct messages.
Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Meta, revealed Threads had passed over two million users in the first two hours of yesterday's launch.
He later revealed over 5million user had joined in the first four hours of the launch - with many desperate for an alternative to Twitter.
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Threads has been built by Meta (Meta)He said: "I think there should be a public conversations app with 1 billion+ people on it. Twitter has had the opportunity to do this but hasn't nailed it. Hopefully we will."
Elon Musk's app has faced numerous technical issues, and controversies since the Tesla billionaire bought the social networking app with the latest change set to include TweetDeck only being available to verified users.
The policy, which will come into affect in 30 days, is popular with businesses and news organisations as it allows users to easily monitor content in different columns.
But with the launch of Threads, Ambika Sharma, Founder and MD, Pulp Strategy, believes the app is a "significant development" in social media history.
She told Adgully: “Meta’s announcement that it is planning to launch a rival to Twitter is a significant development in the social media industry.
It is a challenge to Elon Musk's Twitter (Mateusz Slodkowski/ZUMA Press Wire/REX/Shutterstock)"The move is seen as a direct challenge to Twitter's dominance, and it raises a number of questions about the future of the digital landscape.
"Whether Meta’s new platform will be able to meet the high expectations set by the market and users remains to be seen. Twitter has a long history of innovation, and it has a loyal user base that is not easily swayed.
"Meta will need to offer something truly unique and compelling if it wants to attract users away from Twitter."
Twitter has made multiple changes since Elon Musk took over (Davide Bonaldo/SOPA Images/REX/Shutterstock)After a number of recent changes to Twitter, some users are beginning to look for a similar platform which doesn't force users to pay.
Himanshu Arora, Co-Founder of Social Panga, believes this has inspired Meta to challenge Twitter and exploit an opportunity.
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He said: "Thread has been launched by being a little opportunistic with respect to what is happening with Twitter and filling a specific product market gap.
"Being opportunistic can get you from point A to point B, but it does not guarantee that you will become a full-fledged social media network. It's too soon to say anything because the historical data isn’t particularly encouraging, but we can still wait and see how Thread develops.”