Does anyone even use Threads anymore? Apparently not. According to analytics firm SimilarWeb, more than 50% of Threads users have left the app since its July debut. Despite it reaching 100 million sign-ups in its first week in June, the app had about 10 million daily active users as of early August.
According to Reuters, Zuckerberg said the usage drop is “normal” and Chief Product Officer Chris Cox said Meta is working on “retention-driving hooks” intended to help bring users back to Threads.
On the brand side, the app has yet to announce advertising options, though marketers have used it for organic and sponsored posts. However, as Digiday recently pointed out, some marketers are questioning whether the platform is worth investing in at the moment. Earlier this summer, a survey of nearly 300 marketers conducted by Capterra found that 70% of marketers “wouldn’t invest in a Twitter alternative unless there were excellent benefits.”
One mistake could be Meta’s reluctance to introduce hashtags and other features early on which led some users to complain that the app lacked certain functions.
New features being tested include one that allows users to search posts using keywords, which is being tested in Australia and New Zealand. Meta is also piloting a carousel function that shows suggested Threads within Instagram, letting users tap and open the Threads app.
These changes come after Meta rolled out a “Send to Instagram DM” button on Threads last month, as well the ability to access Threads on the web.
Meta’s updates to Threads come about a month after it reported Q2 earnings, which saw ad revenue climb in North America 11%, as well as the number of ad impressions served jump 34%.