Oh good, a new social media platform. Just what every social media manager always wanted. 🙄
But I've gotta be honest - so far, I'm really liking Threads, the new app by Instagram. Why?
Because it's like social media before it got taken over by marketers. No reels. No stories. No DMs. No ads. No algorithms.
But seriously, every time there's a new social media app because either A) teens are trying to get away from the "old folks" who have made the app not exciting anymore or B) people try to promote on it (badly) and monetize from it and then it's just a land of spam.
So full disclosure: I have no doubt that Threads is 100% going to end up being just as terrible as all the other social media platforms out there within weeks.
(I don't think it will be Reason A since it seems to be bringing out the millennials in full drove and as a millennial, I am 👏 here 👏 for 👏 it, emojis and all.)
But before long, there will be an algorithm and ads and no one will see your content and it will all be self-promotion and eventually die off.
That being said, I do suggest jumping on the bandwagon, if even for a little bit, because it is a GREAT time to promote WITHOUT promoting and making the app terrible (please don't do that, I really want this one to survive).
So here's five quick tips for Thread(...ing?) as a church or Catholic business:
Generate conversation. This is the #1 thing that Threads is built on, public conversation. Ask questions that get people thinking and eager to respond. Prompts like "Things no one ever told you about _____. I'll go first." or "Who is your favorite saint, and why is it ____?" (If you're stuck, here's 101 Catholic-themed social media questions!)
Be quotable. Like Twitter, another big driver is the repost feature. Post things that people are likely to want to share on their own platform - mic drop moments and sarcasm have been filling my feed the most. (I'm not seeing Bible quotes doing as well though.)
Engage with bigger accounts. Because it's still so new, it's pretty easy to get noticed by larger accounts right now. Now is the time to engage and follow that person or organization you've been wanting to partner with who maybe you felt intimidated to reach out to.
Promote how you help, not what you do. I'd say making one introduction, marketing-focused post makes sense but don't over do it. And focus on how you help people - teaching you how to actually hear God's voice, making products that get kids excited to pray, the church that makes families feel welcome - whatever it is that you do, do that.
Don't just reuse your content from other places. I've seen a lot of Catholic news sites and larger organizations just reposting their article links or job postings, and it just feels off for the platform. Posting like this is what is going to turn people off from the app, so try to limit your direction promotion and instead prioritize content like in Tips 1 & 2.
Want to follow along on the Threads journey? Connect with me on Threads here.
