From the outside looking in, one of the biggest misconceptions regarding marketing is that being a social media marketing manager is one of the easiest jobs in the world. What could possibly be so hard about getting paid to do what millions of people do each day (post on social media) for free, right?
But marketing professionals, especially those involved in social media marketing, are well aware of just how preposterous that notion is.
Contrary to popular belief, social media marketing isn’t the effortless practice that many believe it is. In fact, it’s actually quite an arduous occupation. Between creating content on a daily basis, staying on top of trending topics, and conversing with your community on multiple platforms, social media marketing is one of the most valuable, yet underappreciated roles within a modern organization.
With workdays already laborious enough for social media marketing managers, they’re about to become even more so now that Meta (the conglomerate that owns Facebook and Instagram) has launched its newest app, Threads, an online social media networking service that has already become a formidable rival to Twitter.
If your startup doesn’t already have a Threads account, these are a few reasons why it’s time to change that.
1. Your target audience is already there
The classic film, Field Of Dreams, which stars Kevin Costner, is world-renowned for providing one of the most memorable lines in the history of cinema. In the film, farmer Ray Kinsella (played by Costner), is walking through his corn field when suddenly, he hears a voice whisper to him, “If you build it, he will come.”
For decades, founders have used different renditions of that line as somewhat of a muse to help inspire them to build their startups.
The great news for your startup is that much like in Field Of Dreams, whenever Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg builds a social media platform—people will come. And Threads has been no exception. In less than a week after its launch, Threads has already surpassed the 100 million user mark; making it now the fastest growing app in history.
The instant success of Threads could mostly be attributed to the fact that the app is pretty much an extension of Instagram; as users simply sign up to Threads through their Instagram accounts.
That works in your favor because regardless of which industry your startup belongs to, it’s probably safe to say that a sizable amount of your brand’s target audience already has an Instagram account. Which means that if someone isn’t already one of the over 100 million users on Threads now, they likely will be soon.
2. It’s best to be early
I often tell founders that the best way to view their startup’s social media marketing is as though they are investing in a stock. And like an IPO, the sooner you can invest your company's resources in a social media channel—the better.
By getting in on the ground floor of Threads, your startup could establish its presence on the platform early, giving your brand an advantage over its competitors that are still on the fence deciding whether or not they should even bother signing up to another social media network (eventually, they will come around).
Let your competitors arrive tardy for the party. But as Drake said on his hit song, Fancy, “Better late than never, but never late is better.”
3. The more channels your brand is on—the better
Have you noticed that no matter how successful great brands become, they never rest on their laurels by only sticking with the vehicles that made them successful in the first place?
For example, long before the arrival of television advertising, Coca-Cola became a household name by advertising its product and brand in local newspapers. By the time the very first television commercial aired on July 1st, 1941, (the commercial was for the Bulova Watch Company) Coca-Cola was already one of the most popular brands in the world.
And although the very first television commercial from Coca-Cola would air nine years later in 1950, (hey, even greatest brands make mistakes) eventually, the brand realized what all great brands have come to realize—which is the more channels that your brand is featured on—the better (that’s only if those channels are congruent with your brand).
Today, The Coca-Cola Company doesn’t hesitate to arrive early to new media channels that could help promote their brands. And neither should you. So, if you haven’t done so already, download the Threads app (it’s free) and create an account for your startup. Once you do, be on the lookout for a familiar brand that’s already there… Coca-Cola.