After rumors of building a Twitter clone app, Meta finally unveiled Threads by Instagram. The app witnessed a surge in popularity during its first week, earning the distinction of being the fastest-growing app of all time. However, subsequent data analysis reveals a decline in user engagement, indicating that Threads users are spending less time within the app.
This report delves into the factors contributing to this decline and explores the challenges and opportunities faced by Threads in maintaining user interest.
In this article: Threads app declining
Engagement metrics show a downward trend:
Analytics firm SimilarWeb’s recent findings shed light on the decreasing engagement levels within the Threads app. The number of daily active users dwindled from its peak of 49 million on July 7th to 23.6 million on July 14th.
Furthermore, in the United States, the country with the highest reported engagement, usage decreased from 21 minutes per day to just over six minutes over the same time period.
Factors influencing the decline:
Several factors may have contributed to the decreasing engagement observed within the Threads app. Firstly, Threads was launched at a time when users were actively seeking alternatives to other social media platforms. The app’s seamless integration with Instagram, allowing users to import their existing social connections, undoubtedly facilitated its initial success. However, the absence of certain fundamental features, such as a non-algorithmic feed that is less influenced by brands and influencers, has been noted as a limitation.
Prioritizing development and improvements:
In response to the declining engagement, Adam Mosseri, Head of Instagram, has indicated that the company’s primary focus is not on engagement metrics at this stage. Instead, they are prioritizing overcoming the initial peaks and troughs commonly associated with new product launches.
The emphasis is on developing new features, optimizing performance, and enhancing content ranking. This approach highlights the company’s commitment to refining the Threads app and potentially addressing the user concerns that have contributed to the decline in engagement.
Challenges and opportunities:
The future success of Threads hinges on the speed at which the app can introduce new features to re-engage its user base. Additionally, launching the app within the European Union and addressing spam-related issues are crucial tasks facing the development team.
Implementing measures such as rate limits and enhanced protections against spam attacks can help maintain a positive user experience as discussed by Adam in his Threads post(thread).
Impact on competitors:
While the decline in engagement within Threads might seem like good news for Twitter, the social media giant still faces concerns regarding its newest competitor. SimilarWeb’s Senior Insights Manager, David Carr, notes that there are indications that some of Threads’ engagement has come at the expense of Twitter.
Web traffic to twitter.com experienced a 5% decline during the first two days that Threads became generally available, while Android app usage, by time spent, dropped by 4.3%. Furthermore, Twitter’s user retention has been on a downward trend since the previous year.
Conclusion:
The Threads app, initially heralded as the fastest-growing app of all time, has experienced a decline in user engagement after its successful debut. This decline highlights the challenges faced by social media platforms in maintaining long-term user interest.
As Threads aims to rebound and recapture user attention, its ability to introduce new features, address user concerns, and overcome competition will be crucial. The coming months will determine whether Threads can regain its momentum and establish itself as a sustainable and engaging platform within the social media landscape.
