The world of social media is constantly changing, offering an array of platforms for photographers to showcase their work and engage with audiences. The latest player on the field is Threads, Meta's surprise foray into the realm of micro-blogging and (rumored) Twitter-killer. With 30 million users in the first 24 hours, Threads has certainly made an entrance. But the question remains - is Threads the best app for photographers?
While we will undoubtedly be seeing patches and updates in the coming days and weeks as the user base grows, Threads still manages to offer some enticing features for photographers beyond the 500 character count (which isn’t bad in itself, certainly an improvement over Twitter’s 280 character limit for unverified accounts).
Unlike Instagram, Threads allows users to upload uncropped images, freeing you from restrictive aspect ratios and letting your work shine in its original format. Couple that with the 10 image limit per post (a big improvement on the four image cap found on Twitter) and you can create a more comprehensive narrative for your followers as they cruise through your posts.
And they didn’t forget about videographers either! Threads supports videos up to five minutes long without any ratio restrictions, providing more room for videographers to show off their work.
Another significant advantage to Threads is its integration with Instagram. You can seamlessly import your Instagram followers to Threads, providing an existing audience for your new profile. Furthermore, you can cross-post your Threads directly to Instagram, saving time and ensuring a wider reach for your content.
Finally, Threads launched ad-free, offering a clutter-free viewing experience and a refreshing take on social media (for as long as that lasts, anyways).
That not to say Threads isn't without its limitations. Twitter has been around a long time, and love it or hate it they do some things right.
For starters, unlike Twitter, you need to have a pre-existing Instagram account to open a Threads profile. This prerequisite could be a hurdle for Twitter users and may slow down the migration of users.
More importantly, Threads doesn't currently support hashtags, a powerful tool for content discovery on platforms like Twitter. This hampers the search capabilities of the app and could make it more difficult for you to reach your ideal clients.
Lastly, Threads lacks direct messaging. This means clients who discover you on the app would have to find a way to contact you outside of Threads, creating an additional point of friction, which is never good.
As with any new app, there are a few issues with Threads that might not be deal breakers, but we still need to mention. Despite its integrations Threads is still very much a separate app from Instagram, meaning it’s one more channel for you to keep track of.
Threads also adheres to the same content rules as Instagram, meaning absolutely no nudity allowed. While this will likely have minimal impact on most photographers, it may prove restrictive for some genres when compared to Twitter’s more lenient policies.
There’s no wrong answer. While Threads does offer some exciting features for photographers, it also has its share of limitations and challenges. Given that the platform is still very new we can expect to see changes and improvements over the course of the next few weeks as it learns what its users need. If you already have an Instagram profile there’s no reason not to give Threads a shot to see if it works for your photography business. However, don't rush to abandon your Twitter profile just yet.
Remember, in the realm of social media, one size doesn't necessarily fit all. Find the platform that works for you!
