Remember all the excitement when Threads was launched? Meta, the platform’s parent company, announced that more than 30M people joined in less than 24 hours after it opened to the public. The app, which for now requires and is closely paired with an Instagram account, was designed to take on the platform formerly known as Twitter and now called “X.” For professional services companies, is it worth it to join Threads and start posting, especially given some stagnation in usage of other platforms, such as Facebook and Instagram?

Only You Should be You

One consideration to bear in mind with any social media platform with scale is the risk that innocent or malevolent actor could scoop up key digital real estate, blocking you from developing it, holding it hostage for a payout, or using it to confuse consumers and hurt your firm’s image. Creating or using a business Instagram account (not your personal one or an employee’s personal one) to grab the corresponding handle on Threads is a no-brainer and a move that helps avoid an unpleasant, “Help!” conversation with a crisis PR person in the future.

Know Your Audience

Now that your company is on Threads, one approach is to watch and listen. Consider the national media coverage of the platform to gauge if it is going to be worthwhile or just another entry in an overcrowded space. Simultaneously, ask colleagues and clients for their take on the platform. You can revisit this decision later, but figuring out whether to post or not should be a deliberative process, lest you start the content-feeding conveyor belt and further divide marketing resources.

What’s up with X?

X, owned by Elon Musk and formerly Twitter, is going through a transitional period. Musk has stated that he is an avowed advocate for nearly unfettered free speech. This has meant that accounts banned under Twitter’s old ownership/management have been reinstated. This has led some advertisers to be wary and pull ads from the platform, which opened the door for new advertisers with less well known products to post – at times alongside content creators who would never acquiesce to the visual pairing, should they be presented an option. For professional services companies, leaving or sunsetting X is a fraught question. The platform still has a massive user base much higher than Threads. Most have continued to post. But, even without participating on Threads, an argument exists that Musk’s changes to the company and the user experience present reputational risks for companies in the long run. However, beware going inactive as your digital real estate may become available (in time).

Where Does Content Work Best?

For law and accounting firms, LinkedIn with its long-form post feature is an excellent home for professional musings, client alerts and corporate message amplification. Instagram is less ideal. But architecture and real estate firms value Instagram over LinkedIn for its rich visual options. With the addition of Threads to a shared media mix that includes Facebook, LinkedIn and X, there is even more audience fragmentation and more channels for which to optimize content. Find what works best for your audience and content mix, realizing that these are all no-cost platforms and you can opt to direct users to the channel that works best for your posts. This should also be paired with the realization that, unless you have the resources and really find the value in posting to three+ platforms, the best move may be to minimize on one to excel on another.

So, we’re Threading now?

If your company finds value (in terms of content or optics) in being active and embracing Threads – crank out the posts! If you aren’t sure, just wait. And, if you feel that the value really isn’t there and marketing resources are best spent elsewhere, get your handle reserved and go back to business and posting as usual. We’ll find out soon enough if Threads is the “next big thing.”