Threads is the latest social media platform on the scene and provides an alternative option for people and businesses to share information in a virtual space. Created by Meta, Instagram’s parent company, Threads offers a Twitter-like experience that promises new opportunities to connect, engage, and be a part of a new era of social media.
So many individuals, brands, and businesses have jumped on the chance to establish themselves on the new platform. This may have led you to wonder: Should I, a solo or small law firm, be on Threads?
Read on for an overview of Threads, how you can use Threads for your small law firm marketing, and 5 things to ask yourself before joining on.
An Overview of Threads
What is Threads?
Meta’s latest social media platform, Threads, connects directly with existing Instagram accounts and fosters a Twitter-like environment for text-based post sharing. Threads is advertised as a space for starting and having conversations with your existing Instagram audience and is intended to help you tap into a greater audience as well.
Users can create and post text-based messages (with the option to add photo and video) to a scrolling feed that their audience can view and interact with. Due to the steady decline in the popularity of Twitter, Threads aims to be the new go-to platform for sharing information, ideas, and news.
Threads: Notable Features
Because Threads is so often equated to Twitter, what sets Threads apart from its competitor?
On Threads, users can do the following:
- Carry over an Instagram following. Your current Instagram audience that is also using Threads will be automatically linked to your Threads account as followers. No starting from scratch!
- Enjoy a more generous character limit. Threads posts can be up to 500 characters long.
- Share longer videos. Videos can be up to 5 minutes long.
- Exercise more control. Threads has built-in tools that enable more protected conversations such as controlling who mentions or replies to you.
- Feel safer to share and interact. Threads enforces Instagram’s community guidelines.
Threads also has a few additional features that contrast itself with Twitter, such as one central post feed and no hashtag functionality (as of right now). The platform also exclusively features a mobile version with no desktop option.
Current Concerns with Threads
Although many professionals in the legal space have quickly moved over to Threads, it’s important to be aware of your options and any concerns that have arisen around the new platform.
While the list of concerns is very brief at present, they include:
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- You cannot delete Threads without also deleting your Instagram account. Once you’re registered on Threads, your two accounts become connected and one cannot be deleted without the other being deleted as well.
- There isn’t sufficient research on the demographics of Threads users at the moment. This current lack of information means that your law firm could be pursuing a marketing strategy that may, in the near future, become ineffective for your personal business goals.
3 Ways Lawyers Can Use Threads
Brand Awareness
Threads can be a new and additional opportunity for your small law firm to increase the visibility of your brand. With consistent messaging, updates on services, firm news, and case results, Threads can be a great way to strengthen your firm’s brand awareness.
Thought Leadership
The pursuit of thought leadership can be extremely effective for demonstrating your firm’s expertise to potential clients. Due to the conversational nature of Threads, there is an opportunity to use the new platform as a space to offer unique perspectives on legal topics, contribute to ongoing discussions, and provide valuable commentary.
Networking
Threads can be an excellent place for professional networking and staying top-of-mind to your referral network. You can network on Threads by posting and commenting on the content of other professionals and participating in relevant conversations.
5 Things to Ask Yourself Before Getting Threads
Instagram makes it really easy and seamless to join Threads, enabling millions to sign up for the platform in just hours of its launch. However, Threads is not the best use of everyone’s time and marketing resources.
Below are 5 things to ask yourself before joining Threads:
- Are you already on Instagram? For many attorneys, staying within the social media “green zone” (Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter) is a sufficient social media presence for their business goals. If you’re not yet on Instagram, it’s important to consider what adding a new social media platform to your current digital marketing plan will look like.
- Are you currently active on Instagram? Social media tends to be most effective when it is used consistently, and Threads is no exception.
- Are you in need of a Twitter alternative? Are you currently active on Twitter, and would be able to make a seamless transition to its competitor?
- Do you actively pursue, or wish to pursue, thought leadership? Threads is a text-based, conversational space that encourages thought leadership and conversation.
- Do you have a plan for keeping up with Threads? As with any new social media platform, establishing a plan for posts, interaction, and upkeep will best prepare you for success on Threads.
Complement Your Social Media with a Strong Law Firm Website
Social media, while varied with opportunities for attorneys looking to grow their online presence, is ultimately a means to an end. The goal to keep in mind? To drive traffic to your firm’s website. This approach to social media will help you to streamline your strategy and avoid overextending your time and resources.
Potential leads from social media ultimately need somewhere to land once they have become interested in your firm’s services. Investing time and effort into your firm’s website is the best way to guarantee a long-term ROI.
If you’re a LawLytics customer, we’re here to provide guidance on social media and support for connecting your social media accounts to our platform. If you are not yet a LawLytics member and would like to know more about how LawLytics can help your firm grow, schedule a 20-minute interactive demo.
