Instagram Threads for Marketers: Tips for Success

​Not sure how to leverage Instagram Threads to grow your brand? Wondering how marketers are using Threads to spark conversations, build community, and stay ahead of competitors?

In this article, you’ll discover actionable tips for using Instagram Threads strategically—so you can increase visibility, engage authentically, and turn followers into fans.

The Value of Instagram Threads for Marketers

An Instagram Threads account offers a unique opportunity that many marketers haven't fully recognized yet. Despite being a new social media platform–available for about a year or two, it remains a relatively untapped territory with significant potential for those willing to establish a presence there.

Unlike other social platforms designed primarily for passive scrolling and consumption, Threads was built specifically for conversation and deeper engagement. This creates an opportunity for marketers to connect with an audience actively seeking discussion rather than just entertainment.

“People who are on it have been seeing some of the best engagement and best conversions because these are people who want to have a conversation,” explains Nicky Saunders, content strategist and founder of Deeper Than The Brand. 

A significant advantage of Threads is its connection with your existing Instagram audience. Meta strategically linked the two platforms, giving you a guaranteed transition audience. If you've already built a following on an Instagram account, any of those followers have a Threads account are ready to engage with you there, too.

#1: Explore Threads Content Features

Threads isn't a one-dimensional content channel. It offers a variety of content formats that marketers can leverage in their social media strategy.

Text Posts: Threads' foundation is text-based posts. You can share ideas, insights, or any thoughts that come to mind. While Instagram is primarily visual, Threads gives equal weight to written content, making it ideal for sharing detailed step-by-step instructions or nuanced perspectives in conversations.

Visual Content: Despite its text-centric nature, visual content plays an important role on Threads, and the platform doesn't penalize you for sharing different content formats. This flexibility allows marketers to repurpose content without worrying about strict formatting requirements. You can post single images or carousels, similar to Instagram, and Threads supports various video formats. Vertical, horizontal, and square videos all perform well.

Voice Notes: For those who prefer speaking over typing, Threads offers a voice note feature. You can record your thoughts and have them transcribed automatically. This feature provides two options for posting: you can include the audio recording so people can hear your voice, or you can remove it and post only the transcribed text.

Polls: Threads allows you to create polls to survey your audience, making it easy to gather opinions and feedback directly.

Topics Instead of Hashtags: While Threads doesn't use traditional hashtags, it employs a “topics” system that functions similarly. You can select relevant topics for your posts to help them get discovered by interested audiences. The platform even allows you to choose topics before publishing rather than incorporating them into your post text. This creates a cleaner look while still helping your content reach relevant audiences.

While Threads offers many benefits, it's important to understand its limitations to set realistic expectations and plan your strategy accordingly.

No Direct Messaging: One significant limitation is the lack of direct messaging functionality within Threads. “I can't DM you. I actually have to go into your Instagram and DM you over there,” Saunders points out. This extra step can sometimes be inconvenient for users who want to move from public conversations to private ones.

No Live Video: Unlike Instagram, Threads doesn't currently support live video broadcasts. If live streaming is a key part of your strategy, you'll need to continue using Instagram for this feature.

No Stories: The popular Stories format on Instagram is not available on Threads. You'll need to think about your content strategy differently, focusing more on feed posts rather than ephemeral content.

#2: How to Post on Your Threads Profile: Content Ideas

Coming up with engaging content for Threads might seem challenging, especially if you're accustomed to visual-first platforms.

If you're already creating video content, you can use it as a source for Threads posts by pulling exact quotes for a single thread or condensing key points into a series of threads.

Listicles work well, as do long-form threads if you break longer content into digestible chunks of about three paragraphs per post. Each section should be able to stand on its own while contributing to the overall narrative.

Repost from Instagram

Threads allows you to easily share content from Instagram directly, resulting in a Threads post that features an embed of the original Instagram post. This feature eliminates the need for third-party apps or screen recording to repurpose Instagram content, making your workflow much more efficient.

Whether curating your own or others' Instagram content for Threads, look for content already performing well on Instagram. 

How to Use Images for Pattern Disruption on Threads

Adding visuals to text-based threads can significantly increase engagement and make your content more accessible and understandable. The strategic use of visuals can also create powerful pattern disruptions that will help your content stand out in the feed.

Adding an image to represent each point can significantly increase comprehension and engagement for listicle-style content. The visual reinforcement helps readers better understand and remember the content while making your thread more visually appealing as users scroll.

For a Thread series, you can include a relevant image with each successive thread to create a visually cohesive series. This approach helps you to create a rhythm of “Here's the point. Here's the visual.” This pattern makes your content more digestible and engaging for readers while reinforcing your key points.

Visuals become even more valuable if you share educational content or step-by-step instructions. Each step can be illustrated with a relevant image or short video clip, helping your audience better understand the process you're describing. This is particularly effective for complex topics or technical instructions where visual demonstrations complement written explanations.

How to Reach a Wider Audience on Threads

Commenting on other people's posts is an effective way to increase your visibility on Threads.

When you find active conversations, contributing thoughtful, valuable comments can benefit you in multiple ways.

Your comment will stand out to the person who published the post and to their audience, putting you in front of people who haven't yet interacted with or followed you.

Your comment also surfaces to your audience because they see anything you engage with, whether you like something, comment on it, or repost it.

#3: How to Measure Content Performance on Threads: Metrics to Watch

Measuring success on Threads requires understanding that metrics may look different compared to other platforms, especially Instagram.

Saunders recommends focusing on these key metrics and offers insights from her own experience:

• Views
• Likes: Scale your expectations appropriately for this still-growing platform. One hundred Likes on Threads is a decent KPI.
• Comments: 10 comments represent strong engagement on Threads.
• Reposts

Tracking your top-performing posts is crucial for developing an effective Threads strategy because it shows you what formats work for you on the platform. Saunders recommends creating a consistent content framework based on what the data shows is working, then trying one or two new things during the week. 

#4: How to Use Threads as a Content Testing Ground

One of the most valuable ways to use Threads is as an experimental playground for content ideas that can then be repurposed across your other platforms.

Saunders typically posts three to five experimental content pieces on Threads daily and analyzes which ones get the most engagement.

Once you identify high-performing content on Threads, you can repurpose it across your marketing channels.

This approach eliminates guesswork from your content strategy.

#5: How to Promote Your Products and Services on Threads: Marketing Strategy

While Threads is primarily a conversation platform, there are effective ways to promote your products and services without coming across as overly promotional.

Strategic Link Placement

Unlike some other platforms, Threads is relatively friendly to link posts. However, Saunders recommends a strategic approach.

Create a series of threads for your post. In the first thread, lead with value, and add your link in the second thread.

‘Hey, if you want to know more about this, here's the link.'”

Sharing valuable excerpts from your products can serve as an effective promotion.

If you're promoting a book, craft a series of posts from a valuable excerpt in the first thread. In the next one, mention the chapter and book title with a call to action to grab that book by clicking the link.

This same approach works for newsletters, events, and other offerings.

This value-first approach respects the conversational nature of the platform while still providing a clear path to your offerings.

Pinned Posts and Comments

Threads has a pinning feature that can be leveraged for promotion. You can pin a Thread to your profile or pin a comment containing links to the top of a thread.

“I've had my newsletter pinned from day one, and I constantly get traffic from Threads to the newsletter because of that pin post. Not because I talk about my newsletter all the time. It's because I'm active on Threads, and they go to my profile, and they see, ‘Oh, she has a newsletter.'”

2 Tips for Adding Threads to Your Marketing Activities

Based on Saunders' insights, here are some practical implementation tips for marketers looking to succeed on Threads:

Content Length: For written content, aim for about three paragraphs per thread post. This provides enough substance without hitting character limits. For longer content, break it down into multiple threads, ensuring each one can stand on its own while contributing to the overall narrative.

Posting Frequency: Unlike platforms that penalize frequent posting, Threads allows you to post multiple times daily without negative consequences. Saunders recommends posting 3-5 experimental content pieces daily to test what resonates with your audience.

Other Notes From This Episode

• Connect with Michael Stelzner @Stelzner on Instagram and @Mike_Stelzner on X.
• Watch this interview and other exclusive content from Social Media Examiner on YouTube.

Where to subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | YouTube Music | YouTube | Amazon Music | RSS

✋🏽 If you enjoyed this episode of the Social Media Marketing podcast, please head over to Apple Podcasts, leave a rating, write a review, and subscribe.

---

Stay Up-to-Date: Get New Marketing Articles Delivered to You!

Don't miss out on upcoming social media marketing insights and strategies! Sign up to receive notifications when we publish new articles on Social Media Examiner. Our expertly crafted content will help you stay ahead of the curve and drive results for your business. Click the link below to sign up now and receive our annual report!