Threads Sees Elevated Obtain Momentum in December Amid EU Launch

Whereas Meta’s Twitter-like Threads app nonetheless has an extended strategy to go to meet up with different platforms within the area, it’s seemingly nonetheless including customers at a reasonably robust price, based mostly on the newest information from Appfigures, which tracks total obtain exercise traits.

And whereas “downloads” and “active users” are wholly totally different measurements, the truth that Threads remains to be driving curiosity is a optimistic, which can a minimum of see extra folks attempting out the brand new app.

As reported by TechCrunch:

“Threads saw 12 million new downloads in December 2023, earning it a No. 4 spot in the Top Charts by downloads on Apple’s App Store. It also saw 16 million downloads on Google Play, which gave it the No. 8 spot. On both stores combined, it was the No. 6 app by way of new installs.”

These outcomes should not overly shocking, on condition that Threads was launched to European users on December 14th. Primarily based on Instagram adoption figures versus Threads, my assumption was that the Threads EU launch would probably drive round 25 million extra downloads total, which is considerably according to these stats.

As such, these figures should not essentially indicative of normal natural development, as there was a major occasion inside this era. However nonetheless, it does present that Threads remains to be rising, and that it nonetheless maintains its alternative to problem X.

Although there have been some adverse indicators as nicely.

Threads downloads had slowed considerably earlier than December, whereas some distinguished former Twitter customers are both sticking with X, and even reverting again to the app, the place they’ve already established a big following.

I lately appeared on the Threads exercise of the top 50 most followed profiles on X, and matched that to their posts on Threads, and located that just about half of those prime accounts don’t also have a Threads presence, which isn’t an ideal sign for the app.

The vast majority of sports activities and information accounts are nonetheless prioritizing X, whereas massive title Indian celebrities additionally haven’t made the swap. These are important components of the Twitter/X expertise, and if Threads can’t win them over, it might make it troublesome to keep up its development momentum.

Nonetheless, it’s early days for the app, and I do count on that Threads will cross 200 million month-to-month customers shortly, versus X’s claimed 500 million monthly actives. That’s loads of alternative, and it feels prefer it might solely take a couple of extra Elon controversies to drive a extra important shift away from his app.

And on the identical time, X remains to be struggling to win again advert companions, which may even play a key function in its future evolution.

The challenges for X on this regard are diverse, starting from Musk’s ongoing criticisms of former advertisers which have lower their X advert spend, to his many controversial takes on political sizzling button points, to Neighborhood Notes being displayed on advertisements within the app, explaining why they’re deceptive.

In consequence, advertisers are seemingly nonetheless staying away from the app.

AdWeek has reported that massive manufacturers are spending round 55% much less on Tremendous Bowl advertisements on X this 12 months, with their budgets as an alternative going to TikTok, YouTube Shorts and Instagram. That would counsel that X’s advert income, its key earnings supply, remains to be down by round half on what it was earlier than Elon took over on the app, and at some stage, based mostly on X’s prices, and required funding in new tasks, it might change into an existential concern for the app.

Possibly that would be the factor that pushes extra customers in direction of Threads, and actually, that’s probably what Meta constructed the app for, to supply an alternate in case of a full X collapse, as a way to scoop up these cast-offs with an identical expertise.

To be clear, the entire destruction of X nonetheless appears unlikely, particularly in an election 12 months. However the challenges for Elon’s “everything app” are persevering with to mount, whereas on the identical time, extra individuals are, at least, giving Threads a shot.