Nowadays, we often see attempts by new social networks whose main goal is to intrigue as many people as possible to open another account and see what all the hype is about. The same happened with the Threads app, which last summer gained 100 million users in just over 100 hours, while TikTok, at the time, took 9 months to reach that number. But the real question is – will it manage to keep people engaged?
Does this latest addition to Meta’s apps even have a future in Croatia? Is it worth building a platform there? Can Threads profit from the dissatisfaction many users feel with the rebranding of Twitter, now known as X, and the actions of its owner? Gordan Turković (CTA Communications) and Sanja Rodinis (Experience TEN) shared their answers to these questions.
Gordan Turković (Founder & CEO, CTA Communications):
The fundamental question is – does anyone in Croatia still use X? Essentially, it’s a network that never really took off among our users, at least compared to those in other countries.
Additionally, X is being buried deeper every day by its owner, Elon Musk, as seen from the significant declines in advertising revenue. Ads on that network were never well-received by the community, and one of the reasons some users are switching to Threads is that they are not bombarded with ads there, nor do they encounter a strange algorithm that recently began promoting xenophobic, Trumpist content. We all know the boss is a big supporter of the former president.
The biggest strength of Threads is definitely its connection to Instagram, meaning its massive base of existing users who were nudged toward the new platform via their feed. This is why comparing it to TikTok’s growth is irrelevant. TikTok, on the other hand, acquired every user “from the wild,” while Threads mostly gained users from Instagram. This feature may even allow it to surpass X in terms of account numbers.
A big advantage of Threads is its entry into the Fediverse, especially when this feature becomes available in all countries. In other words, its users will be able to or already can communicate with content across different social networks. The main guiding principle here is decentralization of communication, which I think is great.
In the end, back home. Since neither Twitter/X ever truly succeeded in Croatia, Threads won’t become highly relevant here either, unless there are major changes in its integration with other Meta products in terms of content distribution, advertising, and so on.
Sanja Rodinis (Founder & CEO, Experience TEN):
Due to dissatisfaction caused by Twitter’s rebranding to X and the controversial decisions of its owner, Threads emerged as a logical alternative, likely contributing to its initial popularity. Although it capitalized on the discontent of X users, current results show that Threads is struggling to retain active users, a challenge every social network faces.
For Threads to become an attractive marketing tool in Croatia, significant improvements in functionality and user experience are needed. At the moment, the platform is not the best choice for marketing campaigns. Its connection to Instagram and the ability to leverage existing user networks is an advantage, but marketing professionals are unlikely to achieve the best results on Threads compared to well-established platforms like Instagram or TikTok. While it has potential for growth, it has yet to prove it can become an essential tool in marketing strategies. It’s important to monitor how it will develop and whether it will maintain long-term relevance in the market.
Conclusion:
Although an initial surge in user numbers can be impressive, the long-term success of apps depends on how well they can sustain user interest through relevant and unique content. Many platforms become popular in a short time but quickly face challenges like market saturation or a lack of innovation. Threads, as a new platform, has not yet proven long-term relevance, especially in Croatia, so it must now prove itself through continuous development and adaptation to user needs if it wants to retain attention and achieve success in the competitive world of social media.
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