Threads Debuts and Meta Strikes Back

July 2023 will be remembered as the month a new social media star was born – Meta’s Threads app burst onto the scene in early July, instantly making headlines by amassing 100 million users in just five days. As Twitter faced turmoil under Musk’s changes, Instagram’s team launched Threads as a friendly, text-based conversation platform tethered to Instagram accounts.

The result? A record-shattering adoption rate that dethroned ChatGPT’s recent title of fastest-growing app. For digital marketers, this was huge. We suddenly had a brand-new but massively populated channel to consider in our strategies. Brands scrambled to stake their claim on Threads, bringing a playful, conversational tone there (since it was positioned as a more positive, less snarky space than Twitter). We helped several clients jump in by adapting their Twitter content playbook – but with an Instagram flair: more community-focused, slightly more casual.

One key to Threads’ explosive growth was seamless onboarding via Instagram. Users logged in with their IG credentials and could auto-follow everyone they followed on Instagram​. This meant brands that already had strong Instagram followings were greeted on Threads with an instant audience. It was a rare “head start” scenario in social media. We advised our clients with large IG followings to join Threads immediately to capitalize on that carryover. For smaller brands, we suggested securing their handle to avoid any future issues and monitoring the platform’s development. It wasn’t clear yet how Threads would fit into long-term strategies (no ads initially, and limited search or trending topics), but itspotentialas a Twitter alternative for community building was obvious. By mid-July, some clients (especially in media, tech, and pop culture spaces) were actively engaging on Threads, sharing news bites and behind-the-scenes takes, and seeing good engagement due to the novelty factor.

However, the Threads hype came with a caveat: initial user retention became a challenge. After the novelty, some users drifted back to Twitter or just stopped checking Threads frequently. By end of July, reports of a usage drop emerged. I counseled clients to maintain a presence but not over-invest original content into Threads until its trajectory became clearer. It’s a classic case of welcome the newcomer, but don’t abandon the proven channels.

Meanwhile, Twitter (soon to be X) wasn’t out for the count. In fact, as Threads surged, Twitter’s owner Elon Musk engaged in a playful rivalry (remember the Musk vs. Zuckerberg cage match banter?). Twitter also had its hardcore loyalists. For marketing, July reinforced the point: social media is not a zero-sum game. Many brands ended up active on both Twitter and Threads, adjusting tone slightly between them, which we facilitated by creating distinct content calendars for each.

Beyond the social media shake-up, July also saw significant e-commerce and web updates. Shopify’s Summer 2024 Editions (announced in late July) introduced a slew of new features​, and we got a preview:Shopify Sidekick (an AI assistant)to help merchants with questions and tasks, expandedShop Pay installment options,Marketplace Connectto integrate selling on Amazon/eBay seamlessly, and a sleeker one-page checkout​. This was Shopify arming small businesses with enterprise-grade tools and convenience. While these features were rolling out to merchants, we worked with our Shopify clients to ensure they leveraged them. For example, enabling the one-page checkout and promoting Shop Pay’s installment option (knowing that15% higher engagementwas reported for ads with music or interactive elements – similarly, smooth checkout flow can boost conversion rates significantly). Essentially,July was about boosting efficiency and conversion– whether in social conversations or on e-commerce product pages.

On the search/SEO front, Google rolled out the June 2023 Core Update (which, despite the name, mostly hit in July). It apparently focused on content quality and spam devaluation. Some sites saw fluctuations. Also notable: Google had a Link Spam Update finish in early July (continuing the trend from December and February of cracking down on unnatural links). We kept a close watch on client rankings. One client in the travel niche saw a dip – we suspected their heavy guest posting strategy got dinged. So in July, we pivoted their SEO plan toward content refreshes and improving on-site UX, moving away from link building. Sure enough, their traffic rebounded by late summer, validating that focusing on what Google’s actually rewarding (expert, user-helpful content) was the safer bet.

Another interesting tidbit: AI on social media was trending beyond just new apps. Platforms like Snapchat had their AI chatbot, and rumors swirled about Meta working on AI chat personas for Facebook/Instagram. By July, we even saw early examples of brands using AI-generated influencers or content (some experiments with virtual brand ambassadors on TikTok, etc.). We discussed internally and with clients where this could go – for now, the consensus was human authenticity still wins on social. But we also started to think ahead: could a brand have an AI persona answering DMs or creating content? It wasn’t mainstream by July, but seeds were planted.

LinkedIn also launched a noteworthy feature: Premium Business Pages, giving companies more analytics and the ability to highlight top content or newsletters​. With LinkedIn booming, this was an invite for brands to invest more in the platform. For B2B clients, we upgraded their pages and started a rhythm of posting weekly thought leadership articles, noticing that LinkedIn’s feed was giving them decent reach (especially with the new algorithm focusing on niche interests from March).

Now, not everything was rosy. By this time, advertisers were noticing ad fatigue on saturated channels. Instagram’s heavy ad load (four ads in a feed, as tested earlier) meant brands needed to be creative to stand out. Also, privacy changes (like more EU users opting out of tracking due to regulations) started affecting retargeting pool sizes. July was when we saw retargeting audiences shrink slightly for some EU campaigns. We responded by diversifying targeting – using more contextual and interest-based methods, not just reliance on pixel data.

Our expertise on display in July: We truly wore the “integrated strategist” hat. For a global brand client, we orchestrated a July campaign that spanned Twitter, Threads, and LinkedIn simultaneously, each with tailored messaging but a unified theme (celebrating a product anniversary). On Twitter, we ran a witty hashtag challenge; on Threads, a behind-the-scenes story series; on LinkedIn, a formal timeline of the product’s evolution with user testimonials. This 3-channel approach boosted overall engagement by 40% compared to just doing one platform. The client gained followers on the new Threads app without losing momentum on Twitter or LinkedIn – a big win proving that a holistic approach works even when the landscape shifts.

We also diligently kept clients grounded. During the Threads craze, one excited client suggested pausing their Twitter ads to funnel budget to Threads. We advised against it – Threads had no ads (and still doesn’t as of my knowledge cutoff), and its marketing utility was community building, not direct response. Instead, we proposed reallocating some Twitter budget to testing LinkedIn ads (where we saw opportunity) and dedicating team time (not ad dollars) to growing their Threads presence organically. This level-headed strategy protected their lead flow while allowing them to explore new territory. It’s a prime example of how we combine playfulness (experiment on new platforms) with professional prudence(don’t throw out proven channels on a whim).

By the end of July 2023, the digital marketing arena had clearly evolved even from six months prior. A new major platform was in play, AI was being infused into tools left and right, and the competition for eyeballs and engagement was fiercer than ever. Businesses that thrived were those that stayed agile – and having us as experts on their side made that agility possible without missteps. We helped them navigate hype vs. reality, allocate resources wisely, and keep their messaging consistent across the board. Our clients ranged from local shops to Fortune 500, but what they all shared in July was the reassurance that we had our finger on the pulse of every trend. With that confidence, they could embrace change rather than fear it – turning a potentially tumultuous month into one of growth and bold moves.