Swipeable Feeds and the Quest for Engagement: Threads Takes a Whack at Community
Ah, Threads! It’s like that cousin you only see at family reunions—sometimes it shows up, sometimes it doesn’t, and you’re never quite sure why it’s invited in the first place. But now, with its new swipeable custom topic feeds, it’s attempting to charm its way into our hearts—but will it?
Instagram and Threads chief Adam Mosseri (who’s somehow borrowing both his job titles from a 90s sitcom) is excited about these shiny new features. If only he had an assistant that could make a single good cup of coffee! But I digress. Users can create feeds based on their favorite topics—like cats in hats or why your smartwatch is secretly judging you. This could be a goldmine for community discussions—or at least a place to vent about your latest sandwich disappointments.
How to Create Your Feeds: A Step-By-Step Guide
For those fortunate enough to get the new feature, you can create a custom feed by:
- Inputting your search terms (If you’re typing “cats,” please, for the love of all things furry, make it plural).
- Tapping the three-dot icon, which looks surprisingly like the face of a confused rodent on a bad day.
- Selecting “Create new feed” and hoping for the best—because that’s how social media works, right?
You can also add profiles to your feed—not unlike how I add extra cheese to my pizza for emotional support. Just visit the profile you admire (or are mildly obsessed with), tap the three dots above their profile picture, and voila! You’re now slightly closer to knowing their cat’s name.
The Catch with Custom Feeds
Mosseri himself hasn’t exactly rolled out the red carpet, saying these features won’t dramatically increase usage. But hey, if you want to know the latest on why your favorite fictional character just committed yet another crime, then this feature is your best bet. Just remember, when Mosseri talks about reach, he’s essentially saying, “If you want people to see your content, stop posting pics of your breakfast,”—insightful, right?
What Drives Usage, According to Mosseri
Apparently, it boils down to “reach.” Forget “likes” or that euphoric dopamine hit of a retweet. It’s all about how many eyes you can get on your content. Mosseri explains that the ideal situation is this: you create something good, Threads shows it to more people, and everyone is happy. Except maybe your ex, but who cares about that?
It seems like Threads is trying to break up with immediate engagement and instead is getting cozy with algorithm-driven feeds that perhaps take a cue from Tinder—because why care about meaningful connections when you can get swiped on? Threads aims for algorithmic engagement, believing that a cold, calculated approach is better than one based on genuine human interaction. It’s like attending a party full of acquaintances you barely know—awkwardly trying to find someone who likes the same obscure references as you.
Comparison with Bluesky
Meanwhile, over at Bluesky, there’s a genuine ebb of engagement, almost reminiscent of Twitter in its heyday. Users seem to long for that **real-time pulse** that Threads just can’t seem to deliver. Mosseri might want to rethink that because, at the end of the day, who doesn’t want that thrill of seeing updates fly by like a cab in New York—getting close enough to touch, yet always just out of reach?
Are Lists and Hashtags the Answer?
As users clamor for lists and hashtags, Mosseri opines that it won’t be their magic wand. He seems to think of these features like getting a cat—cute and all, but ultimately a liability for your sleep schedule. The new feed features may appease some but genuinely reshaping user experience? That’s a tall order.
The Bottom Line
Threads may keep cranking out new features in a bid to win hearts, but let’s face it: the quest for immediacy is not on its agenda. If you’re hunting for that Twitter-esque experience, you might want to grab your popcorn and watch Bluesky roll it out while Threads plays catch-up.
But remember, algorithms are now kings and queens in the social media realm. Each update, every swipe, is merely a search for engagement in a world where the immediacy that once was, may never return. So, fasten your seat belts; this wild ride may take you somewhere unexpected—like that local café down the street where everyone knows your name but not your sandwich order!
Threads has broadened its roll-out of swipeable custom topic feeds from the main timeline, aiming to enhance user interaction and facilitate community discussions within the app.
According to Adam Mosseri, the head of Instagram and Threads, new users will now have access to the ability to create tailored topic feeds that are generated from keyword searches conducted within the app.
- Entering your chosen search terms
- Hitting the three-dot icon adjacent to the search bar on the results page
- Selecting “Create new feed” to finalize your custom feed
You can also enhance your feed by visiting specific profiles you want to add, tapping the three-dot icon above their profile photo, and selecting “Add to feed” for seamless integration.
In addition, the custom feed can also be created via desktop by opting for the “Pin to Home” choice from the left-hand menu, followed by the search for your desired term(s). This feed will become operational in the app once you gain access to this feature.
The custom search feed allows users to choose between “Top” or “Recent” as sorting options, making it easy to swipe to it from the main feed through a simple tap on the Threads icon located at the top of the screen.
While it certainly presents an opportunity to keep abreast of relevant discussions, Mosseri himself doesn’t foresee it becoming a groundbreaking feature.
In response to user inquiries back in January regarding the introduction of custom lists, Mosseri articulated the challenges of measuring the potential impact of various features requested by users.
“Despite the appeal of features such as lists, edit buttons, or trending topics, they do not significantly influence the growth or usage rates of Threads. We’ll continue to enhance these features as they resonate with our most dedicated users, even if their impact on overall metrics continues to be minimal.”
While Threads has incorporated various features through its updates, Mosseri remains skeptical that these developments will drastically affect user engagement levels despite the ongoing requests from the user community.
Mosseri believes that maximizing reach is crucial for user satisfaction:
“When we talk about reach, it’s something people prioritize for a reason. Our goal is to expand your reach. If your content resonates and is visible to the right audience, satisfaction levels will rise for all parties involved, thus benefiting our business model.”
Consequently, Meta is shifting focus from metrics like Likes and follower counts to “Views” instead, which provides a more accurate reflection of user engagement and platform performance in today’s competitive social media environment.
Despite the rising demand for features like lists or hashtags, Mosseri posits that their importance pales in comparison to Meta’s overarching goals related to performance measurement and user engagement.
Nevertheless, these features may pique the interest of power users, whose content contributions are essential to the platform’s vibrancy. However, these contributions may not be readily apparent in the data tracking, hence their significance remains critical to Threads’ ecosystem.
Amidst Threads’ challenges on Election Day, Bluesky has experienced a noticeable uptick in user engagement and interest, possibly attributed to its unique offerings that closely resonate with earlier Twitter experiences.
Bluesky’s user experience feels reminiscent of Twitter’s earlier structure, particularly with its option for a chronological following feed, focusing on real-time updates.
The key point remains in the distinction of user experience.
One of the most appealing aspects of Twitter during its prime was the accessibility of a real-time stream of updates tailored to users’ interests, which fostered a sense of continuity and connectedness that is often missing in algorithm-driven feeds.
However, data indicates that algorithmic feeds do drive higher engagement, as they effectively highlight exemplary content across platforms, enhancing user experience and broadening the reach of quality creators.
What tends to be sacrificed, however, is the vital sense of immediacy. Users striving for features reminiscent of Twitter, such as lists or hashtags, may ultimately be longing for a more immediate presence that Threads may not deliver due to its reliance on AI-driven recommendations.
As Mosseri stated back in September concerning Instagram’s functionalities:
“We have explored the idea of implementing a default Following feed and have conducted several tests. Each attempt leaves us with a subset of satisfied users, whilst revealing a broader trend where overall user engagement with Instagram declines over time, which leads to decreased satisfaction rates. Consequently, this impacts their social interactions within the app and perpetuates an overall decline in user experience.”
Overall, users engage more with content recommended by the algorithm. The desired Twitter-like experience that some users are seeking appears to be fading, especially as Bluesky resurges and gains traction while Threads struggles to maintain a distinct path.
Social media platforms inherently thrive on user engagement frequency, as engaged users translate into greater financial gain for the companies, leading to a strong preference for algorithmic feeds.
While Threads continues to introduce Twitter-inspired features, the necessity for an ideal blend of attributes remains high on the priority list for achieving widespread satisfaction among users.
Ultimately, the craving for immediacy persists, yet Threads may not yield the desired results if this remains the focal point of its development strategy.
What are users’ primary expectations when engaging with new features on Meta platforms?
Aving it as the primary experience for users, but based on our research, it does not align well with the majority of users’ expectations or behavior on the platform.”
In light of this, Meta appears focused on refining its strategies to cater to user engagement while balancing the desire for immediacy with effective algorithms. The ongoing discussion about user engagement metrics, especially concerning reach versus traditional likes and follows, highlights a significant shift in how platforms are perceived and utilized in the competitive social media landscape.
Ultimately, while users might express a desire for more traditional features reminiscent of earlier social media experiences, the evolving landscape may necessitate a reassessment of what is most effective in fostering user satisfaction and interaction within these digital platforms.