Source: Instagram seeks to revive interest in Threads by getting creators to post more, making Threads a place for real-time updates about big events, and more
Threads launched with Instagram’s social graph and infrastructure, but its feed was reported to prioritize creators and friends over hard news through a largely replicated Instagram algorithm. That design makes the push for creator activity and event updates a bid to turn an initial distribution advantage into repeat usage.
The effort also fits Threads’ early monetization path: Instagram was already considering branded-content tools and paid promotion once the service reached sufficient scale. Later discussion of an API showed the tension in this strategy: publisher participation could expand even as Threads seeks to keep creators central.
First-order effects
Creators become the immediate supply-side target, with Instagram encouraging more frequent Threads posting and framing major events as moments for real-time participation.
Threads’ product and editorial priorities shift toward making event-time conversations more visible, rather than relying chiefly on the Instagram-derived network for engagement.
A stronger real-time focus creates pressure to balance creator-led recommendations with timely information; the existing creator-and-friends-first feed design may limit how quickly Threads can become useful during major events.
Third-order effects
If sustained, the strategy would move Threads from a companion to Instagram toward a more distinct real-time conversation product, with creator supply as its core differentiator.
The longer-term trade-off is likely to be between a controlled creator ecosystem and the broader publisher, developer, and news participation that can make a real-time network more comprehensive.
The trend: Social platforms are trying to convert creator-driven distribution into habitual, event-time utility before building out full monetization and ecosystem access.
I've been a Threads supporter since day one and happily deleted my Twitter account, but Threads desperately needs a trending topics option, even if it's just breaking news.
Yes, the only reason I log into X these days is for real-time info. If I'm wondering what's happening “right now”, I can generally find out on X (or at least someone version of what they *think* is happening now)
They are. They've said they are. It takes time to build something like a Trending function that also works accurately. Especially when the one Meta had at Facebook was controversial. It also starts with the community. If we aren't talking about it then it won't happen. …
I really hope they prioritize live conversations. If not it's a massive miss and something that'll keep people on Twitter. Threads isn't going to keep people here forever if it never gives us core things we want so we can leave Twitter.
instructive how much of the appeal of any social platform/forum depends on culture. Bluesky is janky as hell and missing many key features but it has funny posts, so I keep coming back. Threads, on the other hand,
How about finish the damn coding job. The search feature blows goats and returns stuff in nonsense order and has no search criteria option. There's no “Latest” option in the feed. The video player on mobile doesn't rotate with the device. Just simple shit.
Ah Threads... that Twitter-like Meta effort that wasn't going to encourage news and politics because those are death to micro blogging platforms ...now wants to encourage creators to ‘post live events’ [image]
New: Instagram is reaching out to Black creators to better understand why many are not making the shift from Twitter to Threads. It's part of a nascent effort at IG to revive the text-based app: https://www.theinformation.com/ ...
Facebook: (does everything that people hated about Twitter but even harder) Also Facebook: We don't know how this could have happened. https://www.theinformation.com/ ...
I know I'm going out on a limb here, but have you tried to replace the guy who has already screwed up multiple times to get you in this predicament? Just sayin'.