Social media tends to infuriate musicians. As one of those musicians, I wasn’t expecting Threads to provide a respite from the annoyances of other social media platforms when I downloaded it on a whim in July 2023. However, Threads has quickly become my favorite platform due to its simplicity and the ease with which artists can curate their message. If you’re fed up with the armies of bots on Facebook, the ever-changing algorithm on Instagram, and the trolls on Twitter, here are three ways to make Threads your highest-performing social media platform:
Deliver a consistent message. Threads users may not consistently engage with your work or your posts, but if you build your presence around discussing your areas of expertise, people will remember you. If your message is consistent enough, you will become your followers’ go-to person when they need guest appearances, production, or other skills that you present yourself as an expert in. For example, my social media presence is all about spreading knowledge of music law and the music business while promoting my music, so my posts tend to be tailored to that message. I’ll also discuss my thoughts on other bands and their music to gain engagement from the fans of bands who influenced my music, so that our fanbases can cross paths. With its simplicity and text-based format, Threads enables more verbally-driven artists to gain a following without feeling like the visual aspect of their brand eclipses the messages they want to send, which is a risk on visually-driven platforms like Instagram.
Engage, engage, engage. Commenting on others’ posts and replying to comments on your own posts is the quickest way to make valuable connections and show that you care about your followers. It is impossible to over-post on Threads; Threads is a volume game, so the more you post and reply to others, the more you are likely to be seen. When you show people that you value their efforts to connect, they will interact with you, share your music, buy your merchandise, and become long-term fans. Don’t underestimate the impact of a “thank you” or a repost.
Additionally, the more you engage with your followers, the more they will come to understand and respect you as an individual. Fans want to support the person behind the art; releasing quality music is crucial, but your fans won’t see a point in interacting with you if you never interact with them. This doesn’t mean that you need to respond to every comment if it gets too time-consuming, but replying to comments on Threads in a meaningful way will show that you value your fans’ engagement and generate a cycle of higher engagement. Your followers will see your comments on other posts in their “for you” page on Threads, so you can also initiate engagement by joining other conversations. I will often join conversations about songwriting techniques or intellectual property law to show my interest in those topics and network with people in those fields.
Don’t be a troll. As mentioned above, your followers will see your responses to other Threads users in the default “for you” page on Threads. It is extremely easy to tarnish your image by sending too many arrogant, goading responses and picking too many fights. If it does not directly support your image or could harm your reputation, do not post it. Your original Threads posts and your replies in conversations should be carefully curated to support the image that you want to create for yourself. No one wants to support a troll, so do not start or join arguments. If you find yourself getting flustered and tempted to say something you’ll regret, the block button is free and right in front of you. Engage positively and respectfully, and you’ll stand out with class.