Threads’ Plummeting Traffic as Brands Find a Twitter Killer in Meta

Meta’s new social network, Threads, which was initially hailed as a “Twitter killer,” is experiencing a significant decline in user traffic, leading many top brands and celebrities to stop posting on the platform. The National Football League, Coca-Cola, McDonald’s, and Madison Square Garden are among the prominent names that have not provided fresh content on Threads for several weeks or months.

Upon its launch in July, Threads garnered 100 million users, with most of them being Instagram account holders who were automatically granted their own Threads page. However, the daily active user count has plummeted from an average of 49.3 million in July to 8.6 million, marking an 82% drop in Android users, according to Similarweb.

The steep decline in traffic has prompted Meta’s staff to brainstorm ideas to revive interest in Threads. Celebrities like Oprah Winfrey and Will Smith, who have been relatively inactive on “X” (formerly known as Twitter and now owned by Elon Musk), have joined Threads but have posted infrequently.

Meta recently invited social media influencer Emily Austin and other creators to participate in a pickleball tournament in New York City, signaling an attempt to engage with users. Although Austin wasn’t paid to post exclusively on Threads, the invitation has motivated her to increase her activity on the app.

The rollout of Threads has added another layer to the ongoing rivalry between Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg and Elon Musk. Critics of Musk’s stewardship of “X” have accused the platform of enabling hate speech and losing advertisers. On the other hand, Threads has gained a reputation for being dull due to Zuckerberg’s focus on creating a safe and controversy-free space for discussions.

Zuckerberg expressed optimism about Threads’ future, emphasizing the platform’s positive and friendly nature. Musk, however, dismissed Threads as “Instagram minus pics.”