The week the Swifties came to Threads, (and yeah, the ads are coming too)
Invisible string. Tying you to me?
Just over a year since its launch, the Swifties have come to Threads.
But it wasn’t a fluke that Taylor Swift’s famous fan base found its way to Meta’s X alternative this week.
Leading up to Swift’s 11th studio album drop today, the star worked with Meta to create several easter eggs laser-targeted to drive active user sessions, engagement, social sharing, and increased adoption of Threads.
Earlier this week, fans could to go Swift’s Instagram profile via mobile and see a countdown to the release of The Tortured Poets Department with a simple pull-down to refresh the profile. That countdown led Swifties to head over to Threads, follow Taylor, and find two more easter eggs.
Any threads tagged #TTPD, #The Tortured Poets Department, #Tortured Poets, #TSTTPD, #Swifties or #Taylor Swift unlocked a special shimmer effect and celebratory hearts. And wouldn’t you know it, #Swifties soon became a trending topic on Threads. Will they keep coming back? Time will tell.
I for one welcome the Swifties on Threads and hope they can pressure Mosseri to turn on chronological sorting to see real-time threads from Taylor’s shows. Hey, a guy can hope!
Coincidentally (maybe?) Meta told ad execs this week that they will be able to buy ads on Threads as early as the second half of this year.
…it’s safe to assume that these new ads for Threads will also appear in Meta’s ad platform Advantage+. After all, it houses all placement opportunities across both Facebook and Instagram (think image, video, carousel and collection formats across placements such as in-feed, search, Stories and Reels). So Threads ads will likely appear as new placement options alongside the current offerings.
Ads. On Threads. It was a fun year of building the product without them, but the platform decay cycle (aka enshittification) is alive and well.
Are the marketers going to ruin Threads, Greg?
Are we surprised ads are coming to Threads? No.
Will it ruin the product? No. Products evolve, change, pivot, and adapt.
Will it mean users have to contend with more interruptive ads in their free social network experience? Yes.
Does this mean marketers will have to adjust their media mix and think creatively about how to advertise on Threads compared to other channels (including Meta)? Of course.
Change is constant in social. And things are changing again. Is there a Taylor Swift lyric for that? -Greg
The Shorty Award Finalists Are OUT
Hey, it's Shorty Awards finalist announcement week! 🏆 The Shorty's recognize and celebrate innovation and creativity in digital and social media, and it's been my honor to be a judge for both the primary and Social Impact awards since 2022.
Kudos to those named as finalists this week -- including my former team with eight (8!!) honors! 🔥
Fruit Roll-Ups: Real-Time Response, Food & Bev, and TikTok
Chex Mix: Integrated Campaign
Gushers and Fruit By The Foot: Rebrand Campaign and TikTok Influencer Partnership
Totino's: Memes and Instagram Presence
Of note, today also starts the public voting period -- the finalist with the most votes in each category will receive an Audience Honor appointed by the public. Isn't winning the social part of a social award just so meta? 🥳 Vote away!
🅰️ The Future is Generation Alpha
Jenny Swan and I are baaaaack and so excited to announce Season 2 of The Cave Project! Be sure you’ve subscribed on Substack, on Instagram, and your podcast platform of choice (Apple Podcasts & Spotify) to be notified of new episodes as they are released!
As the first generation to be fully born into the 21st century, Generation Alpha is the most technologically integrated group of humans ever — growing up in a world of advanced digital technology, social media, and artificial intelligence. And they are already getting a bad rap about their digital and social media habits.
Join Jenny and Greg Swan for a conversation about who Gen A is, what makes them unique, and some ways we can all make room for them in our crowded digital lifestyle.
What a week! Hope you’re all able to get a little outdoor and friends and family time as we head into Spring. Summer will be here before we know it. And then it will be back to school. And then… only 250 days until Christmas! Geez, things go fast sometimes.
Appreciate you all for reading, sharing, feedback, and all we’re doing together to keep pace of what’s happening and then know what to do about it. I wouldn’t have it any other way.
See you in the future! 🚀
Greg