There is a newcomer to the social media scene that has the potential to revolutionise the way membership organisations engage with their audience and industry peers. Threads, the new social media platform introduced by Meta, holds exciting promise for membership organisations and associations seeking to foster meaningful connections, spark topical discussions, and truly tap into the heartbeat of their industry.
So what is it? And what has driven over 70m people to sign up in its first two days?
What is Threads?
Threads, launched by Meta, is a social media platform designed to facilitate focused and topic-driven conversations. It encourages users to engage in in-depth discussions centred on specific themes or interests, providing a platform for meaningful interactions beyond surface-level engagement. Threads aims to bring like-minded individuals together, promoting knowledge sharing, collaboration, and community building.
So how could it benefit the membership sector?
1. It nurtures thought leadership – If your organisation, like most, is rife with industry experts and thought leaders, then Threads could be the channel of choice for your comms team. Threads offers a unique space to showcase their knowledge, insights, and expertise. By actively participating in topic-driven discussions, membership scan position themselves as trusted authorities and further establish their thought leadership within the industry.
2. Fostering engaged communities – Threads provides an environment conducive to nurturing engaged and active communities, crucial to the membership sector. Threads enables people to create and join discussion streams related to their industry, enabling them to connect with professionals, peers, and stakeholders who share common interests. This creates the exchange of ideas, fosters collaboration, and strengthens relationships within the industry ecosystem.
3. Industry topic deep dives – Unlike other social media platforms, Threads encourages users to delve into specific topics or themes. This allows membership organisations to initiate discussions on industry trends, challenges, and opportunities, creating a space for members to explore the nuances of their field. By facilitating in-depth conversations, Threads enables membership organisations to get to the heart of industry matters and drive meaningful dialogue within their community.
4. Building connections -Threads provides membership organizations with a platform to connect with industry peers, potential partners, and stakeholders. Through focused discussions and shared interests, organizations can establish valuable relationships, explore collaboration opportunities, and broaden their network within the industry. These connections can lead to partnerships, knowledge sharing, and even potential business growth.
5. Shouting about your advocates – Membership organisations often advocate for their members and the industry at large. Threads can serve as an avenue to raise awareness about important issues, discuss policy matters, and mobilise support within the community. By leveraging the power of focused discussions, associations can amplify their advocacy efforts, rally support, and drive positive change within their industry.
Making the Most of Threads:
To maximize the potential of Threads, membership organisations can adopt the following strategies:
1. Steer the conversation – Start discussions on topics that are timely, relevant, and align with the interests and needs of the membership community. Encourage members to actively participate and share their insights, experiences, and perspectives.
2. Foster a supportive community – Create a welcoming and inclusive environment where members feel encouraged to engage and share their thoughts openly. Foster a sense of community and camaraderie that encourages active participation and knowledge sharing.
3. Curate cracking content – Share valuable industry resources, thought-provoking articles, and updates to keep the discussions vibrant and informative. By curating high-quality content, membership organisations can position themselves as trusted sources of valuable information within the industry.
4. Encourage collaboration and find new partnerships – connect and discuss with like minded people with a view to creating meaningful and long standing partnerships that benefit your members. Encourage members to connect with one another, explore shared interests, and collaborate on projects or initiatives that benefit the industry as a whole.
Move over Twitter
It’s been on the ropes for a while, and this could be the final blow for Twitter, as online communities move from faceless statements and shouting to genuine collaboration and discussion.Threads seeks to be collaborative and supportive, and if leveraged well, should become a safe haven for industry professionals to share best practice and respond in the moment to topics and developments. It also enables associations to truly understand how important certain subjects are to their members and wider industry, tailoring communications effectively and demonstrating the value they put on members’ opinions.
Early indications suggest that this isn’t a fad, or another Zuckerberg shot from the hip, it is a well considered response to the changing needs of social media users, and the membership sector is set to truly benefit.
CJ Association Management is an established, specialist association management company providing support services tailored for the membership sector.
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