From Questions to Answers: Your Guide to Research Objectives, Data Analysis, and Winning Market Insights
One of the core roles of any business owner is to understand data because it informs decisions and can help predict your business’s growth. Before diving into the world of data, it’s important to set out your research objectives, the types of data you want to analyze, and how to interpret it for future decisions.
After reading this blog, you’ll have a better understanding of how to analyze and interpret data, turning it into actionable insights.
Market Research Vs. Consumer Research
It’s important to clarify that there are two types of research: Market and Consumer Research.
Market research focuses on the broader market as a whole, and consumer research is focused on the individual consumer, such as their buying habits. The two types of market research can be split into quantitative and qualitative. Each type has its methods and tools for collecting and analyzing data, which can help better understand the growth and scalability of your business.
Primary research is data you collect through focus groups, questionnaires, and surveys. This approach focuses on the consumer, gathering first-hand data from clients, customers, and stakeholders to understand their needs, preferences, and behaviors.
To carry out this type of research, you can identify opportunities, limit risks, and make more strategic and informed decisions.
Primary research is the why, and the motivations that drive a person to purchase your product or services. You are zoning in on one specific brand or product.
When you are conducting primary research, there are two types:
Exploratory: More general and open-ended and involves a lengthier interview with one individual or a small group of people.
Specific: Any problems during the exploratory phase will be discussed in a formal and more structured interview.
Secondary market research focuses on the market as a whole or a broader segment to learn about competitors, market trends, demographics, and market size.
Secondary research involves analyzing existing data from other sources from a variety of channels. This could be from reputable sources such as Statista, Gartner, Ibis World as well as using social listening tools. Many of these sources offer industry reports and trends throughout the year. Government organizations also publish research that many business owners would find useful for demographics, spending habits, and commodity use.
Another great way to carry out secondary research is by analyzing your competitor’s websites. Dive deeper into what they post, what is performing well, and what type of audience they are attracting. This can help inform your marketing and content strategy going forward.
Primary research takes time, effort, and money which is carried out by bigger companies and corporations while secondary research is more cost-effective for small business owners on a lower budget.
Defining Your Research Objectives (Setting the Foundation)
You wouldn’t get on stage without practicing your lines so why create a product or service that isn’t in demand?
Most businesses fail because they haven’t done enough research in the market to see if there’s a need. If you are the only person struggling with the problem, you won’t get enough business to sustain the growth.
First, establish these key topics for your market research.
1. Research topic
Identify the topic of your market research and why you need this data. Maybe it’s for pricing, a demand in the market, or even to analyze what your competitors are doing.
Secondary research is more accessible for small business owners especially if they don’t have a large enough data pool to pull from or the budget.
Always start with secondary research first to get a feel for the market and then carry out primary research if it’s within your budget.
Key questions to ask when setting the foundations are:
- What is my primary goal?
- Who are my customers?
- Who are my main competitors?
2. Research existing sources of data
Numerous reputable sources, including government agencies (such as the U.S. Census Bureau or national statistical offices), industry-specific publications, and market research firms (like Statista or Gartner), offer readily available data on market trends, demographics, and consumer behavior. These resources provide valuable insights for your secondary market research.
3. Forget to prepare, prepare to fail
Know what you are looking for and discard what isn’t relevant. Research takes time and effort so not having a clear roadmap of what you need to collect and don’t can be confusing. Make sure to create spreadsheets or folders to place the information somewhere so you can analyze it later.
This will help you interpret the data and be able to report your findings and make strategic decisions.
4. Time for analyzing
You have all the data placed neatly in folders (we hope!), it’s time to break it down and interpret it. Look for patterns and long-term trends. This information will not only inform your strategy but also pitfalls to avoid.
Always learn from other people’s mistakes.
5. Verify the validity of the data
Make sure you are collecting data from unbiased sources to avoid misleading statements or figures for your reports.
Data Collection Methods (Choosing the Right Tools)
Without data, it’s harder to replicate what is working and be backed by clients and customers. You wouldn’t launch a new product without first collecting data on its product demand.
Some common data collection methods include surveys, interviews, observations, focus groups, experiments, and secondary data analysis. When you are collecting data, it’s either to refute or back up your hypothesis about a particular topic.
These methods and tools are used to collect quantitative and qualitative data to help you accurately understand data acquisition.
Quantitative data includes:
- Numerical Data
- Surveys, polls, questionnaires
- Statistical analysis
To observe patterns and long-term trends. Quantitative data is anything that can be measured, made up of specific quantities and numbers. Some examples include sales figures, email click-through rates, the number of website visitors, and the percentage of revenue increase.
It’s useful for answering questions such as:
- Is there a market for your product or service?
- How much market awareness is there of your product or service?
- What are their buying habits?
- How are the needs of your target market changing?
Quantitative data uses tests and close-ended questions to collect, analyze, and interpret data.
Qualitative data focuses on:
- Non-Numerical Data
- Interviews
- Focus Groups
- Observations
To delve deeper into understanding attitudes, behaviors, and beliefs.
For interviews, the interviewer poses questions to the interviewee that are either highly structured, open-ended, or a mix of both. Focus groups are intended to collect data through interactive and directed discussions by a researcher.
Focus groups are more useful in the initial research phase, while in-depth interviews are better in the later stage of research. Focus groups provide a powerful way to understand broader topics and generate new ideas.
Some examples of qualitative data include comments left in response to survey questions, things people have said during interviews, tweets, social media posts, and the text included in product reviews.
Tools for Qualitative and Quantitative Data
Qualitative Research Tools:
Qualitative research focuses on understanding the “why” behind behaviors, attitudes, and experiences.
Many big companies such as Google, Sony, LinkedIn, and Microsoft use GWI and it’s known as the go-to platform for global consumer research.
You can get instant access to data representative of the views, behaviors, and interests of over 3 billion consumers across 50+ markets. Agencies, brands, and media companies use GWI often to find out what really drives their audience to action.
Other tools to decipher qualitative research are Qualtrics and Google Analytics. They analyze user engagement, and the effectiveness of marketing campaigns, and offer survey creation, and data analysis tools.
Quantitative Research Tools:
For companies with a budget, software tools like ATLAS.TI and NVivo are the leading data analysis software to decipher complex data and turn them into actionable insights quickly.
Other software tools like Content Square and Dovetail analyze users’ behavior on websites and synthesize data from interviews and user testing.
If you are looking for software that combines both qualitative and quantitative, Lumivero carries out mixed-method research. Although qualitative and quantitative research provides different insights, both are useful when combined to create the bigger picture.
Data Analysis Techniques (Turning Data into Insights)
Gathering and collecting data is great but now it’s time to turn the data into actionable insights. Four key data analysis techniques to focus on are Descriptive, Diagnostic, Predictive, and Prescriptive.
Break the types into Descriptive – “What is?”, Diagnostic – “Why is it?”, Predictive – “What will be?”, and Prescriptive – “What should be done?”.
Descriptive Analysis:
Descriptive analysis just states the facts. Let’s say you sold 10 lead magnets, two on Monday, three on Wednesday, and five on Friday. You are looking at the number of sales per day, the source of downloads such as lead magnets, the types of people downloading, and the total number of downloads.
Diagnostic Analysis:
Diagnostic is about finding out the why. You sold lead magnets on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday but you might wonder why not on Tuesday, Thursday, or the weekend. You are figuring out why people aren’t buying on those days. Maybe you were running ads on your website for people to buy your lead magnet. Were your ads running on Tuesday? How many clicks were there on Tuesday in comparison to Monday?
Predictive Analysis:
You’ve been tracking your lead magnet sales for a few weeks, noting the days they sell, and you’ve also been tracking the days you send out email promotions. You might have noticed that on Wednesday and Friday, your email promotions perform better leading to increased sales.
On weekends, fewer people open your emails leading to a decrease in sales. You might predict that you’ll get three lead magnet sales on Wednesday, five lead magnet sales on Friday, and zero sales on the weekend. You are predicting your future promotional activities by observing patterns.
Prescriptive Analysis:
Based on the information you found out through predictive analysis, you use these predictions to determine what to do next.
Because my sales are low on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and the weekends, I’ll try new strategies to increase my sales. On Tuesdays and Thursdays, I’ll run targeted social media ads to drive sales. On the weekends, I’ll try a different subject line to increase open rates, offering a limited-time discount to incentivize purchases. If they are successful, I will incorporate them into my marketing plan for the future.
Clustering Analysis:
Now, you want to find out who is downloading your lead magnet and visiting your website.
An example could be:
Using clustering analysis, I’ve identified the top three groups who are buying my lead magnet.
Cluster 1: Small business owners in the marketing industry who found my website through social media.
Cluster 2: Freelance writers looking to improve their content creation process, who found my site through Google searches.
Cluster 3: Corporate marketing managers from larger companies, who found my site through referrals.
Based on the information you’ve collected, you can group segments of the audience based on shared characteristics to personalize your approach, marketing messages, and content that’s targeted more specifically at the audience.
Regression analysis:
You’ve been tracking the relationship between the number of email subscribers you have and the number of lead magnet sales. Using regression analysis, you found a positive correlation between the number of email subscribers and lead magnet sales. For every 100 email subscribers, I see an average increase of 5 lead magnet sales.
Therefore, I would predict that increasing my email subscribers is an effective way to increase lead magnet sales.
I also noticed that for every dollar I spend on ADs, I gain 2 new lead magnet downloads.
Understanding this information means I can prioritize my marketing efforts into growing my email subscriber list and invest in social media advertising, knowing that these activities will directly contribute to lead magnet sales.
You use regression analysis to quantify the relationship between variables and make data-driven decisions about resource allocation.
GoViral Conclusion
Understanding and leveraging data is a necessity for the growth of your business. By establishing clear research objective goals, mastering quantitative and qualitative research, and utilizing the right tools, you can transform this information into actionable insights. Market research is not a one-time event, it’s an ongoing process. Learn to interpret data, analyze market trends, and empower your decisions with data to drive sustainable growth and achieve success.
Stop guessing and start knowing. Get clear, actionable insights from your data. Contact us today to learn how we can help you make informed decisions and achieve sustainable growth.
What’s the Story with TikTok? Everything You Need to Know About the Ban
2025 has started off with some pretty big changes in the social media and digital marketing space. From AI integrating itself into every aspect of our lives to social media scares, we only wonder what the next eleven months will look like.
We’ll dive into the timeline behind the decision to ban TikTok, competing platforms such as RedNote and Instagram, and what the future holds for the OG dance platform.
TikTok’s Timeline
The year started with the ban on TikTok in America. Last year, President Biden gave ByteDance, the company that owns TikTok, nine months to hand over the social media platform or divest it. On January 18th, the platform went dark but after less than 24 hours, the platform was back online after Trump signed an executive order to extend the deadline. A lot has happened since then and the fate of TikTok is still unknown.
TikTok blew up during the pandemic and quickly became the number-one platform over Instagram. The TikTok we know today looks very different from the one we saw a few years ago. It became popular for its funny dance videos and meme-like content that took our minds off what was happening worldwide.
What was it about TikTok that made it so appealing?
Its ‘byte’ sized content made it easily consumable and sharable and offered a different way of viewing social media than the aesthetically pleasing Instagram. At the time, you could only create videos between 15 to 60 seconds making it easier for people to consume.
Nowadays, it’s expanded the length of time up to 10 minutes fostering a deeper connection between the creator and user.
It’s moved away from being just a dancing app. It is now seen as a political tool, an economic source for many creators and small business owners, and opens up conversations on serious issues such as global warming, political parties, and much more.
Social commerce has also integrated itself into the social media platform, making the customer’s journey much smoother. From video to purchase all within one app.
Despite its global popularity, TikTok has faced mounting criticism over data security concerns and the potential for foreign influence, leading to legislative efforts to ban the platform in the United States.
We’re going to take a step back and reflect on the old TikTok before we can approach the new.
July 2014:
An app called Musical.ly was gaining traction in China. It was known for short, lipsyncing music videos, founded by entrepreneur, Alex Zhu.
July 2015:
Musical.ly hit #1 in the Apple App Store which made the company’s logo visible when users shared their videos, leading to more brand awareness around the app.
2016:
ByteDance launches Douyin, a video-sharing app for Chinese users. The idea and inspiration behind TikTok was due to how popular Douyin was and they wanted to replicate that.
November 2017:
Musical.ly was gaining popularity and so was Tiktok so ByteDance acquired Musical.ly for $1 billion and merged it with TikTok. The app promoted content like dance moves and various challenges and was binge-able and easy to consume.
February 2019:
“Old Town Road” by Rapper Lil Nas X releases his single and the song goes viral on TikTok and pushes the song to a record 17 weeks in the #1 spot on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. Nowadays, many musical artists use the platform to reach fans and build stronger connections with them.
From September 2019 to the present day, TikTok has gone through battles of violations surrounding children’s privacy, poor content moderation for teenagers regarding eating disorders and other harmful content, as well as employees of ByteDance accessing non-public information which rang even more alarms for government officials about leaking of data.
The first investigation into the platform started in November 2019 and 2020, Trump signed an executive order for the Chinese-based platform to hand over the social media platform or divest it. Originally, Trump was hoping to secure a sale with Microsoft or Oracle of the platform but nothing came to fruition.
In February 2021, Joe Biden was sworn in as president and halted all decisions surrounding the sale of the platform, leaving TikTok to continue growing.
However, the continued concern around data privacy and violations has kept TikTok in hot water, ultimately leading to the current position the platform is in.
From Dancing App to Ban
Last year, Joe Biden, former running president declared the platform to be shut down due to concerns around data access laws. In the Spring of 2024, Biden signed the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act, giving ByteDance until January 19th, 2025 to divest TikTok.
Essentially they were given two options. Sell off the social media app within nine months or be banned from U.S. stores and websites.
US officials had started to worry that TikTok could be used by the Chinese government to collect vast amounts of data on American users. Data such as sensitive personal information, location data, and browsing history could be used for surveillance, espionage, or to influence US citizens in the lead-up to elections.
However, TikTok repeatedly denied these claims, stating that the user data was stored in the US with backups in Singapore and that they would never share data with the Chinese government.
On February 7th, 2025, TikTok released an article on how TikTok protects U.S. Data Security and continues to keep their security data up to date even with transparency reports which we will get into later on.
ByteDance failed to divest the app and on January 18th, the platform supposedly went dark, messaging users to inform them the app was banned. However, after just 12 hours, service was restored.
On January 20th, 2025, Trump signed a new executive order that gave TikTok an extra 75 days for ByteDance to divest the business.
The extension ends on April 5, 75 days from when Trump enacted it on January 20th.
Is this the first time TikTok has been banned?
Surprisingly, it’s not TikTok’s first rodeo. Across the globe, partial bans are in place in many countries.
Full bans on TikTok include in Afghanistan, India, Iran, Kyrgyzstan, Nepal, and Somalia.
Regions that have partial bans include Australia, Canada, Denmark, France, and the United Kingdom. These partial bans are placed on government officials.
With so many countries and regions enforcing full and partial bans, it begs the question “What do they know about the platform that the normal user doesn’t?”. Why aren’t Instagram, Facebook, and other social media platforms receiving the same backlash?
That’s not to say Meta hasn’t received backlash. In 2019, Mark Zuckerberg was under fire over claims of Cambridge Analytica’s exploitation of user data originally captured by “thisismydigitallife” app.
But it does make you wonder what’s the big deal. Well, let’s look at what types of data TikTok collects.
What’s So Bad About TikTok?
The biggest concern is national security concerns. Data security has been a concern for everyone but U.S. lawmakers are concerned ByteDance might leak U.S. user data to the Chinese government if forced to.
On December 30th, 2019, TikTok released its first transparency report outlining government and law enforcement authorities asking them to take specific actions like taking down content deemed to violate local laws or providing information related to accounts under specific circumstances.
However, data and national security concerns aren’t the only issues with TikTok.
Issues like the addictive nature of the platform, misinformation, content moderation, selling data, and children’s safety are just a few.
Federal and public sector employees were prohibited from downloading the app well before the federal ban. TikTok has been continuously under fire as it’s been sued by several states over claims that the companies violate the Deceptive Trade Practices Act.
So it shouldn’t come as a surprise that authorities want to get rid of the platform altogether.
Who will buy TikTok?
TikTok has grown in numbers since it blew up in 2020, valued at well over $100 billion. More than twice the 44 billion that Elon Musk paid for Twitter in 2022. After Musk bought X, many users removed their profiles or made the move to other platforms such as the famous decentralized platform, BlueSky. You can read more about the new platform here.
Due to its high price, it limits potential buyers and places the platform into the world’s richest individuals’ hands if ByteDance is willing to sell it.
After some research, there have been several individuals who have reported interest in putting together a group to purchase TikTok from ByteDance.
Trump is eager for a sale to come through and has named a few potential buyers.
They include Shark Tank investor Kevin O’Leary and Jimmy Donaldson known as Mr. Beast. There were reports that Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, was interested but recently he’s revealed he has no interest in buying the platform. According to Musk, he doesn’t use the short-form social media platform and isn’t familiar with the format.
TikTok’s owner, ByteDance, has continuously explained it can’t sell the app as the Chinese government won’t allow for the export of the all-in-important algorithm.
You might have noticed, TikTok’s algorithm is different from other social media platforms. Using its recommendation platform, it feeds the user content based on their interests much like Instagram. But the chance to go “viral” is much higher on TikTok. One day, you can have 400 followers, the next you could have over 200k.
Many TikToker’s such as Charlie DiAmelio, Bella Porch, and the amazing ReesaTeesa, creator of the series ‘Who TF did I Marry’ found fame on the app. Many TikToker’s have gone on to have their reality TV shows or music careers because of the platform.
It’s no wonder TikTok is popular among many generations. It opens up a whole new world to fame and opportunities.
However, the viral nature makes it super addictive and can lead to content fatigue or burnout from consuming too much content.
Many have considered buying the app without its algorithm, but the app wouldn’t be the same.
It’s famous FOR its algorithm.
On Monday, Trump signed an executive order aimed at creating a U.S. sovereign wealth fund and suggested the fund could be a potential investor in the deal with TikTok.
One of his plans for the fate of TikTok is for the fund to buy a 50% stake in the platform, allowing the app to continue legally operating in America.
Think of an investment fund. Financial institutions invest money into various assets like bonds or real estate to increase their value.
But instead of a financial institution, it would be the sovereign state on behalf of the citizens. The money they invest would be the property of the nation.
Many options are on the table for TikTok but nothing has been confirmed yet.
The Data TikTok Collects
If you don’t have TikTok, the way the app works is through a recommendation engine. It uses behavioral data to determine what you are interested in and feeds you the relevant content. If you continue to watch the same content over and over again, it will continue to feed that until you change your behavior.
The data that TikTok collects is:
- How long do you stay on a page
- If you share a video
- If you swipe away from a video
- If you comment on a video
- If you like a video
- Your login information – name, age, location, phone number, email address
- IP address
- Biometric data
The more you watch something, the more TikTok will push the content in front of you. This can have a huge impact, especially around elections, protests, climate change, and other global issues.
It’s not uncommon for free social media platforms to collect user’s information and content recommendations based on your interests. Instagram, a platform that used to serve your follower’s content, now analyzes your behavior and gives you content you interact with.
TikTok Vs. Rednote
Since the ban, many users flocked to Xiaohongsh (Rednote in English). It’s considered China’s answer to Instagram mixed with Pinterest as it displays multiple posts at the same time. You’ll see all types of content from lifestyle, travel, fashion, and even animals so if you’re a dog lover, you know where to go.
Built on community, authenticity, and inclusivity, the app has become a fan favorite in China and is proving to be a hit amongst Americans too.
The irony of Americans rushing to join Rednote is that the platform is also owned by a Chinese company. One of the biggest factors surrounding the ban on TikTok is the app using American data and giving it to the Chinese government.
Well, thousands of people have handed it over willingly.. So this is a bit awkward…
Over 700,000 users joined the app over two days, with many searching Google on what is Rednote and downloading the community-driven app.
Major platforms like Google and Facebook are blocked in China so many users on Rednote are excited to see American users joining the platform. There’s been tension in the air between America and China so RedNote might be the peacekeeper they need at this moment.
If you are looking for another alternative to TikTok, RedNote might be the next best thing.
TikTok Vs. Instagram
Instagram saw a gap and moved swiftly. With news of the platform shutting down, Instagram brought out its own editing software, called Edits, in February in America. It doesn’t come as a surprise due to CapCut being TikTok and if TikTok goes, so will CapCut for many Americans. Edits will be released on March 13th, 2025 for other countries as they roll out their new features.
Since TikTok blew up during the pandemic, Instagram has been chasing behind to keep up with the growth of the platform. It wasn’t that long ago that Instagram was predominantly an image-based platform. There used to be two types of Instagram users – those who curate their feed to perfection and others who post for their family and friends.
Instagram started to go through changes more specifically their algorithm and the increase of AD’s. Content from friends and family weren’t shown anymore and it started to replicate what TikTok was doing – showing you content they thought you might be interested in.
Unfortunately, people weren’t receptive to the changes and many migrated over to TikTok. Why reinvent the wheel when you already have something good going for you? Competing with TikTok, Instagram has since brought out new features in reels to get ahead.
Aside from bringing out its editing app, Instagram Reels is sharing content with you that your friends and family liked and commented on.
You’ll also have the option to start a conversation with your friends about the content you both enjoyed. Currently, these offers are only available in the US but are planning to expand in the next few months to other countries.
The goal is to get people talking because, at the end of the day, social media isn’t social if no one is creating real relationships and speaking to each other.
The Future of TikTok
It’s been nearly a month since Trump signed an executive order to give ByteDance more time to hand over the social media platform or shut it down completely. Since then, the popular app has reappeared back on Google App and Apple Store.
Trump has recently mentioned that he might extend the deadline as he knows many people are interested in the platform which he’s not wrong. The fate of the popular platform lies in their hands but it goes to show how quickly social media can disappear.
ByteDance has until April 5th, 2025 to make a decision. We will just have to wait and see whether the government and ByteDance can agree on the best way forward. TikTok changed the social media landscape, introducing short-form content through video and ruffling many platforms’ feathers. It’s hard to say if TikTok does remain, will it be the same if a new owner takes over? TikTok’s algorithm and content recommendation engine is its USP (unique selling proposition) and without it, it’s just another social media platform.
GoViral Conclusion
Social media brings so much potential for your business but the ban on TikTok highlights the risk you take by sticking to one platform. We advise always having at minimum two social media platforms and an owned piece of ‘land’.
A website, landing page, and email list because no one can take that from you. Social media changes quickly, policies are disrupted, and bans are a real thing. Keep an eye on our blogs every month to stay up-to-date with new trends, emerging marketing news, and much more.
Want exclusive access to our latest blog posts and top marketing tips? Subscribe to our monthly newsletter and stay ahead of the curve.
The Rise and Fall of Threads
Threads is hanging on by a thread, LITERALLY. Threads emerged as the hot new app, launched on the fourth of July, 2023 and was presumed to be the app to be on. Similar to X, formerly known as Twitter, Threads is a text-based platform where content creators and businesses could connect and discuss topics and start conversations. Owned by Instagram and Meta, it’s another way of keeping users on the app and to continue engaging with each other. Unfortunately, the rise of Threads has slowly begun to fall and has been kicked to the corner by many. In this month’s blog, we’re going to explore the evolution of Threads, its use and benefits for businesses and creators, and give our verdict on whether Threads will survive another year.
The Evolution of Threads
Did you know Threads was already launched by Instagram in 2019, originally a “camera-first messaging app”. Sounds very similar, no? (hello BeReal!). When you start a new account on social media, you have to build it from scratch.
With threads, your followers are automatically transferred over to the new platform. Your feed consists of accounts you already follow with suggested content from other creators that Instagram’s algorithm has favored.
Less than a week after Thread’s launch, it crossed the 100 million user mark. Who’s surprised though? When a new app comes on the scene, people are hungry to try it out. The general verdict across social media is people are getting bored and frustrated because of an increase of paid ads and promotions.
People don’t feel like they can connect with people anymore because everything feels like an ad. We wrote an article here about how authenticity is in, artificiality is out. People want to buy from people but they want autonomy over what and how they buy.
Threads gave people a space to chill out and take a breather.
Threads was released as a competitor to Twitter, however there aren’t many differences between the two. Both share the same features with images, videos but the MAIN difference is Threads has a character limit of 500 words (YAY, more space to write), compared to Twitter’s 280 characters.
X (I’m still not used to this, it’ll always be Twitter), gives more of a newspaper vibe but in real time whereas Threads is more about creating a community.
Threads Vs Every Social Media Platform…
Even though Twitter is Threads’ competitor, there are a few other platforms that could be seen to be a competitor.
It mightn’t surprise you but Reddit is a HUGE place to start public conversations, create a community and you can find pretty much anything on the platform.
One of the weirdest questions on Reddit we found was “if the Earth was perfectly smooth, would water still form oceans?”. Nothing like an existential crisis to wake us up to reality.
There’s millions of different subreddits, ones called r/shower thoughts and r/NoStupidQuestions (no such thing as a stupid question, we like it), that people get involved in and share their own thoughts and opinions.
Threads also has an ephemeral feature, messages disappearing after 24 hours, which suits people who are cautious about their digital footprint. This feature is also common on Snapchat and Instagram stories.
Funnily enough, Instagram launched their previous version of Threads to compete with Snapchat but never gained enough traction, which led to it being discontinued in 2021.
LinkedIn in recent months has become a hub for authenticity and storytelling despite it being a “professional” platform. There’s been a move from hard sales and posting about your new job to a place for storytelling and creating a community.
The similarity between LinkedIn and Threads are that they are both text-based platforms and both are focused on engagement and building a more intimate connection with your audience.
While LinkedIn is still the place to find the hustler entrepreneurs and pointers on how to buy time back for your business, Threads is more along the vibe of the cool kids hanging out at a cafe, discussing what flavors they get in their matcha coffee.
Threads has taken different features across the text-based platforms and combined them into one but we’re still not convinced…
Was Threads an investment or risk for businesses?
When Threads launched, everyone wanted to get on the app and check it out for themselves. This also meant businesses were curious as to whether they needed to be on yet another app.
Threads created an intimate space for businesses and customers to speak directly to each other instead of messages getting lost in the DM’s. This created more of a connection and allowed them to address any concerns quicker in a more casual setting.
Because of its real-time conversations, it gave off a sense of exclusivity because of its ephemeral messaging. Limited offers or discounts set off a sense of urgency and feels like a bond between the business and the customer.
The ability to also share short videos and photos with ephemeral messaging could have been useful for offering quick tutorials or showcasing new products.
However, there are drawbacks for businesses.
Even though many rushed to the app when it launched, the rise of users quickly slowed down. Businesses have a limited amount of time and adding another app to the list, they need to make sure what they put in will be returned. For some, this was too much of a risk.
Like any platform, you need to learn the new tools and come up with yet another strategy, sending marketers into overload. If you got something good going, sometimes its better to stick to what you know.
All of this comes down to what the businesses goals were in the long run. A business that wanted a more interactive way to connect with a smaller, engaged audience could benefit from the app. Not to mention, it’s a good place for businesses to do market research and see what people are talking about.
This could have led to new ideas and product launches which would make customers feel valued and heard.
But if a business was looking for long-term brand building, sticking to what they know like Instagram or TikTok is better for the long run.
Where is Threads now?
At this moment, Threads has 175 million monthly active users in July 2024, with an increase of 25 million since April. However, compare that to Twitter (X) who has 550 million people accessing the platform on a monthly basis. Although there’s still an active presence on the app, it still remains a fraction of the size of Twitter (X).
Reviews across the internet about the platform are fifty fifty. Like any text-based platform, it’s much easier to create content at a quicker speed in comparison to the production process with Instagram and TikTok. Its ability to create an interactive and engaging community would suit niche brands and micro-influencers because of its personalization while for larger businesses, it could be used as an informal and direct customer support service.
Every once in a while, someone will mention Threads but for now, the hype around the social media app has died down.
GoViral Conclusion
Threads had everyone in a frenzy with yet another app for business owners, influencers and entrepreneurs to worry about.
Although it rose to fame within a few days, the virality didn’t last long.
It’s interesting to think about why Threads didn’t continue to grow.
Even though Threads originally started out as a camera app, there were too many platforms to compete with. Think YouTube and TikTok.
When Elon decided to rebrand Twitter and officially change it to X, Instagram saw it as an opportunity to revive the platform in hopes that it would fill its shoes.
People like predictability and are more inclined to stick to what they know. Unfortunately, Threads didn’t spark enough interest to garner a reaction from the late majority.
Although there’s no definite statistic on why video outperforms text, video has a much lower barrier to entry, requiring less cognitive effort to process information. Our brain processes visuals easier and quicker, invoking an emotion and telling a story that draws the person in.
Our attention span could also have a part to play in why people prefer video-based platforms, compared to text-based platforms.
Even though Threads is still running at this moment, it’s unclear whether it’ll be an active platform by the end of the year. Who knows, it might revive itself and come back as Threads 3.0.
Subscribe to GoVirals newsletter to stay up to date with all the latest trends, marketing insights and stay ahead of the curve.