It seems like everyone is taking advantage of the opportunity to get on the new Instagram Threads app. With over 30 million people signing up within the first 24 hours, it’s definitely taking off, especially with creative business owners. But is it an app that would benefit your photography business? I’ll help you dive in to decide if this app is going to be worth investing your time in to grow your business.

What Is Instagram Threads?

Instagram Threads is essentially Meta’s version of Twitter, so if you’ve used or even casually browsed Twitter, it will feel familiar. Threads has a 500-character limit on text-based posts, and you can also add photos or videos to your post. As of right now (I’m writing this post 2 days after Threads was launched), the content is very down-to-earth. The huge appeal with Instagram Threads right now is that the content is uncurated and feels very personal. Personally, I love that vibe and I’ve seen so many others say the same.

What To Use Instagram Threads For

The biggest trend so far seems to be using Instagram Threads for connection rather than pushing sales. So many people are loving that we have more of a sense of community without the pressure to create the *perfect* content. Being down-to-earth and authentic is something we tend to lose sometimes when we’re focused on creating the perfect posts- as a photographer I’m sure you’ve felt that. Instagram Threads seems to be bringing a sense of humanness back to a lot of brands and companies so far. Personally, I absolutely love it.

One of my initial thoughts is that having a strong personal brand is going to be a huge advantage on Instagram Threads. So far, Instagram Threads seems like the space where we want to be relatable and connect on a personal level with our audience. This app is all about sharing the day-to-day, the randomness, and the uncurated thoughts but that doesn’t mean we can’t be strategic about it, too.

Oh, and a huge benefit for photographers– you can share photos on this app without them being cropped to 4×5! I absolutely recommend sprinkling some photos into your feed as well.

The Pros and Cons of Using Instagram Threads for Your Photography Business

Okay, now let’s get down to it- is Instagram Threads going to be useful for your photography business? Here are some of the pros and cons of joining the platform now.

Pro: It’s in its launch phase, which could mean better reach in the long run for those who join early.

This could mean better engagement for your posts on Instagram Threads, which can make it a more useful platform for growing your business.

Pro: There’s a huge sense of community

If you’re feeling a little burned out from the marketing struggle and competition, Instagram Threads might be the break you need. This app feels like the platform where everyone wants to connect. It’s already become the unfiltered, super relatable social media app and that’s something people are really enjoying. There’s no pressure to create perfect content right now.

Pro: There’s nothing to lose.

Even if the hype of Instagram Threads dies down, besides a little bit of time, there’s nothing lost. It’s a free platform and seems to be giving creatives, photographers or otherwise, a great break from the stress of content creation. Time will tell if it sticks around, and we’ll see where the app goes.

Con: We don’t totally know what’s going to happen with Instagram Threads.

Of course, in all truthfulness we don’t know how long Instagram Threads will be around. It could pull a Clubhouse and die down, or it could stick around and become the next big social media platform. It’s genuinely too early to tell.

Con: It can be hard to break the perfectly-curated-content mindset.

Especially for photographers, who are very used to curating their feeds and making everything look good, it can be very difficult to break out of that mold. Truthfully, I was having a hard time wrapping my mind around that too. But again, this is where personal branding can come in. If you’re struggling with this, revert back to aspects of your personal brand. What are some things you want people to associate with your brand, even when they aren’t consuming your content? Posting more of that will help you stay top-of-mind.

Using Personal Branding on Instagram Threads

Since a huge part of my brand design business is strategy, of course I was immediately thinking about how we can use Instagram Threads strategically. The consensus? Practically no one wants to see hard-selling on this platform, at least not yet. Again, this app is all about building connections so far. So instead of trying so hard to sell, be down-to-earth. Show your personality, including the things that make up your personal brand. Be relatable and your audience is going to love it.

If you need help nailing down your personal brand, sign up below to receive my free guide all about creating your personal brand when I launch it on Tuesday, July 11th! New social media platforms, like Instagram Threads, don’t need to be overwhelming, and this one’s actually quite a bit of fun. Having a strong personal brand will help take the overwhelm out of posting. Sign up below or click here to receive the Creating Your Personal Brand guide when it comes out!