Only a short one this time, but a couple of really interesting stories this week, both of which point to more Meta dominance of the social media landscape in the coming months and years.
Firstly, the remarkable news that Threads has almost overtaken X in terms of active usage. This has always been the barometer to measure success by; it’s been a slower burn than Meta hoped, but (lets be honest) thanks to Elon Musk, the gap has closed.
That said, would I advise clients to get on Threads ASAP? Probably not, unless there is a real use case in terms of the format or the audience. It hasn’t really replaced Twitter; it’s more a case that X has declined and fallen to its level. That said, if you think it could form a part of your marketing mix, then the time has never been better to try it.
Elsewhere, Meta is working to use AI Chats to influence ad targeting. This is a natural and inevitable next step for the platform as it attempts to further automate targeting parameters and maximise how much information it has about users.
There is no opt-out if you use the bot. Sensitive stuff (politics, health, religion) is excluded, but the general principle is: chat about cycling will mean you see cycling groups, videos, and shoe ads.
It’s clever, but also poses risks. Meta is once again pushing against the boundaries in terms of consent. It also ties into the narrative which Instagram chief Adam Mosseri has recently tried to deny, that Meta is spying on us in order to enhance its ad targeting.
If I had a penny for every time someone has found out what I do, and then shortly afterwards talked about Meta spying on me, I’d have almost enough to buy a pint in London… (the reality is probably less interesting and more to do with, as Mosseri says, coincidence and the sheer volume of ads we all see every day - some of them will probably stick).
That’s it for this week! If you found this interesting, I would hugely appreciate it if you shared with your friends and colleagues.
If you’re feeling particularly generous and enjoyed this edition, I won’t stop you from buying me a coffee. Otherwise, I’ll see you next week 🫶