Mark Zuckerberg's Threads started strong, but now face user retention woes

Mark Zuckerberg’s Twitter rival, Threads, saw a meteoric rise to over 100 million users within just five days of its launch earlier this month. However, this impressive feat was short-lived, as the social media mogul recently admitted that the number of users has plummeted since then. During a call with employees, as reported by Reuters, Zuckerberg expressed his desire for higher user retention rates, stating, “If you have more than 100 million people sign up, ideally it would be awesome if all of them or even half of them stuck around. We’re not there yet.” Nevertheless, he remains optimistic about the app’s future, attributing the decline in user numbers to be a “normal” phase that will likely improve as new features are introduced.

The company behind Threads, Meta, has wasted no time in addressing the situation. They swiftly implemented new features, such as separate feeds for “following” and “for you,” as well as expanded translation capabilities for posts in various languages. Chris Cox, Meta’s chief product officer, revealed that the company’s focus is now on incorporating more “retention-driving hooks” to reengage users with the platform. One example he mentioned is ensuring that those using the Instagram app can also access critical content on Threads. The close integration between the two platforms means that users must have an Instagram account to sign up for Threads.

However, while Meta works diligently on improving Threads’ user retention, they are also heavily invested in an ambitious project called the Metaverse. Zuckerberg provided updates on this virtual reality world, emphasizing that the development of augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) technology to power the Metaverse is “on track” but not expected to go mainstream until the next decade. The creation of the Metaverse has been a massive undertaking for the company, with their Reality Labs division, responsible for VR headsets and related products, reportedly accumulating substantial financial losses.

In addition to addressing Threads and the Metaverse, Zuckerberg also shed light on a peculiar headline-making subject – a proposed cage fight with tech titan Elon Musk. The unusual challenge was initially suggested by both Zuckerberg and Musk in June, sparking curiosity among their followers. However, during the recent call, Zuckerberg appeared less certain about the event, stating that he was “not sure if it’s going to come together.“