Today marks a significant update for Threads users on desktop, as a new analytics dashboard is now available, offering a range of performance insights for your profile. This feature provides detailed data on key metrics, helping you understand how well your content performs on the platform.
Explore your performance metrics
With this new dashboard, you can now access insights into various elements, including overall “Views,” which is Instagram's updated metric, replacing impressions or plays. Additionally, you can examine “Interactions” between followers and non-followers and track your follower growth and demographics.
This update is particularly useful if you aim to grow your presence on Threads. The insights clearly show how your content resonates with your existing followers and new users across your posts. The follower versus non-follower interaction data is especially noteworthy, given the increasing reliance on algorithm-driven “For You” feeds. Many users will likely find that most interactions come from users outside their follower base.
Instagram has been emphasising that the number of followers is becoming less important. More people are discovering your content through the main feed, driven by the platform's algorithms, rather than directly following your profile. As a result, fewer people follow profiles as readily, trusting the algorithm to surface relevant content instead. This is also why Meta is not pushing to make your “Following” feed the default when you open Threads.
The impact of the “For You” feed
The “For You” feed allows Meta to showcase a broader range of content, which has proven effective in boosting overall engagement. The new insights dashboard will likely highlight the importance of this shift, revealing that a large portion of your interactions come from users who don't follow you. This shift underscores the growing influence of the algorithm on content discovery and user engagement.
As Threads continues to gain popularity across different regions, it will be interesting to observe how your audience demographics evolve. The insights provided by this dashboard will be invaluable in guiding your content strategy and growth plans, giving you the data needed to optimise your approach.
Threads' growing momentum
This update is a logical and timely addition to Threads, gradually building momentum and attracting a more diverse audience. The app's growth is further supported by the actions of X owner Elon Musk, who has frustrated parts of his user base, indirectly benefiting Meta as it continues to expand its social media empire.
Just yesterday, Threads chief Adam Mosseri shared that the app's monthly active users (MAU) grew from 175 million in July to 200 million within four weeks. The app's daily active user (DAU) count is reportedly rising even faster.
Based on the average MAU-to-DAU ratio seen on other social media platforms, Threads likely boasts just over 100 million daily active users. For comparison, X currently has 250 million DAUs, a figure that has remained steady since November 2022.
Although Threads still needs to catch up, its rapid growth suggests it could soon become a formidable competitor to X in the social media landscape.
