The Instagram Threads app is live in Germany: a game changer for businesses?
Leonhard Pleschberger
There is a whole world beyond your usual Instagram feed, and Threads is where Instagram put it. Businesses in particular keep asking the same question: is it actually worth adding Threads to the marketing strategy? This article gives you a full picture of what Threads is and helps you decide whether the app is the right move for your business.
Why are we the people to ask? Because with our monthly cancellable marketing subscription we support a lot of companies across the German speaking market on exactly this kind of journey, and we have collected plenty of experience along the way.
What is Instagram Threads?
Instagram Threads is an app built by the Instagram team. It is text based and designed for sharing thoughts in a simpler, more specific form than a photo feed allows. A thread or a reply can run up to 500 characters and can carry links as well as photos and videos of up to five minutes. For businesses that is a genuine opportunity to engage with customers on a deeper level and tell their story properly.
Threads in numbers, if you want the short version:
- 500 characters per post
- 5 minutes maximum video length
- More than 100 countries where Threads is available
- End of 2023, the launch in Germany and Austria
How does the Threads app work?
As mentioned, Threads is a text based app. It lets people write threads and share their thoughts and ideas with friends and creators. You decide who is allowed to reply to your thread, which gives you a way to keep the space around your posts positive. Interaction is the whole point of Threads. You can also open public conversations and join in on other people's, much as you would on X (Twitter) or Mastodon.
Since when has Threads been available in Germany?
Instagram Threads has been available in Germany and Austria since the end of 2023. The app originally launched in the United States and has since expanded its reach, and it is now accessible in more than 100 countries worldwide. With that rollout, German businesses can also take advantage of the specific features and the particular tone of conversation that Threads has developed.
How do you sign up for Threads?
To sign up for Threads you download the app and log in with your Instagram account. Your Instagram profile is then linked to your Threads profile by default. You can choose between a public and a private profile on Threads, and all of your Threads content can be carried over to your Instagram profile.
In practice it comes down to four steps:
- Download the app. Threads from the App Store or the Play Store.
- Sign in with Instagram. Pick the account, and carry over your name, picture and bio.
- Write your first post. Up to 500 characters, with a link, a photo or a video.
- Join the conversation. Reply, quote, repost, and bring your followers with you.
Would you rather have someone do it for you? Everything we write about here, we deliver for our clients. Your marketing team from €490 a month, cancellable monthly. Get in touch, no obligation.
Can you link Instagram accounts to Threads?
Yes, Instagram accounts can be linked to Threads. That means everything you post on Threads can also appear on your Instagram account, in your Instagram story as well as in your Instagram feed. It gives you a way to share your content on a larger platform and reach more people with the same effort.
How do people interact on Threads?
Interaction on Threads is straightforward. People write threads and reply to existing ones. They can also share and comment on content from Threads accounts on Mastodon and other services that Threads is compatible with. There is a search function that makes threads easier to find, plus recommendations in the feed based on a user's interests and interactions.
What are the advantages of Threads for businesses?
Threads gives businesses a new way to share content in text form and to engage with their audience. Because the tone is personal, companies can create a positive space in which they tell their stories, introduce their products and gather feedback from customers. Businesses can also decide who is allowed to reply to their threads, which makes it possible to prioritise the people with genuine interest in their products and services.
What sets Threads apart from Mastodon or X (Twitter)?
Threads, Mastodon and X are all social platforms, but they are built on different principles. Where Mastodon and X lean towards public messages and open debate, Threads puts more weight on personal exchange. The app offers more direct and more personal communication, which is especially useful for businesses. The differences show up in the text based nature of Threads and in the control you have over who can reply to you. Those features are what set Threads apart from Mastodon and X and make it a distinctive place to take conversations to a more individual level.
| Platform | What it is |
|---|---|
| Visual: photos, Reels, stories | |
| Threads | Text based, built for conversation, login through Instagram |
| X | Text based, its own account, the older network |
| Mastodon | Decentralised, its own servers, Threads can connect to it via the fediverse |
What does the future of Threads look like up to 2026?
According to Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Meta (formerly Facebook), Threads is a central part of his vision for the future of the internet. He believes Threads will open a new era of social media in which people express their experiences and ideas in text form. Since its introduction in 2024, Instagram Threads has been improved steadily, with new features added to make the experience better.
How is Instagram Threads changing conversation in the German business sector?
There is no denying that social media is first and foremost a place for entertainment. Instagram Threads takes that idea a step further. The app lets people hold individual conversations, whether by writing their own threads, replying to existing ones or engaging with what others have shared. For businesses in particular, Threads offers a new platform on which to deepen the conversation with their audience and make it feel more authentic.
One practical note before you decide. Threads rewards frequency and a willingness to answer people, not polished campaign assets. A company account that posts three times a week and actually replies will do better than one that treats the app as another distribution channel for finished creative. If nobody on the team has the time or the appetite for that, the honest answer is to leave Threads alone until somebody does.
Summary
Taken as a whole, Instagram Threads gives businesses an inventive way to share content and interact with their audience. It is worth giving Threads a chance and testing whether it has the potential to improve how your company communicates. A few points to keep in mind:
- Threads is a text based app that allows content in a simpler, more specific form.
- You decide who is allowed to reply to your threads.
- Threads is available in Germany and in more than 100 other countries.
- You can open public conversations on Threads and join in on others.
- Your Instagram account can be linked to Threads, and all of your Threads content can be carried over to your Instagram profile.
With us at Einfachmarketing you can be sure of getting the support you need to integrate Threads into your business properly. We help you use the advantages of Threads, reach your audience and build your brand on a deeper level.
So why not work with us and get the full value out of Instagram Threads?
