According to the statements of Meta’s CEO Mark Zuckerberg, Twitter’s new rival Threads experienced a significant drop in user numbers after its launch. More than half of Threads’ users stopped using the text-based app within weeks of its release.
Mark Zuckerberg says that although the retention rate is better than expected, it is not perfect. Considering the decrease as normal, Zuckerberg stated that he expects this rate to increase as more features such as desktop usage and search are added.
Administrators are now focused on increasing user engagement on Threads. Meta’s chief product officer, Chris Cox, said they’re exploring new features like viewing key Threads on Instagram to entice users to come back.
Despite the resounding launch of Threads and the 8% increase in Meta shares, it was already predicted that there would be difficulties in retaining users. On the other hand, Zuckerberg continues to rely on Meta’s long-term investments such as the metaverse. The company’s study shows that the metaverse will be a major factor with a contribution of approximately 2.4% to the annual gross domestic product (GDP) of the United States by 2035.
Zuckerberg and Cox also highlighted the positive developments, such as the 150,000 downloads of Llama 2 in one week. But Threads’ sharp user decline means Meta is still facing challenges in attracting users beyond its core apps like Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp.