iWorld
Threads unleashed: Boosting brands and influencers to stardom!
Mumbai: In the ever-evolving world of digital marketing, staying ahead of the curve is key to success. One strategy that has been gaining momentum in recent years is the use of “Threads” on social media platforms. Threads are a series of connected tweets or posts that allow brands and influencers to tell a more extended and engaging story. When used effectively, Threads can be a powerful tool for boosting visibility, engagement, and ultimately, propelling brands and influencers to stardom.
At the heart of every compelling issue, Threads is a well-crafted narrative. Brands and influencers can use threads to share their stories, values, and expertise in a more cohesive and immersive way. They can take their audience on a journey, keeping them engaged from start to finish.
Lets see what the industry experts have to say regarding Threads…
Edited excerpts
Animeta CEO Devdatt Potnis
It is still too early to say whether Threads will be more impactful than Instagram, each one has their own unique advantages & in the long run, I think both of them will complement well from a brand/influencer perspective. Threads has the potential to be a valuable tool for brands and influencers who want to connect with their audiences on a more personal level, while Instagram’s visual appeal provides a wider & popular reach.
NetSetGo Media co-founder Sundeep Rana
Threads enable you to interact with those who follow you in a more personal as well as transparent manner. Brands and influencers may utilise this kind of platform to interact with the majority of their devoted followers one-on-one. This can assist to strengthen ties and increase brand loyalty. Individuals may use Threads to offer unique material, sneak peeks, behind-the-scenes shots & promotions with a small number of followers. This could potentially make one’s followers feel unique and inspire them to interact with your company in the future. It might be a useful tool for gathering input from a highly engaged audience. It may be used by brands for carrying out surveys, gathering feedback and obtaining insights about the goods or services they offer.
Digital Eminent founder Mukul Raj Sharma
When contrasted with Instagram, Threads has a lower base of users. To get the most out of it, one needs to first recognize and interact with your most devoted fans, who will probably utilise the app. Threads may be used by influencers to partner with businesses or communicate with their fans in an interpersonal manner. It may be an efficient venue for holding Q&A sessions, AMA sessions or possibly exclusive giveaways. It may be used to communicate critical news and updates to your most devoted followers, ensuring that they get the info directly and swiftly. Brands and influencers may also use Threads’ Stories feature to tell interesting stories while sharing their journey among their core following
In the end when executed thoughtfully and strategically, Threads can propel them to stardom in the competitive digital landscape. So, whether you’re a brand looking to tell your story or an influencer wanting to engage your audience, consider embracing the power of threads and watch your online presence soar to new heights.
iWorld
WhatsApp emerges as key commerce channel in India: Meta report
Whitepaper shows 77 per cent of purchases influenced by social media and shoppers spend 2.5 times more across channels
MUMBAI: If shopping once meant a stroll down the high street, today it begins with a scroll on a smartphone. India’s retail journey is being rewritten in real time, as consumers glide between Instagram Reels, WhatsApp chats and physical stores with barely a pause for thought. A new whitepaper by Meta in collaboration with the Retailers Association of India argues that this shift is not cosmetic but structural, powered by artificial intelligence, short form video, creators and conversational commerce.
The numbers underline the scale of the change.
Social media now influences 77 per cent of retail purchase decisions in India, with Meta’s platforms accounting for 96 per cent of social driven discovery. Discovery itself is increasingly passive and visual rather than deliberate and search led. As much as 97 per cent of consumers watch short form video daily, and 60 per cent of time spent on Facebook and Instagram is devoted to video content.
In other words, the shop window has moved to the feed.
The report highlights the growing dominance of the omnichannel shopper, a consumer who researches and buys fluidly across online and offline environments. More than 50 per cent of retail consumers research products online before purchasing in store. Equally, over 50 per cent browse in store before completing their purchase online.
This blended behaviour is lucrative. Shoppers who buy across channels spend 2.5 times more than single channel shoppers. When customers engage across multiple touchpoints, spending rises by as much as 73 per cent. For retailers, unified commerce is no longer a strategy slide. It is a revenue imperative.
Meta India director of E commerce and retail Meghna Apparao, urged brands to focus on three pillars: Reels and creators for authentic storytelling, omnichannel performance marketing to connect platforms, and WhatsApp as a personalised commerce channel. Hitesh Bhatt of RAI noted that the challenge is no longer adopting digital tools but integrating them to deliver measurable outcomes.
Artificial intelligence sits at the heart of this integration. Indian retailers using Meta’s omnichannel optimisation have recorded more than fourfold improvements in omnichannel return on ad spend. Businesses that integrated in store sales data through Meta’s Conversions API have reported Roas uplift ranging from 2 times to 5 times or more, alongside incremental sales growth of up to 9 times depending on category and market.
Integrated data strategies have also delivered revenue growth of up to 15 per cent, suggesting that when digital signals are tied to offline outcomes, marketing efficiency sharpens considerably.
Retailers are already putting this into practice. Reliance Digital has leaned into a Reels first strategy, working with regional creators to drive engagement and measurable business impact. Croma says Meta’s AI powered tools have enabled it to integrate offline data and activate performance marketing across touchpoints, strengthening both footfall and revenue across online and physical stores.
Trust is increasingly creator led. The report finds that 71 per cent of consumers make a purchase within a couple of days of seeing creator content on Meta’s technologies. Campaigns that leverage reels and creators have delivered 71 per cent higher brand intent lift and 19 per cent lower acquisition costs.
Micro and nano creators, in particular, are accelerating purchase decisions by embedding products into relatable, local narratives. Influence is no longer confined to celebrity endorsements. It is distributed, conversational and continuous.
If Instagram and Facebook drive discovery, WhatsApp is emerging as the conversion engine. According to the report, 72 per cent of product discovery now happens on WhatsApp. Retailers using business messaging and click to WhatsApp campaigns are seeing a 61 per cent average improvement in return on ad spend, a 62 per cent increase in leads and 22 per cent higher order values.
The implication is clear. Commerce is shifting from clicks to conversations. Discovery, purchase and post purchase support increasingly unfold within a single chat thread.
The whitepaper argues that omnichannel maturity will define competitiveness in Indian retail. Consumers no longer toggle between online and offline modes. They operate across both simultaneously, often within the same buying journey.
For brands, the task is no longer about being present on digital platforms. It is about stitching together discovery, data, conversation and store experience into a unified loop that can be measured in footfall, revenue and repeat purchase.
As India’s shoppers continue to scroll before they stroll, the retailers who align AI, creators and messaging into one seamless experience may find that the path to growth is less about adding new channels and more about connecting the ones they already have.
