Meta's Threads usage drops by half after seeing initial surge, Mark Zuckerberg blames...

Threads, Meta's alternative to Twitter, has experienced a significant drop in user engagement since its launch, with more than half of its users reportedly ceasing to use the app. In an internal town hall meeting, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg reportedly said that the retention on the app was "better than what the executives had expected, but it was not perfect".

Threads, which was launched as a rival to Twitter, saw an impressive initial response with over 100 million sign-ups within the first five days of its launch on July 5. However, the number of active users has since declined. According to a report by SimilarWeb, the number of daily active users on Threads fell from 49 million on July 7 to 23.6 million on July 14.

"Obviously, 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," Zuckerberg was quoted as saying by Reuters. Despite this, Zuckerberg remains optimistic about the future of Threads, stating that the drop in users is 'normal' and expressing confidence in the potential for improved retention rates as the company continues to add new features to the app.

Zuckerberg also highlighted that the retention rate on the app was better than what the executives had expected, but admitted it was 'not perfect'. He further stated that while many people might enjoy the experience offered by Threads, the Meta team needs to continually enhance this experience to ensure users continue to engage with the platform.

The Meta CEO also shared plans to add more 'retention-driving hooks' to entice users to return to the app. One such strategy involves ensuring that Instagram users can see important Threads, as stated by Chief Product Officer Chris Cox. "Meta is looking at adding more retention-driving hooks to entice users to return to the app, like making sure people who are on the Instagram app can see important Threads," said chief product officer Chris Cox as per Reuters.

Despite the current challenges, Zuckerberg remains committed to improving Threads. A Business Insider report recently revealed that during a second-quarter earnings conference call, he mentioned that there is a lot of 'basic work to do' on Threads, including building and experimenting with features that users like. He also hinted at potential monetisation plans once Threads reaches hundreds of millions of users.

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