No Threads? 3 Reasons NOT to Use Instagram's New Twitter App

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Everybody's talking about Threads, the new social media app from Instagram, the Twitter Killer. But should you even be a part of it? I'm going to give you three reasons in this creative checkup episode why you, as a faith focused Christian creator, should not be using Threads. Now, I know this is going to go against conventional wisdom, but that's okay because we're not here to go along with every body. We're here to do what's right for your career, for your business, for your creative calling.

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So we're going to get into that today on this episode of The Guiding Gig Show. Give me just a moment to welcome those of you who are new to our platform and then we'll get right into this important conversation. 

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Hello and welcome to our show. Thank you so much for making this podcast a part of your creative day. If you're new to the show, you are in the right place. My name is Allen. I'm the host and founder of God and Gigs.         

00:01:06
And we are here to help you to transform your creative life from the inside out by applying timeless spiritual principles to temporary creative problems so that you can be a completely confident creative no matter where you perform or where you create. Now, the new app is Threads, and everybody's talking about this. I saw it pop up on my feed, on my podcast app, where everybody was already saying, you got to get on Threads. Here's the new Twitter killer. No one likes Elon Musk, all this stuff, right?         

00:01:36
It was just a bunch of buzz. But I couldn't ignore it because when you see 30 million, 40 million, however many people join a social media network in a matter of hours, it clearly is moving the needle. It's making people pay attention. And so we, as creatives, we as Facebook, as creatives, we have to pay attention to what people are doing and what people are saying. So, yes, did I jump on to Threads?         

00:02:03
I have to admit I did. However, I don't want this to be the do as I say, not as I do. I want to show you why you may want to reconsider being a part of Threads if you've joined already and if you haven't joined. And let's apply this to any social media app, any new thing, any new fad, because Threads is just the latest. Before that, there was clubhouse.         

00:02:28
I saw somebody bring up Periscope from Twitter. Does anybody remember Periscope? Does anybody remember Snapchat? Still, there's always a new thing on the block where we as creators are called and asked by the media and by these social media platforms to come spend more time and more energy in a new place, supposedly because it will help us connect with the people we're called to reach. But I want to give you those three reasons right now why you should not be on Threads or any social media app that calls for your attention.         

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And here's the first reason. The first reason you should not be on the app is because everybody's doing it. Now, I know I just said the audiences are going there, that people are showing up there. But if your only reason for joining a social media app is because everybody's doing it, you have literally just xed yourself out of any kind of distinctiveness or purpose or reason to be there. You don't want to simply be on an app because everybody else is there, because you're not everybody.         

00:03:32
You're not called to everybody. Your message is not for everybody. So unless you know that your community is there, there's no reason for you to be on Threads. There's no reason for you to spend extra time there to divide your time which is already filled with distractions, and then spend more time learning another app. That is not going to give you the return on your investment nor on your influence.         

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It's a big thing to step into a place and try to make a name or even bring new people or old people to a new place when they are already used to other things. I'm not saying that any new app is not ever worth it, but if you're only doing it because of the FOMO, because you don't want to be left out, that is not a reason you should not be on Threads if you're doing it because everybody's doing it. The second reason why you should not be on Threads is, and this one's going to hurt a little bit, you're already not consistent with what you've already been doing on social media. You already have a spotty record on Twitter. You already kind of show up when you can on Instagram and Reels and whatever other social media.         

00:04:45
Again, this really doesn't matter. And I don't even like talking about social media except for the fact that it is one of the platforms that shows whether or not you are consistent with what you've already chosen to show up to reach the people that God has called you to reach and share your art with and share your creativity with. If you are simply showing up sporadically, do you really think you're going to show up more consistently with one more app? Is threads going to become your Monday Wednesday, Friday app? Is it going to become your every Tuesday?         

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Are you going to batch content? Can you even batch content on Threads? Is it even schedulable? I just made up a word. I don't care.         

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I am telling you right now that if you're not consistent already with a social media platform strategy and even more, let's just get back to it, to email, to actually emailing your people, to texting those who have information and you have their phone numbers. If you're not already promoting and sharing your gift and your art consistently and you have a strategy, then I guarantee you adding one more app is not going to add your consistency. It's going to make you more inconsistent because you're going to spend more time learning. Now you can reverse that. You can go back and say, hey, I'm going to use this threads or use this particular platform, whatever it is.         

00:06:05
Masterson blue sky. Like I don't care. I know there's a billion of them. No matter where you show up, you should be showing up consistently. If you're not going to show up consistently, don't show up at all.         

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I know it sounds harsh and I'm trying to help you here. If you're not going to show up consistently, don't show up at all, okay? Because that's going to help you clear your mind and your brain and your spirit to be very clear about why you show up. Jesus said it very clearly when he was on a mission to do what he had to do for three years and had to accomplish the salvation of the world in just that three and a half years. He said, that night is coming when no man can work.         

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I must work while it is day. What did he mean by that? He had to do the work that he had to do in the time allotted for him to do it. You only have a certain amount of time, 24 hours a day, 12 hours maybe, and then 65432, however many you actually have time to spend on your creative platform and sharing it. Do not divide your time into other apps if you are not clear on why you are there and being consistent with it.         

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Which leads me to point number three, why you should not be on threads. You should not be on threads as a faith filled creative if you are not clear on your purpose. This again is so important to all of us, and social media simply gives us a platform and an example of why it is so important to know your purpose. It's so important to know what you're called to and why you're called to it. And if you are simply joining an app, trying to make a space, trying to figure things out, and you're not clear on your purpose, you should not be there.         

00:07:53
Now, I'm going to be very clear about this. I do think social media is a great place to think through your ideas. I do think social media can provide you with kind of like a little bit of a mixing pod and kind of like stir things up and try things and see if things hit and see if ideas work and see if songs kind of get traction. There's nothing wrong with experimentation inside a particular app or community, but that's just the point. Your purpose is experimentation.         

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Your purpose is to brainstorm. Your purpose is to market research. Your purpose is to share. Your purpose is to build community. If you're there, you have a purpose.         

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If you're just joining threads and you do not have a purpose. You do not know why you're there. You're not there to research. You're not there to experiment. You're not there you're simply starting another random place to post, my friend.         

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You are not using your time, investment or influence wisely. We are called to be good stewards of what we are called to do. And this calls beyond or goes beyond church worship ministry. This goes to every single thing you do as a creative in the mainstream on the outside, including how you show up. So if you're showing up kind of just, well, you know what, I just want to start sharing things.         

00:09:12
I want to kind of be myself. And there's again, nothing wrong with that. But be very clear with yourself, be honest, that's not going to gain you a lot of followers. And if it does, are those followers going to then really be receptive to your entire message? Are you really kind of presenting yourself as a vulnerable person, transparent person, and they're going to then want to follow your art?         

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Is that your plan? Because for most of us, it's really not. Most of us, we kind of get into things and start sharing and hope people that will pay attention and then we share some personal stuff and we hope they pay attention and then we share ad and we share a song and we say, Please buy it and we hope they pay attention. But it's really not purposeful. It's really not intentional.         

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And I don't say this to hurt your feelings, I don't say this to be harsh, but I think when the buz is so grand and so big about an app, about a place, it is so easy for us to simply say, oh, I guess I should be doing it too. But if you do not have purpose and then you are not consistent and then number one, if you're just doing it because everybody's doing it, my friend, you should not be on threads. You should stay with what works. If you've already chosen a couple of social media apps that work for you, if you've got a lane, if you're starting to be consistent somewhere, stick with that. Leave threads alone.         

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It will be there when you come back, if it lasts at all. Does anybody remember, I don't know, vine and let's name all the other ones that have gone out of business. I can think of even Facebook when they tried podcasts and I jumped on podcasts on Facebook because I said, oh, I need to be there. And I started promoting my podcast on Facebook and less than a year later it was gone. So I'm just letting you know that these things will come and these things will go.         

00:11:06
Apps will come and apps will go. What can't change is your consistency. What can't change is your purpose and what can't change is your die hard allegiance to promoting what God has called you to promote and market and share in the way that is most effective and that lends the most credibility to your influence. That does give you opportunity for income because you're being consistent and you're sharing your work in a way that people can support you and is really giving you the kind of investment return on investment that you really desire. All right, my friend, thank you so much for listening to this Creative Checkup episode.         

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00:12:06
So go to guidance.com info. You can sign up for our newsletter. I keep you abreast with everything you'll see, all the different links where you can find us on all social media networks. And then once you join that, I can let you know about more of the cool things we're doing in our coaching communities, like Guiding Gig 360 and some of the new events we're planning. Like, by the way, if you're listening as I'm recording a great event we have coming up in July, I believe, July 18, with our great friend Lashanda Brown.         

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I'm going to put a couple of her links in the show notes in the description here so that you can check her out. But we're going to be co partnering with her in a workshop on July 18, so don't miss that. That's going to be super special. It's going to be amazing for you who are trying to build your brands by using tools like Canva, which Lashanda is an expert in, one of 50 certified Canva experts in the world. Well, my friend, that's our show for today.     

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Thank you so much for joining us. So until next time, continue to become the creative that you were created to be. God bless and we'll see you next episode. Thanks for joining us here at the God and Gig Show. Please leave us a review on itunes like our Facebook page or visit Godandgigs.com and tell us what you thought of this show.         

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 We'll be back soon. In the meantime, go create something amazing.