Meta’s Threads begins serving ads as it hits 300 million active users
The meta challenger of XThreads is finally introducing advertisements into its mobile application in the United States and Japan, marking a key step in its desire to monetize its platform.
Starting today, a small group of advertisers will begin testing ads in the Threads feed, with a broader rollout expected in the coming months, according to Meta..
The move follows Topics‘ growth, exceeding 300 million monthly active users. Meta launched Threads in July 2023 and reached 100 million monthly active users in December of the same year.
Meta has hinted at rolling out ads to Threads, but wants to ensure the ads enhance, not disrupt, the platform’s appeal as an alternative to X.
“We know there will be a lot of feedback on how we should approach ads, and we’re making sure they look like Threads posts that you would find relevant and interesting,” Adam Mosser, head of Instagram. wrote on the discussions. “We will monitor this test closely before expanding it more broadly, with the goal of getting ads on Threads to a place where they are as engaging as organic content,” he said.
During the testing phase, Threads will display image ads in its home feed to a limited percentage of users. Advertisers can extend existing Meta ad campaigns to Threads with a single check in Ads Manager, Meta’s tool for serving ads. Advertisers don’t need additional resources or creative to run Threads ads.
Meta is also rolling out safety and brand suitability checks for Threads, using the same AI-powered inventory filter already available on Facebook and Instagram. This tool allows advertisers to manage where their ads appear, and third-party verification solutions are expected to follow. Meta did not disclose details about safety and brand suitability checks.
