Meta’s social media platform Threads, launched in 2023 as a rival to X (formerly Twitter), has announced its first step into advertising. On Friday, Instagram head Adam Mosseri confirmed that Threads is testing ads with select brands in the U.S. and Japan. The move signals Meta’s intention to monetize Threads while maintaining its emphasis on user experience and engagement.
Mosseri emphasized that the ads will be designed to feel natural within the Threads feed. “We’ll closely monitor this test before scaling it more broadly, to get ads on Threads to a place where they are as interesting as organic content,” he said. The initial phase will feature image-based ads labeled as “Sponsored,” giving users a clear distinction between organic and paid content.
Meta plans to incorporate user feedback into its advertising strategy to ensure relevance and appeal. Users will also have control over ad topics and the ability to report ads, maintaining a degree of personalization and transparency. “People come to Meta for a personalized experience that helps them discover businesses and content they love,” Meta said in a blog post. “Ads are an essential part of enabling this.”
Since its launch, Threads has focused on building and retaining its user base, achieving rapid growth with over 275 million monthly active users shortly after launch. However, by December 2023, the platform reported a dip to 100 million active users. The addition of ads suggests Meta is confident enough in Threads’ user engagement to begin monetization efforts.
Mark Zuckerberg had previously indicated that Threads would prioritize user retention in its early stages. With promising signs of steady engagement, Meta now seems ready to leverage Threads’ scale for advertising. The move aligns with Mosseri’s earlier statements about plans to integrate ads into the platform.
Meta’s careful approach to introducing ads reflects the lessons learned from its flagship platforms like Facebook and Instagram. By testing ads in limited markets and incorporating user feedback, the company aims to strike a balance between monetization and maintaining user satisfaction.
The decision to begin with image ads likely reflects a strategy to keep advertising visually appealing and consistent with the organic content already seen on Threads. This approach may help ease users into the new experience while providing brands with a familiar format for promotion.
While the platform has only just begun experimenting with ads, the groundwork for this move has been in place for some time. App researcher Alessandro Paluzzi discovered code for Threads ads development in August, though Meta at the time denied any immediate plans for an ad rollout.
The test phase is expected to provide valuable insights into user behavior and preferences, shaping how Threads will handle advertising on a larger scale. Mosseri and the Threads team are committed to making ads as relevant and engaging as organic posts, a challenging but essential goal for retaining users while attracting advertisers.
Meta’s broader ambitions for Threads go beyond advertising. By positioning the platform as a personalized hub for discovering businesses and content, Threads aims to compete with established platforms while carving out its unique niche. If successful, the addition of ads could transform Threads into a revenue-generating engine for Meta, contributing to the company’s growing dominance in the social media space.
As Threads continues to expand and evolve, the introduction of ads represents a pivotal moment for the platform. How users respond to these early experiments will determine the pace and scope of future ad rollouts, shaping Threads’ trajectory in an increasingly competitive market.