Jan 27, 2025 19:00:00

Meta begins testing ads on Threads, with goal of making ads 'as interesting as organic content'

Meta's text-based social networking site

Threads has begun a limited early test of advertising, with a small number of brands in the US and Japan as advertisers, and Meta's goal is to make the ads 'just as interesting as organic content.'

Ads in Threads: Extend Your Campaigns to a Rapidly Growing Community | Meta for Business
https://www.facebook.com/business/news/introducing-ads-in-threads

Threads is testing ads in the US and Japan | TechCrunch
https://techcrunch.com/2025/01/24/threads-is-testing-ads-in-the-us-and-japan/

Threads is offically getting ads - The Verge
https://www.theverge.com/2025/1/24/24351141/meta-threads-ads-test

Threads, released in July 2023 as a text-based social networking site to rival X, has continued to steadily expand its user base, with monthly active users exceeding 175 million in July 2024 and reaching 275 million in November.

Meta announced that it has begun testing ads on Threads on January 24, 2025 local time. Advertisers can extend their existing ad campaigns on the Meta platform to Threads simply by checking a box in the Ads Manager.

During the test period, a small number of Threads users will see ads in their feed, as shown below. The word 'Sponsored' will be displayed next to the account name of the ad, making it easier to distinguish from regular posts.

According to Meta's support page , in order to show users ads that match their interests on Threads, Meta uses information about 'your activity on Threads and Instagram,' 'the content of posts you create and actions you take on Threads and Instagram,' 'your activity on platforms other than Meta,' and 'information provided by partners, such as your email address.'

According to Adam Mosseri, head of Threads and Instagram, the advertisers being tested for Threads ads are 'a handful of brands in the U.S. and Japan.' Mosseri said, 'We know there's a lot of feedback on our approach to ads. We're making sure our ads feel relevant and interesting to Threads posts. We'll be monitoring this test closely before expanding it more broadly, with the goal of making Threads ads as interesting as our organic content.'