Meta to roll out ads on Threads globally
What's the story
Meta has announced its plan to introduce advertisements on Threads, its popular social media platform, for all users worldwide. The rollout will be gradual and is expected to take a few months before it is fully implemented. The move comes as part of Meta's strategy to monetize the platform and provide advertisers with a new avenue to reach their target audiences.
User growth
User base and ad testing history
Since its launch in July 2023, Threads has seen tremendous growth, amassing over 400 million monthly active users. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg had earlier predicted that the platform could hit a billion users within a few years. Despite not reaching this milestone yet, Threads has been actively testing ads for some time now. The platform started ad testing in the US and Japan last year and opened up to global advertisers last April.
Ad integration
Meta simplifies ad placement for Threads
Meta has made it easier for existing advertisers to extend their reach to Threads by enabling automatic ad placement through both Advantage+ and manual campaigns. Supported formats include image and video ads, including the newer 4:5 aspect ratio format and carousel ads. Advertisers can manage their Threads ads along with those for Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp in their Business Settings, making cross-posting a breeze.
Safety measures
Enhanced brand safety verification for Threads
Along with ad placement, Meta has also extended third-party verification already available on Facebook and Instagram to the Threads feed through Meta Business Partners. This gives advertisers independent brand safety and suitability verification for Threads. The company did not specify how often users would see ads in their feed but said that ad delivery would remain "low" at first as it scales to global users.