Threads is relatively new, and I love it because it’s simple and straightforward. It’s hard to find many apps like that whose interfaces don’t give you a headache. But some things don’t last, and soon, Threads will begin showing ads. Meta, the company behind Facebook and Instagram, plans to start rolling them out in January 2025. But first, they’ll begin with a small number of advertisers to see how it all works out.
When Threads reached 200 million users in August, CEO Mark Zuckerberg recognized its potential to become Meta’s next billion-user platform. With that kind of growth, it’s easy to see why he views it as a goldmine. A platform with that many users opens the door to substantial ad revenue. Its rapid expansion is pushing Meta to start rolling them out sooner.
This move is surprising for most people, considering Meta initially said they wouldn’t focus on making money from Threads right away. At the end of the day, it’s just business, nothing personal. As much as we enjoy the clean experience, some changes are imminent.
“All these new products, we ship them, and then there’s a multi-year time horizon between scaling them and then scaling them into not just consumer experiences but very large businesses.”
Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Meta Platforms.
Starting in January 2025, a small group of advertisers will be involved in running the ad. But there’s no clear timeline for when more ads might appear. Meta says that right now, they’re focused on creating a positive user experience on Threads, which is why there are currently no ads or ways to make money from the app. They plan to release more features for that purpose.
Related: Hidden Instagram Features You Need To Know About.
Hopefully, Threads ads spread real thin
Instagram’s advertising team manages the rollout of ads on Threads. However, Meta’s Chief Financial Officer, Susan Li, mentioned in an earnings call that the company doesn’t expect Threads to contribute much to its revenue in 2025. It will be a long-term project, with meaningful profits expected further down the line.
Threads is already a strong rival for X, what with its rapid growth and user-friendly design. Now, it has the chance to attract even more advertisers from the former Twitter app, especially given recent turbulence under Musk’s leadership. Since Musk took over, X has struggled with ad revenue as some advertisers worry about their ads appearing near harmful content that might not be as carefully moderated as before.
In August, X even filed a lawsuit against several companies and a global advertising alliance, accusing them of boycotting the platform and contributing to its revenue losses. With Threads offering a stable alternative, advertisers may consider it a safer investment. Who could blame them?
The ads on Threads could definitely change the user experience, but how much it does depends on how they’re implemented. If they’re as subtle as Zuckerberg says they’ll be at first, we won’t mind too much. But if they’re overly frequent or disruptive, like what we’ve seen on Instagram, that’s when the frustration starts.
