When Meta launched Threads in mid-2023, it was positioned as a text-first alternative to Twitter, now rebranded as X. Yet, from the start, Threads carried a quiet advantage — it wasn’t just a new app competing for attention, it was a new channel plugged directly into Instagram’s vast social graph, offering an instant ecosystem of creators, friends, and brands. For months, industry observers debated if Threads could sustain user interest beyond the hype of its explosive debut. But as of April 2025, one thing is clear: Threads is no longer a novelty. It is an advertising frontier.
In a landmark announcement, Meta confirmed that Threads will open its advertising ecosystem to all eligible advertisers worldwide, enabling brands to run ads directly within the Threads feed. Until now, ad testing had been limited to the U.S. and Japan — two high-engagement markets — but this global expansion signals that Threads has entered its monetization era. With over 320 million monthly active users and growing, the question for brands is no longer should they be on Threads, but rather, how fast can they get there?
This article breaks down what Threads’ global ad rollout means for brands, why the timing matters, how to approach the platform strategically, and why Threads might be the most brand-safe and performance-friendly social space in 2025.
Threads as Meta’s Next Growth Engine
To understand why Threads is so important to Meta — and why it should matter to your brand — you need to consider its origin story. Threads didn’t grow organically from scratch. It launched with the full weight of Meta’s infrastructure behind it. New users were encouraged to “port” their Instagram connections into Threads, allowing them to replicate their social graph — followers, friends, and brand affinities — in a single click. This move transformed Threads into an instant community, with users following familiar creators and businesses without hesitation.
By January 2025, Threads had reached over 320 million monthly active users and was signing up over a million users per day, according to Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg. That’s not just growth; that’s acceleration at the kind of scale we rarely see outside of generational tech platforms.
Unlike newer platforms that start with niche appeal, Threads launched with a mass-market blueprint. And now that Meta is opening the floodgates for global advertisers, the platform is officially transitioning from community-building to revenue generation.
What the Global Ad Rollout Really Means
Meta’s announcement signals more than just an expansion of available inventory. It’s a message to the advertising industry: Threads is open for business, and your competitors are likely already testing campaigns.
Under the new rollout, Threads feed placements will now be available for two major ad types on Meta:
Advantage+ Campaigns, which are automated ad campaigns designed to deliver maximum performance across Meta’s apps. Threads placements will be included by default.
Manual Placements, which allow advertisers to hand-pick where their ads appear. Threads will also be included by default here, but advertisers can opt out if they prefer to test other environments first.
This gives brands flexibility — you can allow Threads to be automatically included in a performance-based campaign, or you can choose to run experimental placements to gauge performance in isolation.
Meta has also added inventory filters, which give advertisers control over the sensitivity level of the content their ads appear next to. This is a significant move in a media environment where brand safety has become a priority concern for marketers. Threads offers a controlled, managed environment — not a digital wild west.
The State of Threads: Why Advertisers Should Take Note
Threads’ initial rollout was met with curiosity. Positioned as a cleaner, less chaotic alternative to Elon Musk’s X, the app quickly attracted high-profile users, creators, and media voices. While skeptics doubted its longevity, Meta has proven adept at leveraging its family of apps — including Instagram and Facebook — to maintain relevance, push new features, and drive user behavior.
Meta’s Threads isn’t trying to be another Instagram or TikTok. It is staking its claim as the go-to space for real-time, text-first conversation that is less performative, more authentic, and — importantly for advertisers — far less hostile.
In contrast to X, which has seen an exodus of both users and advertisers over the past year due to moderation changes and safety issues, Threads offers a cleaner alternative with integrated tools, established community guidelines, and — most importantly — the full backing of Meta’s mature ad stack.
This makes Threads not just a social network, but a media property with prime digital real estate for marketers.
Audience Affinity: A Platform Ready for Brands
According to Meta, more than 75% of Threads users already follow at least one business. That’s a staggering figure for a platform that only launched in 2023. It suggests that Threads isn’t just attracting casual scrollers — it’s pulling in engaged users who are open to brand engagement and commerce.
This is key for brands looking to build loyalty or test new narratives. Unlike Facebook, which can sometimes feel over-engineered, or Instagram, where hyper-polished aesthetics rule, Threads offers something looser, more experimental. Brands don’t need perfect creative here — they need presence, voice, and consistency.
Threads’ ad rollout also leverages Meta’s existing targeting capabilities. That means brands can continue to use familiar metrics — interests, behaviors, custom audiences — to reach the right users, without learning a new backend or API. This creates a seamless entry point for advertisers who are already running Meta campaigns across Facebook, Instagram, or Reels.
A Safe Bet in a Risky Landscape
We’re in an era where brands are increasingly scrutinized for where their messages appear. Inappropriate content adjacencies, brand boycotts, and media backlash can destroy millions in value overnight.
With X loosening its moderation and struggling with advertiser trust, Threads is emerging as the safety-first alternative.
Meta’s decision to implement sensitivity inventory controls and default opt-ins to Threads placements reflects a commitment to giving advertisers predictability. And unlike new platforms still developing their tools, Meta already has a history of responding to brand feedback — and optimizing for performance and control.
If your brand has been hesitant to return to X or is struggling to find scale on newer platforms like Mastodon or Bluesky, Threads may offer the middle ground: mass audience, manageable risk, and a direct pipeline to your existing Instagram following.
Influencer Marketing on Threads: The Next Big Move
If you run influencer campaigns, Threads deserves serious attention. It’s already organically populated by creators who migrated from Instagram, bringing with them loyal followings. Early data suggests that engagement rates on Threads are more dialogue-driven than visual-first platforms, which shifts the dynamic between creator and audience.
Influencers can respond quickly to trends, pose questions, or start discussions — all of which generate authentic comment threads that brands can tap into through partnerships or paid amplification.
This gives marketers the opportunity to work with creators in new, text-based formats: Q&As, thought leadership, storytelling series, product debates, and community challenges.
And because Threads is still relatively new, CPMs (cost per thousand impressions) are expected to be lower than more mature platforms in the short term. That means early adopters can benefit from lower costs and higher reach, especially when collaborating with creators who are already building traction organically.
Threads and the Future of Decentralized Social Media
There’s another long-term reason brands should be paying attention to Meta’s Threads — one that has little to do with CPMs or placements: decentralization.
Meta has confirmed that Threads is being built to support the ActivityPub protocol, which will connect it to the broader decentralized web — commonly called the “fediverse.” Platforms like Mastodon already operate on this protocol, and Meta is working to ensure Threads can interoperate with them.
This could make Threads the largest federated social media platform in history, with the potential to give users more control over how their content is shared and seen.
For advertisers, this is a longer-horizon bet — but a powerful one. If Threads becomes the public square of the decentralized internet, brands that establish presence early will be positioned to navigate this shift with credibility and scale.
How Brands Can Get Started
So how should brands approach Threads in 2025? It depends on your goals, but here’s a quick playbook to start testing the waters:
Launch Low-Risk Campaigns: Run Advantage+ campaigns that include Threads placements by default. Monitor results to compare engagement and CPCs to other placements.
Experiment with Native Content: Don’t just repurpose Instagram creatives. Develop copy-led, conversational content tailored to Threads’ vibe. Think wit, relevance, speed.
Activate Micro-Influencers: Partner with niche creators who have high engagement on Threads. Let them shape the narrative in their voice.
Leverage Community Engagement: Use Threads to pose questions, test ideas, and crowdsource product feedback in real time. The comment-first design encourages interaction.
Monitor Safety Tools: Adjust your inventory filter settings to reflect your brand’s tone, audience, and risk appetite.
Build an Organic Presence: Even if you’re running ads, don’t ignore organic Threads content. Publish regularly. Engage with comments. Build your brand’s voice.
Want to collaborate with influencers on Threads?
Let TIMA help you!
Whether you’re launching your first campaign or scaling a cross-platform strategy, TIMA connects your brand with the right voices to drive real impact—on Threads and beyond. Reach out today and let’s turn conversation into conversion.
