A milestone that many predicted but few expected this soon: Threads surpassed X (formerly Twitter) in mobile daily active users in early 2026. And now, ads are live globally on Threads, opening up paid options for brands looking to reach an engaged, growing audience on Meta’s fastest-growing platform.
For marketers, this represents a rare first-mover opportunity. Threads ad inventory is still relatively fresh, which typically means lower costs and less competition compared to established platforms. Here is everything you need to know about advertising on Threads and why you should be testing it now.
Why Threads Is Winning the Short-Form Text Battle
Threads benefits from seamless integration with Instagram’s massive user base. Users can follow their Instagram connections on Threads with a single tap, eliminating the cold-start problem that kills most new social networks. The result is an audience that is already connected and engaged from day one.
The platform has also benefited from X’s ongoing instability. Advertiser departures from X, content moderation concerns, and platform changes have pushed both users and brands toward alternatives. Threads captured a significant portion of that migration, and the momentum continues to build.
For brands, Threads offers a text-first environment similar to X but within Meta’s advertising ecosystem. This means you get the conversational, real-time engagement format of Twitter combined with Meta’s sophisticated targeting, measurement, and optimization tools.
Setting Up Your First Threads Ad Campaign
Threads ads are managed through Meta Ads Manager, the same platform you use for Facebook and Instagram ads. This is a major advantage because your existing audience data, pixel tracking, and conversion optimization tools all carry over to Threads campaigns.
To create a Threads ad, select Threads as a placement within your campaign setup. You can run Threads-only campaigns or include Threads as part of Advantage+ placements that distribute your budget across Facebook, Instagram, and Threads based on performance.
Ad formats on Threads include in-feed text and image ads that appear natively in users’ home feeds. The creative requirements align with Instagram feed ads but the best-performing Threads ads we have seen lean into the conversational, text-heavy format that defines the platform. Treat your Threads ads like native posts, not polished display ads.
Creative Best Practices for Threads
The Threads audience responds to authenticity and conversation. The best-performing ad creative on the platform mirrors how users naturally interact: direct language, opinionated takes, questions that invite replies, and content that feels like it belongs in the feed rather than being injected by an advertiser.
User-generated content performs exceptionally well on Threads. Research shows that ads featuring UGC see four times the click-through rate of traditional ads, and 70% of consumers now regularly seek out user-generated content before making purchasing decisions. Leverage customer testimonials, reviews, and authentic user stories in your Threads creative.
Keep your copy concise and direct. Threads limits post length, and the most engaging content on the platform tends to be punchy and opinionated rather than long-form. Lead with your strongest message and use your image or video to stop the scroll.
Targeting and Optimization Strategies
Since Threads runs through Meta’s ad platform, you have access to the full suite of Meta targeting options. Custom audiences, lookalike audiences, interest-based targeting, and retargeting all work on Threads. This means you can reach precise audience segments with the same sophistication you use on Facebook and Instagram.
We recommend starting with your best-performing Instagram audiences on Threads. Users who engage with your brand on Instagram are likely also on Threads, and the cross-platform data helps Meta optimize delivery quickly. Start with conversion-optimized campaigns using proven audiences before expanding to prospecting.
Early data suggests that Threads CPMs are significantly lower than Instagram feed placements. Take advantage of this pricing while competition is low by testing aggressively. Run multiple creative variations, test different audiences, and build your performance data library before costs inevitably rise as more advertisers enter the platform.
Measuring Threads Ad Performance
Threads campaign metrics are reported alongside your other Meta placements in Ads Manager. You can break down performance by placement to see exactly how Threads is performing compared to Facebook and Instagram. Track standard metrics like CTR, CPC, CPM, and conversion rate, but also pay attention to engagement metrics like replies and shares that are unique to the conversational Threads format.
Set up separate UTM parameters for Threads traffic in your analytics to track post-click behavior. Early Threads users tend to be more engaged and curious, which often translates to longer session durations and higher pages per visit compared to traffic from more established platforms.
Why You Should Start Testing Now
The history of digital advertising shows a consistent pattern: early advertisers on new platforms enjoy lower costs and higher engagement before competition drives prices up. Facebook ads in 2013, Instagram ads in 2016, TikTok ads in 2020 all followed this curve. Threads is in that early window right now.
With Threads surpassing X in daily active users and Meta’s full advertising infrastructure behind it, this platform is not a gamble. It is a calculated opportunity. The brands that build their Threads advertising expertise now will have a significant advantage as the platform matures and ad costs normalize.
Allocate 5-10% of your social ad budget to Threads testing this quarter. Run your best-performing creative, use proven audiences, and measure rigorously. The data you collect now will inform your strategy as Threads becomes an essential part of every brand’s social advertising mix.