Meta's Threads turns one: Hits 175 million active monthly users

On July 5, Meta's X-rival Threads celebrates its one year anniversary. On Wednesday, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced that Threads has reached more than 175 million monthly active users.

As per reports, a lot of the growth being witnessed on Threads is because of its constant promotion inside Instagram. The fact that both platforms share the same user accounts is working in favour of Threads and is unlikely to change.

Threads plans to turn on ads on the platform sometime next year. If it plans to feed off Instagram, it’ll be interesting to see how its ad policy plays out. Currently, Threads remains a loss making proposition for Meta, as per reports.

With Meta’s plans to capitalise on countries where it could overtake X like in Japan, Threads’ journey is an interesting one to follow.

Threads has the advantage of learning from a ready-made case study - X. Digital experts believe they can rectify the mistakes made by Twitter, making Threads a platform with greater potential for revenue generation.

In an earlier conversation with Storyboard18, Ankit Oberoi, CEO and founder at ad tech company Zelto Inc., said that while there are many unexplored monetisation opportunities, some existing strategies hold great potential, which can be implemented on the platform. The most familiar one would be sponsored posts and subscriptions.

"The groundwork has already begun. This growing audience makes Threads a potentially remarkable platform for marketing and advertising. A lot of brands have joined the platform along with many content creators and influencers as well to build on the momentum," Oberoi said.

Sponsored threads and branded partnerships enable brands to collaborate directly with content creators. The engaging and exclusive content, along with collaborations with e-commerce platforms, can empower users with shoppable threads, allowing seamless product discovery and purchasing.

"This will also enable leveraging successful models from influencer marketing, such as partnerships and sponsored posts, which can effectively drive monetization in the Threads app. Another approach that stands out for the platform would be native advertising, seamlessly integrating sponsored content within threads to create an authentic user experience," Oberoi added. Native advertising is a paid advertising method where ads seamlessly blend with the appearance, style, and functionality of the media format in which they are placed.

Creator-driven monetization is also crucial to consider due to the difference in content format on Threads compared to Instagram. While many Instagram influencers already have a significant number of followers on Threads, this distinction will result in unique and differentiated content from them on the platform.

Experts also suggested that brands shouldn't take over the platform completely. Striking a balance between monetized and organic content while preserving transparency and user engagement is crucial for the platform's success, they said.