Meta’s Threads Opens the Ad Floodgates — Just in Time for a Trade War? 

By The Malketeer

Global Advertisers Get the Green Light as Meta Bets on Threads Amid AI Ambitions and Economic Turbulence

Meta has just flipped the switch—advertising on Threads is now open to all eligible advertisers globally, according to a Reuters report.

As the social media giant races to monetise its microblogging rival to X (formerly Twitter), it’s also sending a loud signal to marketers: Threads is no longer an experiment – it’s a business.

First launched in July 2023, Threads was Meta’s slick, well-timed response to the chaos surrounding Elon Musk’s takeover of X.

With its clean design, Instagram integration, and a firm grip on brand safety, Threads steadily built momentum.

Now, with more than 320 million monthly users and growing, it’s stepping fully into the commercial arena.

Ads Go Global But Will Budgets Follow?

Meta’s decision to scale advertising access globally comes at a precarious moment for the digital ad industry.

The looming shadow of a deepening US-China trade war is making marketers twitchy, with some analysts forecasting a potential US$7 billion blow to Meta’s ad business in 2025 particularly from Chinese e-commerce brands potentially pulling back.

Yet, amid this uncertainty, Meta’s core strength still shines through.

With its vast ecosystem spanning Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, and now Threads, it remains an attractive destination for advertisers seeking reach, engagement, and AI-enhanced ad targeting.

While TikTok faces increasing political heat in the United States, Threads may find itself well-positioned to absorb nervous advertisers seeking safer shores.

Tested in the Wild, Now Ready for the World

Earlier this year, Meta quietly began testing Threads ads with select brands in the US and Japan.

The results must have been encouraging because this new rollout will now see ads appearing in select markets before a broader global expansion.

What remains to be seen is whether Threads can sustain user engagement in the face of increased commercialisation.

Will it follow Instagram’s model of balancing utility with monetisation?

Or will it become yet another platform plagued by ad fatigue?

A Bet on Behaviour and AI

Beyond the ad dollars, Threads plays a strategic role in Meta’s broader ambitions: fuelling its multi-billion-dollar push into AI infrastructure and generative technologies.

More advertising means more data. More data means smarter AI.

It’s a virtuous cycle Meta is keen to accelerate and Threads could be the fresh input it needs.

As Meta prepares to announce its Q1 earnings on 30 April, all eyes will be on whether Threads’ ad strategy starts moving the revenue needle or at the very least, reassures jittery shareholders that Zuck’s latest pet project can finally pay its own way.