• by Colin Kirkland , 2 hours ago

As Threads continues to expand its global user base, the Meta-owned social messaging platform will no longer require advertisers to have an Instagram account, marking a notable step for the app’s future identity as an ad space.

Starting Sept. 26, advertisers will have more options to individualize their presence on Threads and Instagram.

Not only will Meta allow those running ads on Threads to do so independently of Instagram, but advertisers who choose to maintain both accounts will be able to diversify their Threads profile name from their Instagram profile name.

Upon its initial launch in 2023, Threads experienced unprecedented growth, adding 100 million sign-ups within five days. The immediate onboarding of users likely had less to do with rival app X’s new ownership and more with Threads’ direct connection to Instagram.

Strategically, Meta leveraged Instagram’s 2-billion-plus users by inviting them to seamlessly connect their profiles to the company’s new platform. Therefore, until now, the majority of users have possessed the same usernames on both apps, with brands needing to maintain their Instagram identity on Threads to launch ads.

Despite belonging to Meta’s social media ecosystem, Instagram and Threads are intrinsically different, demanding unique approaches from advertisers attempting to capture target audiences with a campaign.  

Now reaching about 500 million users, Threads is closing in on X, attracting more attention from brands, potentially spurring Meta to think of the app as ready to stand on its own as the company builds out tools supporting the user experience and advertising functionality.