Meta turned on advertising across Threads worldwide on 21 January 2026, opening more than 400 million monthly users to advertisers. The interesting part is not the reach. It is the price. While the auction is thin, early advertisers are seeing CPMs roughly 30% to 40% below Instagram and much cheaper clicks. That gap closes the moment everyone piles in.
We have watched this movie before. Instagram feed CPMs climbed about 45% in the 18 months after ads launched. The brands that tested early bought attention at a discount and learned the format before it got expensive. Threads is that window again, and it will not stay open long. Here is how to use it.
01 What you can run today
Threads is a placement inside your existing Meta campaigns, not a separate platform to learn. You can serve image and video ads, including 4:5 vertical and carousels, and you add Threads either through Advantage+ placements or by selecting it manually in Ads Manager. If you already run Meta, you can be live on Threads in minutes. You do not even need a Threads profile to advertise; you can run from your Instagram or Facebook identity.
02 The first-mover math
Cheap reach is only worth chasing if it converts, so be clear-eyed. The value of going early is two things: you buy impressions below what they will cost in a year, and you learn what creative works on a conversational feed before your competitors do. The risk is that the audience is not yet in a buying mindset on Threads. So you treat it as a cheap testing ground, not a place to move your whole budget. Win the learning, pocket the cheap CPMs, and scale only what proves out.
03 How to turn it on without losing control
Two routes, and they suit different goals.
- Advantage+ placements includes Threads by default and tends to lower blended CPA, Meta cites around 12% on average, because the system finds the cheapest conversions across surfaces. Good for efficiency, weak for learning, since you cannot cleanly see Threads on its own.
- Manual placement isolates Threads so you can read its real cost and conversion rate. Slower and pricier per result, but it is the only way to know whether Threads itself works for you.
Run manual first to get a clean read, then fold Threads into Advantage+ once you trust it.
04 Creative that fits the feed
Threads is a text-first, conversational place. Polished, glossy ad films tend to bounce off it. What works is a strong written hook, the kind of first line that would stop a scroll in a real thread, paired with simple visuals. Lead with the sentence, not the production. If you have a library of tested hooks, this is where they earn their keep; bring your best openers and let the copy carry the ad.
05 How to test without wasting budget
Carve out a small, fixed test budget, run Threads on manual placement against a known control, and judge it on cost per real outcome, not on cheap clicks. A 60% lower cost per click means nothing if those clicks do not buy. Because the placement is new and cheap, this is also a clean spot to run a small holdout and confirm the conversions are real before you scale. Cheap and incremental is a buy. Cheap and hollow is a trap.
06 When to skip it for now
If your buyer does not spend time on Threads, the discount does not matter. A niche B2B or an older demographic may simply not be there yet. The first-mover edge is real, but it is an edge on attention, not a reason to advertise to an audience that is not yours. Test it because it is cheap to find out, and walk away quickly if the numbers say so.
07 Where to start
Add a small manual-placement Threads test to one proven campaign this week, with your three best written hooks. Give it two weeks and read cost per outcome, not CPM. If it pays, scale before the auction fills up. If you want a hand scoping the test, tell us what you are running on Meta and we will size it. The cheap window is open now; what is it worth to learn the format before your competitors do?
Sources: Meta and 2026 trade coverage (TechCrunch, Campaign, JumpFly, ALM Corp) on the 21 January 2026 global Threads ads launch, formats, Advantage+ placement defaults and the roughly 12% lower CPA, and early CPMs 30% to 40% under Instagram; Instagram CPM history as the first-mover precedent.
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How do I run ads on Threads?
Threads is a placement inside your existing Meta campaigns. In Ads Manager you either keep Advantage+ placements, which include Threads by default, or select Threads manually. Supported formats include image, video, 4:5 vertical, and carousel. You do not need a Threads profile; you can advertise from your Instagram or Facebook identity.
Are Threads ads cheaper than Instagram?
Right now, yes. Because the auction is still thin, early advertisers report CPMs roughly 30% to 40% below Instagram and much lower clicks. That advantage is temporary and will shrink as more advertisers enter, the same way Instagram CPMs rose about 45% in the 18 months after its ad launch.
What kind of creative works on Threads?
Threads is conversational and text-first, so a strong written hook beats polished video. Lead with a first line that would stop a scroll in a real thread and keep visuals simple. Bring your best-performing copy hooks rather than your most produced films.
Should I use Advantage+ placements or manual for Threads?
Use manual placement first to isolate Threads and read its true cost and conversion rate. Once you trust the numbers, fold it into Advantage+ placements, which include Threads by default and tend to lower blended CPA by around 12%. Manual is for learning; Advantage+ is for efficiency.
Is it worth advertising on Threads in 2026?
It is worth testing while it is cheap, if your audience is there. The first-mover window offers discounted reach and a chance to learn the format early. Run a small isolated test, judge it on cost per real outcome, and scale only what proves out. Skip it if your buyers are not active on Threads.