Threads is quickly gaining momentum as a prominent social media platform, hitting 275 million monthly active users.

What is Threads?

Launched by Meta in 2023, Threads in Meta’s answer to Twitter. It is a text-based social media platform designed to foster real-time discussions. Its rapid growth is evident, climbing from 200 million monthly active users in August 2024 to 275 million by Q3– a staggering acceleration rate three times faster than its earlier growth rate.

Unlike its competitors, Threads has yet to introduce paid advertisements, creating a space where organic marketing thrives. This offers a unique opportunity for creators and brands to build communities, engage in conversations and share content to a growing audience. This can be particularly helpful to artists who can organically grow their fan base through discussions, sharing their work, and fostering authentic connections.

Why is Threads Growing So Fast?

Threads launched in 2023 in a bid to capitalise on the discontent surrounding changes made to X after Elon Musk purchased the platform in 2022. Under Musk’s leadership, the platform has experienced significant layoffs, particularly within its trust and safety teams. This has led to an increase in misinformation, conspiracy theories and hate speech, as Musk relies on community notes to monitor content. Most recently, Musk’s political discourse and his support for the re-election of Donald Trump has amplified the platform’s polarisation, alienating many users.

These shifts have driven an estimated 6% drop in X’s active users between April and September 2024, with an estimated 115,000 users leaving the platform in the US alone on the day after Trump’s re-election. Threads is emerging as a preferred alternative as they intentionally minimise political discourse, a decision informed by Meta’s insights from Facebook that showed political content reduced engagement with the platform. However, this strategy may face challenges long-term, as discussion platforms thrive on all trending topics, including politics.

Growth and Future Opportunities

Threads has established itself as a strong contender within the real-time conversation space, with Meta’s CEO Mark Zuckerberg reporting one million sign-ups daily. At this rate, Threads could rival X’s active user count by June 2025, opening opportunities for marketers and creators alike. 

Appealing to many, the platform currently lacks paid advertising. However, Meta has hinted about its eventual introduction when the platform reaches a billion users, with ad placements currently being developed despite not currently being live-tested. Given that ads are common across social media, their introduction is unlikely to deter users significantly.

Alongside Threads, Bluesky is also gaining traction across the discussion platform space. Developed by Twitter founder Jack Dorsey, it offers a more similar interface to the original Twitter. Slowly emerging as a popular choice for defecting X users, this could be a platform to keep your eyes on. 

Why Threads Matters for Marketing

Threads’ explosive growth underscores its potential as a valuable platform for social media marketing. With an engaged and expanding user base, it offers a unique opportunity for brands and creators to build authentic connections through community-driven campaigns.

Whether Threads introduces paid advertising or not, Threads provides a fresh opportunity to connect with audiences in a growing platform. If this growth continues, it will be up to creators to utilise Threads’ potential.