If you work in marketing, at some point in the last year someone has asked you a very specific, slightly panicked question:

“So… should we be on Threads?”

Meta launched Threads in 2023 as a text based companion to Instagram. It exploded to 100 million signups in under a week, usage dropped, everyone declared it dead, and then quietly, while everyone was arguing about X, Threads kept shipping features and racking up users.

Now in 2025 it is sitting on hundreds of millions of users and daily activity that is competitive with X. Ads are live, brand safety is a selling point, and your leadership team is looking at you like, “Is this a thing or a distraction?”

Let’s walk through what Threads actually is, what has changed since launch, and the real pros and cons of joining as a brand, so you can make an informed call instead of a fear of missing out call.

First Things First – What Is Threads, Exactly?

Threads is Meta’s text first social app that is tightly connected to Instagram. You log in with your Instagram account, your username and verification carry over, and a lot of your existing relationships follow you into the new space.

Think of it as a public, brand friendly group chat. Posts are mostly text, but you can add images, video, and links. There is a familiar feed, replies, and quote posts. Over time Meta has layered in better search, trending topics, moderation tools, and, recently, ad placements.

A quick arc:

• 2023 – Threads launches, blows past 100 million signups in five days, then engagement slides as the novelty wears off.

• 2024 – The “is Threads dead” discourse peaks, Meta keeps quietly iterating and integrating it more deeply with Instagram.

• 2025 – Reports peg Threads around 400 million monthly active users and well over 100 million daily active users, and Meta rolls out ads through Ads Manager in select markets.

Important clarification: this is not the old “Instagram Threads” camera and messaging app that quietly disappeared years ago. Same name, different product.

So in plain language, Threads is Meta’s answer to “what if Twitter but less chaos, more Instagram energy.”

Why Brands Are Paying Attention Again

For most brands, Threads is interesting for three reasons.

First, the audience is no longer theoretical. Meta is stacking users quickly, and engagement has recovered from the post launch slump. That does not mean your exact ICP is guaranteed to be active, but it is not a ghost town.

Second, the integration with Instagram is unusually tight. You do not have to build from zero. Your handle, your identity, and a chunk of your audience move over with you, and people can follow you from your Instagram profile with a single tap.

Third, there is a brand safety story. Compared to X, Threads is pitching itself as friendlier, less combative territory, with more robust controls over who can reply to you, what shows up in your replies, and how your content gets recommended.

If Instagram is your glossy magazine and TikTok is your reality show, Threads is the brand group chat that accidentally got made public. That vibe is a big part of the appeal.

The Upside – Pros of Joining Threads as a Brand

Let’s start with the reasons to say yes.

You Get A Head Start From Instagram

Unlike most new networks, Threads is not asking you to drag your audience over from scratch. Logging in with your Instagram profile means:

• People who already follow you can follow you on Threads in one tap.

• Your handle and verification match, which keeps brand confusion low.

From a marketer standpoint, that is huge. You can test a new channel on top of the Instagram footprint you have already built instead of starting from zero like you had to on TikTok or BeReal.

It Is A Low Friction Sandbox For Brand Voice

Threads is text heavy and fast moving. That makes it an incredible lab for brand personality.

You can try out jokes, hot takes, contrarian one liners, half baked prompts, and see what sticks with your audience without spinning up a studio shoot. The stakes feel lower than a carefully art directed Instagram grid or a months in the making TV campaign.

For consumer brands with strong copywriters, this is gold. You can:

• Test hooks you might later use in ads.

• Stress test how playful, spicy, or earnest your brand can be.

• Learn which topics your community actually wants to talk about.

Then you get to steal the winners and port them into Meta ads, email subject lines, landing pages, and TikTok scripts.

Creative Lift Is Lighter Than Video First Platforms

TikTok and Reels are amazing, but they are heavy. You need planning, production, editing, and a constant stream of fresh ideas.

Threads, at least right now, lets you play with:

• Short, smart text posts.

• Screenshots and memes.

• Simple photo or video attachments, often straight from your phone.

That does not mean you can be lazy, but it does mean you can participate without tripling your content production budget.

Meta Has Turned Threads Into Ad Inventory

This is the big 2025 shift. Meta has begun rolling out Threads placements inside Ads Manager. You buy them the same way you buy Instagram or Facebook placements, and in many cases you must pair Threads inventory with Instagram feed ads.

Early reports suggest that Threads ads can deliver additional reach and impressions at competitive CPMs, particularly when bundled with existing Instagram campaigns.

That matters for two reasons:

1. You do not have to train your team on an entirely new ads interface.

2. You can slot Threads into your existing Meta media mix and treat it as incremental reach rather than a separate budget line.
   
   

If you want to go deep on the paid side, we covered the mechanics, placements, and strategy in our full Threads advertising guide: https://www.darkroomagency.com/observatory/advertising-in-threads-essential-platform-guide-for-business-growth

Brand Safety And Moderation Tools Are Strong

Threads ships with more guardrails than many social platforms. Brands can:

• Control who is allowed to reply.

• Filter replies by keywords and safety settings.

• Quickly limit replies to people they follow or mentioned accounts.

If you run a brand in a sensitive category or in a heavily regulated space, those controls can make the idea of real time conversation a lot less scary.

The Tradeoffs – Cons And Hidden Costs Of Joining Threads

Now for the less exciting part.

It Really Is Another Channel To Manage

“Just text posts” sounds light until you think about the actual workflow.

You still need strategy, approvals, community management, escalation paths, and monitoring across time zones. If legal already groans every time you mention social, Threads will not make that easier.

Blue Wheel was right to flag this in their original pros and cons article, and the point still stands. Even if the posts feel casual, brand risk is not.

If your social team is already underwater keeping up with Instagram, TikTok, and customer care, dropping Threads on top without more support is a recipe for burnout, not brilliance.

Measurement Is Still Playing Catch Up

Threads analytics are improving, but they are not at the level of mature platforms yet. You will see engagement metrics and some click data, and there is evolving support via Meta’s API and third party tools, but stitching that into a clean revenue story is still work.

For a lot of brands, Threads will sit in that messy middle tier of “we know it does something, we can see directional impact, but we cannot neatly attribute every sale.” If your organization requires hard attribution for every line item, that can be frustrating.

Your Audience Might Not Care Yet

Threads has big headline numbers, but that does not mean your specific audience has moved their attention there. In some categories, your consumers still live on TikTok, YouTube, Instagram feed and Stories, or private communities.

If you sell to an older skew that barely uses X and prefers email and Facebook, Threads will not be a magic unlock. If you are B2B leaning with a DTC front, your buyers might still be more active on LinkedIn and niche forums.

It is worth checking your own data and talking to your customers instead of assuming “everyone is on Threads now.”

Threads Rewards A Different Kind Of Creativity

Threads loves fast, witty, human content. If your brand voice is very polished, very formal, or very risk averse, that can be a tough adjustment.

You will feel pressure to:

• React quickly to cultural moments.

• Loosen your approval flow.

• Let real humans speak instead of committee written announcements.

If your internal culture will not support that kind of agility, you may find yourself posting stiff, corporate content into a feed that does not respond to it.

The Product Is Still Moving Under Your Feet

Threads is not a mature, stable platform yet. Features like search, trends, moderation options, and ad products are rolling out in stages.

That is exciting for innovators and annoying for risk averse brands that want a locked down playbook. What works for you today may not work the same way in six months, and you need a team that can adapt without burning cycles on every minor change.

Should Your Brand Join Threads? A Simple Way To Decide

Here is how I would approach it if I were sitting in your seat.

Start With Your Instagram Reality

If your Instagram presence is small, inconsistent, or totally off brand, Threads is not where you fix that.

Threads makes the most sense when:

• You have a meaningful audience on Instagram already.

• You have a social team that understands your brand voice and can ship quickly.

• You are already investing in Meta as a performance channel.
  
  

If that is not true yet, your marginal dollar is probably better spent tightening up your Instagram and Meta ads first.

Decide What Job Threads Will Do For You

“Because we should be everywhere” is not a job description.

Try assigning Threads one of these roles:

• Voice lab. A place to stress test tone of voice, take smarter risks, and see what kinds of lines and perspectives your audience actually engages with.

• Community lounge. A lightweight place for superfans, creators, and industry peers to interact with you in a more casual way.

• Media extension. A way to pick up incremental reach and impressions through Meta’s ad placements without overhauling your media plan.

If none of those feel compelling, that is a sign you do not have a real reason to be there yet.

Pick An Investment Tier Instead Of Going All In By Default

You do not have to choose between “full send” and “ignore forever.” A more sensible approach:

• Tier 1: Parked handle. Claim your Threads handle, post a pinned intro, and keep the lights on. No pressure to post daily, you just own your name and control basic brand presence.

• Tier 2: Light organic and listening. Commit to a few posts a week, experiment with tone, pay attention to what your category is doing, and treat this like R&D.

• Tier 3: Integrated channel. Fold Threads into your campaign planning, keep a daily presence, and include Threads placements in your Meta media plans.

Most brands should live in tier two while they learn. You can always ramp into tier three once you see consistent signals.

If You Join Threads, What Does “Good” Actually Look Like?

Imagine you say yes, set a reasonable scope, and run a 90 day experiment. What should you expect to see if things are working?

You should see a recognizable voice emerging. Threads rewards brands that sound like people, not press releases. Over a few months you will notice patterns in how your audience responds. Certain content families hit repeatedly, like behind the scenes peeks, spicy takes about your category, or playful Q and A threads.

You should see engagement that feels real. That means replies and quote posts from customers, creators, and peers you recognize, not just likes from random accounts and obvious bots. Clicks back to your site or other channels will not be huge at first, but you should see some traction on links that align with your strongest posts.

You should also see internal learning. Your copywriters and social team will have a sharper sense of what ideas resonate. Your creative testing on Meta may pick up new angles that started life as throwaway Threads lines. This is the less glamorous, more valuable side of joining.

If none of that is happening and you are just checking a box, it might be time to scale back instead of doubling your posting volume.

How Darkroom Thinks About Threads For Consumer Brands

At Darkroom, we do not treat Threads as a random extra. We think of it as one node inside a larger social and performance system for consumer brands.

When we recommend Threads, it is usually because:

• The brand already has a serious Instagram and Meta ads footprint.

• Their category benefits from real time conversation, commentary, or community.

• Their team is ready to loosen the tie a little, creatively speaking.

On the paid side, we fold Threads placements into Meta media plans rather than building a separate Threads only strategy. That lets us test Threads creative and performance alongside Instagram feed, Stories, and Reels, and decide whether it deserves more budget as real data rolls in.

On the organic side, we often treat Threads as a voice lab. We use it to pressure test the kind of copy and concepts that later become hooks in ads, subject lines in lifecycle flows, or motifs in broader brand campaigns.

If you want to see how we approach Threads ads at a technical level, start here: https://www.darkroomagency.com/observatory/advertising-in-threads-essential-platform-guide-for-business-growth

If you want to see how that connects to your larger growth program, our services overview breaks down the full stack: https://www.darkroomagency.com/services

And if you are thinking about Threads as part of a broader social commerce strategy alongside TikTok, creators, and retail media, this is a good companion read: https://www.darkroomagency.com/observatory/navigating-social-commerce-strategies-for-merchants-and-creators

FAQ – Threads For Brands In 2025

Is Threads still worth it for brands in 2025?

For many consumer brands, yes, with caveats. Threads has real scale and momentum now, and the Meta integration makes it relatively low friction to test. It is most worth it if you already have a strong Instagram presence and are prepared to experiment with a more human voice.

Do you need Threads if you are already active on Instagram and TikTok?

Need is a strong word. Treat Threads as a bonus layer, not a core requirement. If you have limited bandwidth, you are usually better off nailing Instagram and TikTok first, then using Threads as a smart extension rather than a third pillar from day one.

How often should brands post on Threads?

There is no magic number, but in a light test phase, a few thoughtful posts per week is plenty. Quality and responsiveness matter more than hitting a daily quota you cannot sustain.

Can you run ads on Threads, and how do they work?

Yes. Meta has rolled out Threads placements inside Ads Manager. In most cases you run Threads ads as an additional placement alongside Instagram feed. The buying flow, reporting, and optimization live in the same Meta ecosystem you already know.

What kind of content works best on Threads for consumer brands?

Brands that perform well tend to lean into personality, speed, and participation. Think short, opinionated lines, playful threads, behind the scenes commentary, and smart participation in cultural or category conversations. Over produced copy is easy to scroll past.

Where To Go From Here

You do not have to be the first brand on every new platform, but you also do not want to ignore a channel that makes sense for your audience and your social stack.

If you want help figuring out where Threads fits in your Meta and social commerce ecosystem, you can explore our services here:
https://www.darkroomagency.com/services/paid-media-management
https://www.darkroomagency.com/services/tiktokshop

Or if you want a more tailored answer, grab time with the team:
https://www.darkroomagency.com/book-a-call