Instagram Threads Video Ads: What You Need to Know

Instagram Threads to Introduce Video Advertisements

Instagram Threads is preparing to initiate testing of video ads, as announced by Meta on Thursday. This development will bring Threads closer in functionality to its competitor, X.

Expansion of Advertising Initiatives

The forthcoming test represents a broadening of Threads’ advertising efforts. These initiatives were launched last month with the opening of advertising opportunities to a global audience of advertisers.

The announcement was made during Meta’s presentation at the IAB NewFronts. This event serves as a platform for social media companies to present their advertising capabilities.

Ad Format and Placement

Meta states that a limited number of advertisers will participate in the initial testing phase. They will utilize 19:9 or 1:1 video ad creatives.

These ads will be integrated into the Threads feed, appearing between pieces of organic content. Specific details regarding pricing and ad frequency were not disclosed by the company.

Growth in User Engagement

This update arrives following Meta’s recent report that Threads has surpassed 350 million monthly active users.

Furthermore, the app has experienced a 35% increase in user engagement, measured by time spent on the platform. This improvement is attributed to enhancements in the app’s recommendation algorithms, as shared by Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg during the company’s April earnings call.

Additional Ad Product Updates

Meta unveiled these Threads updates alongside other advancements to its advertising products at the NewFronts event.

Reels Trending Ads

The company is also experimenting with a new short-form video advertising solution called Reels trending ads. These ads will be displayed alongside the most popular Reels content created by users.

Competition with TikTok

TikTok recently expanded its own similar offering, known as Pulse Suite. This allows advertisers to position their marketing materials alongside trending content categorized by themes, holidays, significant events, and consistently popular content from sports, entertainment, and lifestyle publishers.

Creator Marketplace Enhancements

Meta will also begin testing Trends within Instagram’s Creator Marketplace. This feature is designed to assist advertisers in identifying current popular trends.

Additionally, the Creator Marketplace API will be tested. This will enable businesses to efficiently locate and collaborate with a large number of high-quality content creators.

Video Expansion on Facebook Reels

The company is also implementing Video Expansion on Facebook Reels. This technology enhances video assets by generating additional pixels within each frame. This process expands the aspect ratio, creating a more seamless viewing experience.