We'll be seeing ads on Meta Threads way sooner than we thought. The word from the tech grapevine, according to Digiday, is that marketers will be able to start buying ad space on this text-centric platform that's gunning to be the next big thing after X, as early as later this year.

This is a well-worn Meta / Zuckerberg rollout strategy by now. In the beginning of Facebook and when Facebook acquired Instagram,  Zuck said that there won't be any ads on the platform. What he really meant was there won't be any ads to start, but we might roll out ads later (wink wink, nudge nudge).

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Meta launched Threads just over a year ago, but hasn't spilled much about how they're planning to integrate these ads. Now it's clear they're more focused on getting the timing right than hashing out the nitty-gritty details of where these ads will exactly fit.

Some ad execs got a sneak peek, speaking off-record, of course. They mentioned something about beta testing for ad options kicking off soon, but there’s no word yet on a release date. 

Meta's playing it cool for now, emphasizing that building a solid user base is their priority, so no ads or money-making schemes on Threads just yet. They're nudging businesses to dip their toes and see how Threads fits into their organic social strategies.

If everything goes according to plan, it signals Meta's confidence in Threads hitting a billion users — a number they've set before they'd even consider ads. Right now, they’re way off that mark with just 130 million monthly users reported by Zuckerberg in their latest earnings call.

Timing is everything with ad rollouts. Do it too soon, and you risk turning off users who are enjoying an ad-free experience. Wait too long, and you could miss out on the cash needed to keep the platform afloat and evolving.