Until now, advertising on Threads has effectively been an extension of Instagram. To run Threads ads, your Threads profile needed to match your Instagram account. That’s changing. As reported by Social Media Today on 21 September 2026, Meta is decoupling Threads advertising from Instagram: from September, matching usernames across the two apps are no longer required to run Threads ads, and businesses without an Instagram presence can launch Threads ads directly from their Threads profile. MediaPost reported the change as starting on 26 September 2026.
It sounds like a small admin change. For some Australian businesses, particularly those that have never been a natural fit for Instagram, it could open a new channel.
What exactly has changed
According to Meta, as quoted by Social Media Today:
“Businesses operating without an Instagram profile will also be able to launch ads on Threads directly using their native Threads profile.”
In practical terms:
- you no longer need matching usernames on Threads and Instagram to run Threads ads
- a business with no Instagram account can still advertise on Threads
- businesses that keep both accounts can use a different name on each, if that suits their brand
- advertisers can reach Threads audiences on their own terms, rather than as a by-product of an Instagram setup
Social Media Today notes the changes are rolling out gradually and may not yet be available to every advertiser, so don’t be surprised if your account doesn’t show the option straight away.
Why Meta is doing this
Threads has grown to around 500 million users, according to both Social Media Today and MediaPost, and people use it quite differently from Instagram. Instagram is visual-first. Threads is more conversational and text-led, closer to a discussion feed. Separating the ad setup is part of a broader move by Meta to treat Threads as its own platform rather than an Instagram add-on.
Who should pay attention
This change is most relevant to businesses that have struggled to make Instagram work:
- B2B and professional services such as accountants, consultants, software companies and agencies, where ideas and expertise matter more than glossy photos.
- Businesses whose brand runs on opinions and conversation such as publishers, commentators, educators and community organisations.
- Businesses with separate brand identities across platforms, where forcing a Threads profile to mirror Instagram never made sense.
If you’re already doing well on Instagram, this doesn’t change much for you directly. But it may mean more competitors appear on Threads over the coming months.
Before you spend: get the organic basics right
Paid ads on a text-first platform work best when there’s a credible profile behind them. People who see a Threads ad will often tap through to the profile to see what else you post. An empty or neglected profile undermines the ad.
A few weeks of consistent, genuinely useful posts (practical tips, honest opinions on your industry, answers to common customer questions) gives your ads somewhere good to land.
It’s also worth thinking about who will reply. Threads is built around conversation, so a promoted post may attract comments and questions. Decide in advance who in your business will respond, how quickly, and what tone you’ll use. A thoughtful reply to a sceptical comment can do more for your brand than the ad itself, while silence can make a paid post look abandoned.
What to do now
- Claim and tidy your Threads profile. Use a clear business name, a recognisable profile image and a bio that explains what you do and where.
- Post consistently for a few weeks first. Test which topics get replies and shares before putting money behind anything.
- Check whether the new ad setup is available to you. The rollout is gradual, so look in your Meta ad tools and try again later if it’s not there yet.
- Start with a small test budget. Promote posts that have already done well organically, and measure clicks, enquiries and profile follows.
- Write for the platform. Threads rewards conversational, plain-English posts. Repurposed Instagram captions and stock images tend to feel out of place.
- Track results properly. Use tagged links and make sure enquiries from Threads can be identified in your CRM.
Threads won’t be the right channel for every business, but removing the Instagram requirement makes it a lot easier to find out. If you’d like help deciding whether Threads belongs in your social mix, the Big Digital social team is happy to chat.
Photo: Trương Tuyết Ly on Unsplash