How to Get More Threads Followers Before Everyone Else (2026)

Threads just hit 450 million monthly active users — and only 1% of brands are posting consistently. That gap between audience size and brand adoption is, right now, the single biggest organic growth opportunity in social media.

The numbers back it up. Threads delivers a 6.25% median engagement rate — 73.6% higher than X's 3.6%. In January 2026, Threads surpassed X in daily mobile active users (141.5M vs 125M). And the platform doubled its user base from 200M to 400M in roughly 327 days.

Yet according to Sendible's research, only 1% of their customers were publishing content on Threads. That means 99% of brands are leaving this audience untouched.

This guide covers 15 data-backed strategies to grow your Threads following in 2026 — based on algorithm research, platform data from Buffer, and real case studies from brands that have already cracked the code.

TL;DR

• Threads has 450M MAUs with 73.6% higher engagement than X — and only 1% of brands post consistently
• The algorithm prioritizes engagement velocity (first 15-30 minutes) and conversation depth over likes
• Images outperform text-only posts by 60% despite Threads being a "text-first" platform
• Post 1-3 times per day, spaced at least 4 hours apart, with Wednesday mornings being peak time
• Cross-promote from Instagram — 96% of Threads users are on Instagram, and accounts active on both grow 15% faster
• Join Communities (200+ topics) and use the "Dear Algo" feature for additional discovery
• Use a Threads scheduler to post consistently at optimal times

Table of Contents

1. How the Threads Algorithm Decides Who Sees Your Content
2. 15 Strategies to Get More Threads Followers in 2026
3. 10 Threads Growth Myths Debunked
4. Threads vs. X: Which Should You Focus On?
5. FAQs
6. Start Growing Your Threads Following Today

How the Threads Algorithm Decides Who Sees Your Content

Before diving into growth tactics, you need to understand how the Threads algorithm decides which posts reach new audiences. We covered this in depth in our complete Threads algorithm guide, but here's the short version.

The Threads algorithm uses a three-step AI ranking process:

1. Content Gathering — The system collects posts from accounts you follow and accounts you don't follow but may find interesting
2. Signal Analysis — AI analyzes signals including posts you've liked, commented on, shared, and how long you've spent reading them
3. Feed Ranking — Each post receives a predicted value score, and higher-scored content appears higher in the For You feed

Three ranking factors matter most for follower growth:

Engagement velocity is the single most important signal. How quickly your post gets engagement after publishing determines how far it spreads. The first 15-30 minutes are critical — early engagement is exponentially more valuable than late engagement. A post that gets 50 likes in 30 minutes outperforms one that gets 100 likes over 24 hours.

Conversation depth is what separates Threads from every other platform. A post with 10 thoughtful replies with back-and-forth discussion outperforms a post with 100 surface-level likes. Threads is optimized for conversations, not just reactions.

Likelihood of following is the signal that directly drives follower growth. The algorithm predicts whether someone will follow you based on your recent posting history, how many posts they've seen from you, and your interaction with similar accounts.

Understanding these signals turns every strategy below from a tactic into a system. Each one is designed to trigger these specific ranking factors.

15 Strategies to Get More Threads Followers in 2026

1. Leverage Your Instagram Audience First

This is the highest-ROI starting point for most people. 96% of Threads users are also on Instagram, which means your Instagram audience is already on Threads — they just might not be following you there yet.

Here's how to bridge them over:

• Add a Threads badge to your Instagram bio as a direct invite
• Share Threads posts to Instagram Stories — this sends followers straight to your Threads profile
• Cross-post Instagram Reels to Threads (now natively supported)
• Mention your Threads in Instagram captions when you post discussion-worthy content

The key detail: don't just copy-paste content between platforms. Threads rewards a conversational, text-first style that's different from Instagram's visual-first approach. Duolingo, for example, repackages viral Instagram Reels into Threads-friendly snippets, adjusting captions for brevity and conversation.

Accounts active on both platforms experience 15% faster growth than those on Threads alone. Use your Instagram scheduler alongside your Threads scheduler to coordinate content across both.

2. Post Images (They Outperform Text by 60%)

This one surprises most people. Despite Threads being marketed as a "text-first" platform, Buffer's analysis of millions of posts found that images are the top-performing format:

Images lead engagement by 0.6% more than videos, 37% more than links, and 60% more than text-only posts. This doesn't mean you should stop writing text posts — they're great for sparking conversations. But pairing your text with a relevant image, screenshot, infographic, or meme significantly boosts your algorithmic reach.

Use PostEverywhere's AI content generator to brainstorm image-paired post ideas that drive discussion.

3. Find Your Posting Sweet Spot (1-3x Per Day)

Consistency is what turns the algorithm into an ally. But there's a real sweet spot to hit.

For most accounts, 1-3 posts per day is optimal. More than 3 posts per day risks splitting engagement across posts and causing audience fatigue. Each post has roughly a 60-90 minute algorithmic visibility window, so space posts at least 4 hours apart to give each one its full run.

For aggressive growth, some creators go higher. A Buffer team member saw growth correlate with 10-12 posts per day. But that's the exception, not the rule — and it requires a very high content quality bar.

If you're just starting, begin with 1-2 posts per day focusing on quality, then scale up as you learn what resonates. Use a social media scheduler to batch-create and queue posts so consistency doesn't depend on your daily motivation.

4. Respond to Every Reply Within 15-30 Minutes

This is the strategy most people skip — and it's one of the most powerful.

Engagement velocity is the algorithm's top ranking signal, and the first 15-30 minutes after posting determine how far your content spreads. When you reply to comments on your own post, those replies count as engagement. They extend the post's algorithmic life and signal to the system that a genuine conversation is happening.

Here's the playbook:

• Post at a time you can be actively online for the next 30 minutes
• Reply to every comment — even a brief acknowledgment keeps the conversation going
• Ask follow-up questions in your replies to generate reply depth
• Reply to your own post with additional context, a follow-up thought, or a question

This single habit — being present for the first 30 minutes after every post — can double your reach over time. Plan your posting schedule around times you're available with a content calendar.

Struggling to post consistently at the right times? PostEverywhere lets you schedule Threads posts in advance and auto-publish at peak engagement windows. Try the Threads scheduler free.

5. Join and Participate in Communities

Threads Communities launched in October 2025 and expanded to 200+ interest topics by December 2025. They're public, interest-based spaces with custom Like emojis, champion badges, and Live Chat sessions.

Why they matter for growth: content posted in active Communities gets additional distribution within those interest groups. This gives your posts a discovery channel beyond the For You feed — reaching people who are already interested in your niche.

To use Communities effectively:

• Join 3-5 Communities relevant to your niche
• Post natively within Communities (not just cross-posts from your main feed)
• Engage with other Community members to build visibility within the group
• Display Community badges on your profile to signal your interests

Communities are still underutilized, which means early participants get outsized visibility. This is similar to the early days of Facebook Groups — those who showed up first built the biggest audiences.

6. Start Conversations, Not Broadcasts

The Threads algorithm is built around conversation. Posts that spark back-and-forth discussion get massive algorithmic boosts, while one-way broadcasts get minimal reach.

Posts ending with questions consistently get more replies. Topics that spark debate outperform informational posts. This is the fundamental culture of Threads — it rewards you for being interesting, not just informative.

Conversation-starting formats that work:

• Hot takes — Share a strong opinion about your industry and invite disagreement
• "This or that" questions — Give people two options and ask them to pick
• Unpopular opinions — State something contrarian and ask "Am I wrong?"
• Behind-the-scenes confessions — Share something real about your work or process
• Polls — Threads supports up to 4 options, and polls naturally encourage voting and commenting

The key is creating posts people feel compelled to reply to, not just passively like. Every reply you generate deepens your conversation signals and increases your chances of appearing in non-followers' For You feeds.

7. Use the "Dear Algo" Feature Strategically

This is one of the most underutilized growth tools on Threads. Tested in September 2025, the "Dear Algo" feature lets you post "Dear Algo" followed by instructions about what you want to see more or less of. The feed adjusts for approximately 3 days based on the instruction.

How this helps with growth: by tuning your own feed to show more content in your niche, you discover accounts to engage with and conversations to join. The more you engage authentically in your niche, the more the algorithm understands what kind of audience your content should reach.

Think of it as a discovery accelerator — you're teaching the algorithm what your niche looks like, and it reciprocates by connecting you with that audience.

8. Optimize Your Profile for Search and Discovery

Your Threads profile is your conversion page. Every person the algorithm shows your post to will visit your profile before deciding whether to follow — and the profile needs to close that decision.

Based on profile optimization research:

• Use relevant keywords in your bio ("travel writer," "AI educator," "fitness coach") for search discoverability
• Keep your username consistent with Instagram — people will look for you on both platforms
• Add a clear call-to-action in your bio (what should someone expect by following you?)
• Add multiple links to your profile (Threads now supports this)
• Join and display Communities on your profile to signal your interests
• Add up to 10 topics to your profile bio to help the algorithm categorize your content

A strong profile turns casual viewers into followers. A weak profile means all the reach in the world won't convert.

9. Create Platform-Native Content (Stop Copy-Pasting)

One of the biggest mistakes brands make is repurposing content from X or LinkedIn and dumping it on Threads. Sendible tested this approach in Q1 2025 and the results were brutal: 300 total views.

When they switched to platform-native content — casual, conversational, authentic — they saw 30,000% growth in 3 months.

What "platform-native" means on Threads:

• Casual over corporate — Links and branded imagery consistently underperform
• Conversational over polished — Write like you're talking to a friend, not presenting a pitch deck
• Humor over formality — Brands like Olipop and Wendy's outperform their other platforms by leaning into memes and slang
• Questions over statements — Invite responses rather than broadcasting information
• Raw over produced — Behind-the-scenes content builds deeper connections

Each platform has its own algorithmic and cultural norms. Content that works on LinkedIn's professional feed will fall flat on Threads' conversation-first environment. Build content specifically for Threads, and your growth rate will reflect it.

Need Threads-native content ideas? Check out our 100 Threads content ideas for ready-to-use post templates, or use our AI content generator to create conversation-starting posts tailored to Threads.

10. Post at Peak Times (Wednesday Morning Wins)

Timing directly feeds the engagement velocity signal. Post when your audience is active, and you get faster engagement — which means more algorithmic distribution.

Based on multiple large-scale studies (Buffer: 730K+ posts; SocialChamp: 400K posts):

The single best time is Wednesday at 7 AM in your audience's local timezone. The best overall window is 7-9 AM on weekdays, especially Tuesday through Friday. Weekend evenings (8-10 PM) also show strong performance.

All times should match your audience's timezone, not yours. For a deeper breakdown, see our best time to post on Threads guide, or use PostEverywhere's best time to post tool to find your optimal posting windows.

11. Use One Highly Relevant Tag Per Post

Threads uses a unique tagging system — only 1 tag per post, no # symbol needed. You just click the # icon and type your tag. Phrases with spaces are allowed (e.g., "Fitness Motivation").

Adam Mosseri has explicitly stated that hashtags "don't work" to increase reach — they're primarily for categorization and search discoverability. So don't expect hashtag-driven growth like on Instagram.

Best practice: use one highly relevant tag per post that matches what someone in your niche would search for. This helps your content appear in search results and related topic feeds. It won't drive massive discovery on its own, but it compounds over time as search becomes a larger part of the Threads experience.

Note: cross-posted Instagram hashtags are now hidden on Threads by default, so if you're cross-posting, add a native Threads tag separately.

12. Engage With Others' Content Daily

Follower growth on Threads isn't just about your own posts — it's about being visible in other people's conversations. When you leave thoughtful comments on popular posts in your niche, those comments are visible to everyone viewing that thread. Your profile is one tap away.

This is especially effective because the algorithm tracks your engagement patterns and factors them into who sees your content. The more you engage authentically in your niche, the better the algorithm gets at recommending you to the right audience.

Strategies that work:

• Comment on posts from accounts larger than yours — their audience sees your reply
• Engage in brand banter — brands like Wendy's, Olipop, and the McNay Art Museum grew significantly through playful interactions with other brands
• Add genuine value in replies — don't just say "great post." Share a perspective, add data, or ask a thoughtful follow-up question
• Engage within Communities to build visibility with niche audiences

Dedicate 10-15 minutes per day to commenting on others' content. Use your engagement rate calculator to track whether your efforts are translating into measurable growth.

13. Consider Getting Verified

Verification adds a trust signal to your profile that can improve click-through from impression to follow. There are two paths to verification on Threads (it transfers from Instagram):

1. Free (Legacy Verification) — You must prove you're a person of public interest. Submit evidence and government ID through Instagram. You may be denied.
2. Paid (Meta Verified) — $14.99/month. Available to anyone 18+ with a real name, government ID, profile photo with your face, 2FA enabled, and a prior posting history.

The verification badge isn't a ranking factor — the algorithm doesn't preferentially rank verified accounts. But it increases profile trustworthiness and can boost your follow-through rate, particularly for brand accounts and creators building authority in a niche.

14. Use Scheduling Tools for Consistency

The number one killer of Threads growth is inconsistency. You post five times one week, disappear for two weeks, then try to restart momentum. The algorithm rewards regular posting patterns, and scheduling tools eliminate the willpower requirement.

Threads supports native in-app scheduling as of January 2025, and the API enables third-party tools to schedule and auto-publish posts. Using scheduling tools has no negative impact on algorithmic ranking — Meta's official API powers them.

With PostEverywhere, you can:

• Batch-create a week of Threads content in one sitting
• Schedule posts at optimal times based on your audience data
• Cross-post to Instagram, X, and other platforms from one dashboard using cross-posting
• View all scheduled content in a visual calendar to maintain a balanced posting cadence

For a step-by-step walkthrough, see our guide on how to schedule Threads posts.

15. Run Contests and Collaborative Threads

Contests and collaborations create spikes in engagement that can rapidly expand your follower base. When you partner with another creator or brand for a collaborative thread, you expose your content to their audience — and vice versa.

Effective approaches:

• "Tag someone who..." threads that invite people to bring friends into the conversation
• Collaborative hot takes where you and another creator debate a topic
• Giveaways that require following and commenting to enter (be careful not to cross into engagement bait territory — keep the ask genuine)
• Community-based challenges posted within relevant Threads Communities

92% of marketers say influencer content achieves greater reach than brand accounts, and 59% intend to partner with more creators on Threads. Collaborations let smaller accounts tap into larger audiences without buying ads.

Ready to grow your Threads following? PostEverywhere helps you schedule Threads posts at optimal times, cross-post to every major platform, and plan your content strategy from one dashboard. Start your free trial.

10 Threads Growth Myths Debunked

1. "It's too late to start on Threads" Only 1% of brands are consistently posting on Threads. With 450M MAUs and growing, there's massive first-mover advantage. The organic growth window is predicted to narrow by Q4 2026 as ads scale — but right now, the opportunity is wide open.

2. "Just repost your X/Twitter content on Threads" Sendible tested this: repurposed content earned 300 total views. Platform-native content vastly outperforms copy-pasted posts. Each platform has its own algorithm and cultural norms.

3. "Polished, corporate content performs best" Links and branded imagery consistently underperform. Imperfect, humorous, and relatable posts work best. Olipop outperformed their other platforms by leaning into memes and slang.

4. "Hashtags are essential for discovery" Adam Mosseri has explicitly said that hashtags "don't work" to increase reach on Threads. You're limited to 1 tag per post, and it's for categorization — not growth. Cross-posted Instagram hashtags are hidden by default.

5. "You need a huge following to get reach" Small accounts (0-5K followers) actually see higher engagement rates (4.5%+) than large accounts (25K+, around 3%). The algorithm evaluates content quality, not follower count.

6. "Follower count is everything" Real growth comes from genuine connections. Buying followers makes your account look spammy and eventually kills your reach. The algorithm rewards meaningful interactions over raw numbers.

7. "Posting more always means more growth" More than 3 quality posts per day risks audience fatigue and splits engagement. One well-timed post at noon will outperform three mediocre posts during off-peak hours.

8. "Threads is just a Twitter clone" Threads is optimized for conversations rather than broadcasting. It's integrated with Instagram, rewards reply depth as a top-tier ranking signal, and supports fediverse/ActivityPub integration. The culture is more positive and community-oriented.

9. "You need to be verified to grow" Verification helps with trust but isn't required for growth. The algorithm doesn't preferentially rank verified accounts. Consistent, quality content and engagement matter more.

10. "Threads' engagement is declining, so it's not worth it" While engagement rates declined from 4.76% to 3.60% as the platform matured, this is natural with more users and more content. Threads still has 73.6% higher engagement than X. Median engagements per post actually increased from 4 to 5 over this period. The platform is growing, not dying.

Threads vs. X: Which Should You Focus On?

With Threads surpassing X in daily mobile active users in January 2026, this is the most common question brands ask. Here's how they compare for growth:

The bottom line: For most brands and creators, Threads offers significantly better organic growth potential in 2026 due to lower competition, higher engagement rates, and rapid platform growth. X still has advantages for real-time news, B2B, and web-based audiences.

The smart play for most people is a hybrid strategy — but if you have to choose one to invest in first, Threads has the wider growth window right now. Use PostEverywhere's cross-posting feature to maintain presence on both without doubling your workload.

Growing on Other Platforms

Building a following on Threads is just one piece of the puzzle. See our data-backed guides for other platforms:

• How to get more Instagram followers
• How to get more TikTok followers
• How to get more YouTube subscribers
• How to grow your LinkedIn following
• How to get more followers on X
• How to get more Facebook followers

FAQs

How many followers can I realistically gain on Threads per month?

It depends on your consistency and niche, but realistic benchmarks exist. Buffer's growth experiment — starting at 366 followers with 1 scheduled post daily, around 20 minutes of engagement, and no ads — gained hundreds of followers over 3 months. The McNay Art Museum gained 5,000 followers in one week with viral content. For most accounts posting 1-3 times daily and engaging actively, 200-500 new followers per month is achievable.

Does the Threads algorithm penalize scheduling tools?

No. Meta provides an official API for scheduling Threads posts, and using it has no impact on algorithmic ranking. Tools like PostEverywhere use the official API. What matters is the content quality and engagement it generates, not how it was published.

Should I cross-post from Instagram or create separate content for Threads?

Both — but lean toward separate. 96% of Threads users are on Instagram, so cross-promoting makes sense. But don't just copy-paste: adapt content for Threads' conversational style. Share Threads posts to Instagram Stories, add a Threads badge to your Instagram bio, and use your Instagram scheduler to coordinate.

How important are hashtags (tags) on Threads?

Not very important for growth. Adam Mosseri has explicitly said hashtags "don't work" to increase reach. You can only use 1 tag per post, and it's mainly for search categorization. Use one relevant tag per post but don't expect hashtag-driven discovery like on Instagram.

What's the biggest mistake brands make on Threads?

Treating Threads like another broadcasting platform. Sendible's data shows that repurposed corporate content earned 300 views while platform-native, conversational content drove 30,000% growth. Threads rewards authenticity, humor, and genuine conversation — not polished marketing messages.

Is it worth paying for Meta Verified on Threads?

It depends on your goals. Meta Verified costs $14.99/month and gives you a verification badge, which increases trust. The badge isn't a ranking factor, but it can improve your follow-through rate. For brand accounts and creators building authority, it's a reasonable investment. For casual users, the money is better spent on content quality.

How do I know if the Threads algorithm is limiting my reach?

Use the Account Status dashboard. It tells you if your posts are eligible to be recommended to non-followers and notifies you if content has been demoted. If you see a sudden drop in reach, check Account Status first. Common causes include engagement bait patterns, guideline violations, or posting content that's too promotional.

Should I focus on Threads or X for growth in 2026?

For most brands and creators, Threads offers better growth potential right now. It has 73.6% higher engagement rates, only 1% brand saturation, and is growing at 127.8% YoY. X is better if your audience is primarily B2B, news-focused, or web-based. For the best results, use a social media scheduler to maintain presence on both without doubling your effort.

Start Growing Your Threads Following Today

Threads is in the middle of a massive growth window. The platform has 450 million monthly active users, engagement rates that dwarf every competitor, and almost no brand competition. That combination won't last forever — ads began rolling out globally in January 2026, and the organic reach advantage will gradually narrow.

The brands and creators who build their Threads audience now will have a significant head start when the platform fully matures.

Here's how to get started:

• Schedule your Threads posts — Plan and auto-publish content at peak times with PostEverywhere
• Find your best posting times — See data-driven timing recommendations for Threads and every other platform
• Generate conversation-starting content — Use AI to brainstorm Threads-native post ideas that drive replies
• Learn how to schedule Threads — Step-by-step guide to scheduling with the official API
• Get 100 Threads content ideas — Ready-to-use post templates for every niche
• Find the best time to post on Threads — Detailed timing data based on 730K+ posts
• Understand the Threads algorithm — Complete guide to how the ranking system works
• Learn how to go viral on Threads — Strategies for maximum Threads reach