Why Meta's Threads Is Betting on Podcasters to Attract Users

Meta's (META) Threads app is launching a new feature that lets podcasters share short episode previews that play directly in users' feeds. This is part of a push to attract podcasters and their fans to use the social media firm's platform more frequently. Meta hopes that by making it easier for podcasters to connect with listeners, more people will use Threads to talk about their favorite shows and build communities around them.Claim 50% Off TipRanks Premium and Invest with Confidence Unlock hedge-fund level data and powerful investing tools designed to help you make smarter, sharper decisions Stay ahead of the market with the latest news and analysis so your portfolio is always positioned for maximum potential To support this goal, Threads has started hosting live podcast events, such as the one for the basketball podcast All The Smoke in Los Angeles, where influencers were invited to attend and post about it on Threads. Connor Hayes, who leads Threads, said that these types of events are already sparking conversations, especially in areas like sports and reality TV. He added that podcasters are a great fit for Threads because they usually have strong opinions and insights that lead to more discussion. Interestingly, in the past, Facebook Groups were often used for podcast discussions, but those were usually run by fans. Hayes hopes that Threads will let podcast hosts take the lead and engage directly with their audiences. Still, Threads faces competition from platforms like Reddit (RDDT), Discord, Substack, and Patreon, where podcasters are already building private communities and offering exclusive content to paying fans. Is Meta a Buy, Sell, or Hold? Turning to Wall Street, analysts have a Strong Buy consensus rating on META stock based on 36 Buys, six Holds, and one Sell assigned in the past three months, as indicated by the graphic below. Furthermore, the average META price target of $829.09 per share implies 25.7% upside potential.