What is Bluesky? The Newest Social Media Platform

What is Bluesky?

The question on everyone’s lips: what is Bluesky? With hashtags like #LeavingX, #ByeByeX, and #TwitterExodus trending on X (formerly Twitter), it’s no wonder. Bluesky, the newest social media platform attempting to dethrone the popular X, offers users an alternative to Elon Musk’s website. After the results of the 2024 election, users have been jumping over to Bluesky en masse. Even big news outlets and renowned celebrities are making the switch, like the Guardian, Barbara Streisand, Mark Hamill, and Lizzo.

Celebrating 20 million users and counting as of November 22, 2024, users have commented how it feels like “the good old days of Twitter”. Only time will tell if that same atmosphere of memes and camaraderie will remain as the platform continues to expand. New users have been enjoying features like the ability to choose your feed through customisable algorithms. That is, as long as you know how to code…

However, Bluesky is in its early days and developers have plans to make this feature more accessible to anyone, regardless of coding ability. This, and the ability to host your Bluesky account through your own website, was the reason for its initial development in 2019. This “federated network with account portability” was started by former Twitter CEO, Jack Dorsey, prior to Musk’s acquisition. Upon Twitter’s purchase in 2022, Bluesky and Twitter parted ways.

Advertising on Bluesky

Bluesky’s mission to “develop and drive large-scale adoption of technologies for open and decentralized public conversation” boils down to their desire to return social media to communities. Bluesky founders noticed that social media has become, more and more, a vehicle for paid advertising and ecommerce. Unlike most platforms like Facebook, X, Instagram, and LinkedIn, companies can’t pay for boosted visibility. Though that may seem like a reason for brands to sit this platform out, it’s not. Hear us out… 

The ability for “niche” feed algorithms allows your brand to engage directly with target audiences. A quadbike manufacturer could join extreme outdoor recreation groups and dirtbike enthusiast algorithms, talking directly to customer bases. Furthermore, attracting followers depends on connecting and building a genuine relationship with clients, not your marketing budget. This approach helps level the playing field, to some extent, between small businesses and large corporations.

Though Bluesky’s current inability to schedule posts on the native platform may frustrate social media managers, the brand has partnered with Buffer to schedule and cross-post. This partnership with a well-known digital media tool shows the marketing community’s endorsement that Bluesky is here to stay. It’s always challenging to predict whether a new platform will stand the test of time. However, with a growing wave of users making the switch, you may want to secure your company’s handle early and establish a presence before the platform becomes oversaturated.

Get Connected

Bluesky has emerged as a rival to X with its similar vertical interface and text-first platform. The developers have kept what worked with Twitter and strive for community input in future development. The focus on the “community” element of social media helps brands develop deeper relationships and loyalty with core audiences. Though the lack of paid marketing seems a blow to brand promotion, you can connect more directly with customer niches. This approach encourages connection with users who are more likely to engage with the brand account. Therefore, it prioritises quality leads over quantity. Signing up to Bluesky in its early stages allows companies to claim their handle and become a voice for the company’s niche before it gets inundated with the platform’s growing popularity.

So, will you be joining the #TwitterExodus and signing up for this up-and-coming platform? If so, be sure to connect with us on Bluesky.