Posted By Ashley Tate on January 07, 2025
Has the Bluesky butterfly risen from the ashes of the Twitter bird? It would appear so, as Bluesky is the latest social media platform to gain a significant following in recent months. The platform has garnered nearly 25 million users since its launch in 2023 — with approximately 10 million joining since Election Day 2024.
Why the sudden increase in popularity? The growth is fueled by several key factors, including discontent with traditional social media platforms, a desire for simplicity and ad-free environments, and the popular ethos of giving users control over their online identities. (Remember Elon Musk’s claim of “superior ownership” over Alex Jones’ InfoWars accounts?)
If you’re not sure what Bluesky is, how it’s different from X (formerly Twitter), or if there’s a benefit to your brand being on it, we’ve got you covered. Let’s dive in.
What Is Bluesky and How Does It Work?
Bluesky is a social network conceptualized and launched by former Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey in 2019, and a recent addition to the growing fediverse. As a decentralized social media platform, Bluesky operates on independently run servers rather than a centralized server owned by a business. This means there is no single point of control or failure, which, in theory, should give users more autonomy and reduce the risk of censorship.
What Are the Key Differences Between Bluesky and X?
Aesthetically, Bluesky is similar to X … but that’s where the similarities end.
Should My Brand Be on Bluesky?
While there are many benefits to joining Bluesky — being perceived as forward-thinking, securing your organization’s username (which we do recommend), and being able to test new marketing strategies — expending resources on the platform might not be the right choice for your brand. At least for now.
Why?
- Limited user base: Bluesky has less users than X and Meta-owned Threads, making it difficult to reach a large audience. It’s hard to justify the investment of time, budget, and staffing to build a presence when there aren’t a lot of people (comparatively) on the platform to reach.
- Steep learning curve: With a new network comes new best practices. Learning another network’s unique features is an unnecessary burden on your social media manager until the network proves its staying power.
- No paid advertising: Bluesky doesn’t currently offer advertising or paid promotional features, meaning your brand can’t leverage targeted strategies to be seen.
Of course, that last point appears to be by design.
“We are very clear that our primary user is the end user that we’re serving, and so we’re building features for them,” Rose Wang, COO of Bluesky, said. “If brands come, great, but you should be authentic; that’s what we tell them. It’s not going to work if you try to sound like a brand.”
To Bluesky or Not To Bluesky?
While it’s important to keep up with the latest crazes, it can also be easy to mistake a fad for a trend. Will Bluesky’s popularity continue to grow? Or will it disappear as fast as it appeared? For brands, it’s a waiting game to see how the platform evolves.
The Tier One team is dedicated to helping brands think through their social media strategy.
