Whether you’re on X (formerly Twitter) for personal or business use, you’ve probably noticed a lot of chatter recently about users moving to the alternative social media platform Bluesky. So, is it time for brands to make the leap?
TL;DR
- X (formerly Twitter) has become a less attractive place for users.
- Alternative platforms have seen a surge in new subscribers.
- Bluesky, in particular, has experienced a large influx of dissatisfied X users.
- Joining the new platform has its risks, but there are opportunities for businesses too.
What Prompted the Talk About Bluesky?
Ever since Elon Musk purchased Twitter in October 2022, for $44 billion, the platform has changed massively. With controversial mass layoffs, the firing of safeguarding and moderation staff, changing the “blue check mark” system, and charging users for premium accounts, the social media platform is quite different from the one launched in 2006.
But wait, there’s an even bigger elephant in the room…
As a self-described “free speech absolutist”, Musk has allowed previously banned high profile figures back onto the platform. Returnees included notable accounts of those who had been ejected for violating rules on everything from COVID misinformation to hate speech and misogyny. Since their return, these negative behaviours have also crept back on to the social media platform.
But the latest triggers prompting users to leave appear to have been:
- 6th November: Donald Trump winning the US Election and
- 15th November: the deadline for users to opt out of X’s AI tool Grok’s use of their content for its large language model (LLM) training.
We’ve seen a flurry of messages in the last couple of weeks from friends, and accounts we follow, saying they were leaving the platform and heading off to Bluesky.
But What About Twitter, Sorry, X for Business Use?
Ad revenue for X has been declining since the Musk takeover. The lack of moderation and the proliferation of negative behaviour has turned away many advertisers.
Additionally, Musk famously told some big brand advertisers “where to go” after there was an alleged advertising boycott. Soon after, he sued the GARM collective, the Global Alliance for Responsible Media, for allegedly conspiring to withhold billions of dollars in advertising revenue from X and supposedly violating US antitrust laws. The GARM initiative of the World Federation of Advertisers closed shortly after the lawsuit was filed.
Whatever the reasons for the alleged boycott, concerns over brand safety and X’s handing of harmful content remain.
Haven’t We Been Here Before?
Yes, just after the Musk takeover of Twitter, Mastodon became a primary beneficiary of the first Twitter “exodus”. The decentralised open-source network added 90,000 new users in November 2022. Today Mastodon has over 7.5 million users.
But this was a drop in the ocean compared to the estimated 370-400 million monthly users on Twitter in 2022.
Threads, another microblogging platform, was also a recipient of Twitter refugees. A spin off from Instagram, also owned by Facebook parent company, Meta, Threads was a direct response to the Twitter fallout. With such a huge user base already on Instagram, Threads gained over 100 million users within just five days of launch. Recent figures put the total number of users at 200 million.
And This Time?
Bluesky was originally conceived by former Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey in 2019 as a research initiative to explore the potential for decentralising social media.
Where X and Facebook have a single parent company, the threat of influence, control and even censorship was reduced by placing the platform in the hands of the community. Additionally, privacy was enhanced by allowing users more control of their own data.
Bluesky was in invite-only beta for many years but, since opening up to the wider public, has now reached a milestone of 20 million users. Of those, five million have joined Bluesky since September 2024, because of dissatisfaction with X, the prevalence of Donald Trump supporters, and X’s plan for AI tool Grok, to start using users’ posts to train its Large Language Model (LLM).
Should Businesses Take Flight to Bluesky?
Whilst Bluesky has been around for about five years now, and has 20 million users; compared to the Twitter functions and features we enjoyed pre-2022, it’s still in its infancy. However, there are some good reasons for businesses to jump on board.
The Benefits of Leaping to Bluesky
Early Adoption Benefits
Being an early adopter on Bluesky can position your brand as an innovator and enable you to build authentic relationships with your audience before the platform becomes crowded.
Early adoption can also help you tap into new markets and niche communities that are more engaged and specific to your industry.
Decentralisation and User Control
The decentralised structure, using the Authenticated Transfer Protocol (ATP), gives Bluesky users more control over their data. This aligns well with consumers’ increasing demand for privacy and transparency, which can be beneficial for brands looking to build trust.
Community Engagement
Bluesky is highly focused on community engagement, which can be advantageous for businesses that want to take part in discussions, gather insights, and build a loyal following. Engaging with the community through polls, questions, and live events can be particularly effective.
Customisation and Branding
The ability to customise your handle with a domain name can enhance your brand’s identity and credibility. This feature allows you to link your Bluesky handle directly to your website, increasing trust and recognition.
Any Downsides?
Of course. Whilst Bluesky has been around for five years it’s important to note that it’s been in beta for most of that time.
Limitations and Evolving Features
Not as Popular as Other Platforms
The Bluesky community “only” numbers 20 million after 5 years. That’s a lot of people but nowhere near as many as Threads (200 million in just over a year) and X (400 million since Twitter began in 2006). But remember, Bluesky was an internal Twitter experiment before becoming an invite-only beta, then finally being opened to the wider public in February 2024.
Hashtags and Beta Features
Bluesky’s hashtags are still quite simplistic, which might affect your content strategy if hashtags are a key part of your social media approach.
However, the platform is still evolving and some features, such as live discussions and AMAs (Ask Me Anything), are expected to become more common in the future. This means there may be ongoing changes and improvements that could impact how you use the platform.
Monetisation and Ad-Free Environment
Bluesky is an ad-free space and proposes that it will continue to remain so. This might appeal to brands looking for a more organic and less cluttered environment to engage with their audience. However, the platform is exploring other monetisation strategies, such as domain buying and management.
Investors wanting strong returns could still change the direction of the advertising model, so opportunities to promote content and advertising could still be a thing in the future.
The Clever Insight into Brands on Bluesky
Bluesky is still regarded as virgin territory so brands staking a claim there will be seen as pioneering early adopters. It’s not just good business sense to secure your organisation’s place on a growing platform, but fun and informative too. Plus being part of something new can be refreshing and inspiring and growing alongside your community could reap greater dividends in the future.
Of course, we do urge caution, because going “all in” may not be a good use of your valuable commercial resources. Also, bear in mind that the “exodus” to Mastodon didn’t amount too much either.
But it’s well worth setting aside some exploration time for members of your marketing team to venture out into the wild blue yonder and be inspired by some Bluesky thinking.
Clever’s social media marketing team is available now to manage organic and paid social media campaigns for your company. Call us on 01276 402 381 or get in touch via our simple contact form.