If you haven’t heard, there’s a hot new social network out there: Bluesky. Last week, the network crossed 20 million users – and estimates suggest it’s picking up more than a million more each week. Clearly, the growth curve is really steep at the moment. I’ve even had my account for a few weeks now.
There’s one big question it will have to answer in the weeks ahead (the same one as with other networks): will it stick and become the next Twitter? It’s too early to say, of course, but I like Bluesky’s odds more than other recent entries to the space like Threads. Here’s why:
The social climate of the moment in the United States is fueling movement to Bluesky. X, of course, is owned by Elon Musk – and he has emerged as one of the key figures in the new Trump-led federal government. Along the way he has alienated a really large share of the people that flocked to Twitter. Those people are leaving Twitter in droves and looking for a new place to go. Enter Bluesky. (Not coincidentally, this is probably also the biggest concern relating to mass adoption – Bluesky will have to appeal to more people than just left-leaning people with angst toward Musk. To do that, it has to successfully resist being labeled as a left-wing megaphone.)
Early indications are that most of the influencers, thought leaders and tech savants who helped Twitter advance/evolve are heading to Bluesky. This is really key, as they will attract more users, build credibility for the platform and develop the extra bells and whistles that could sustain it. Could you imagine, for example, something like the former Tweetdeck coming to Bluesky? Talk about a game changer.
It has a nostalgia factor working for it. I mean, it looks and feels a lot like Twitter did when that was emerging and blowing up.
As a professional communicator, we have to always be aware of the many ways that our target audiences engage with each other, receive their information, etc. Then we have to customize our messages for those channels so that we reach people where they are. With the number of users Bluesky has, it’s already a legitimate media channel that needs to be taken seriously as a message delivery medium. As such, organizations and communicators everywhere should start integrating it into their toolbelts.
If indeed Bluesky is where our target audiences are, we need to be able and ready to use Bluesky to reach them. At Game Changer, we're on the case - we can help you leverage it and other social media for optimal benefit.
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