While Bluesky looks similar to X, there are many differences between this new social media platform, and its main competitor, X
What is Bluesky?
Bluesky is the newest social media platform to make headlines this year. Released back in 2019 through invite only and now released to the public, it has now grown to over 20 million users and is seen as the current rival and competitor to X.
Bluesky calls itself ‘social Media as it should be’. Bluesky is a social media platform and places its focus on user control and to be a decentralised social network.
The main focus of Bluesky when compared to X is the fact it offers its users a decentralised platform, meaning that users are able to host their own custom feeds on servers that are not owned by the company. This allows users to have more control over their data and information which is a massive difference when compared to X.
Currently, X operates its platform on a centralised server, which means all information and data that is hosted on the platform can be accessed by the company and be used for other purposes such as targeted advertising.
Another selling point of Bluesky for users is the opportunity to create their own custom feeds to target certain audiences, with custom lists being available for users to follow a series of accounts through one button. For example, a new user to Bluesky can follow all relevant accounts associated with Formula 1 through a custom list created by another user that has followed.
What Platform Should I Advertise On?
Currently, Bluesky does not allow brands or users to use paid advertising on their platform.
While it is possible for Bluesky to implement this at a later date, it is important for brands that are looking to move to the platform to become early adopters to learn more about how it works and gain a competitive advantage by building an active and loyal user base, as brands can create custom lists for their audience to discover organically and shared amongst their own audience.
Meanwhile, X has a host of different tools for both organic and paid advertising campaigns that brands can use to help target certain audiences on the platform.
Advertisers can use the platform in various ways to help promote certain objectives a brand is trying to promote, such as boosting traffic to a website or having users fill out a lead generation form to show interest in a product or service.
For example, a brand can use promoted posts to increase visibility and engagement by using targeting options based on a variety of options, such as demographics and interests to help reach the right audience.
X also provides its users different tools when analysing data to help understand how certain campaigns are performing. Advertisers can identify who their audience is and how they are interacting with the advertising including their demographics and interests.
Bluesky’s Battle Against Spam
Bluesky is actively trying to reduce the amount of harassment and spam on the platform through a variety of methods, such as automating the removal of spam content and fake bot accounts. While they acknowledge that harassers will forever be creative with ways to avoid detection, they are implementing new barriers to restrict their ability to create new accounts.
While Bluesky is currently working towards a system that will be able to detect when multiple malicious accounts are being created and managed by an individual, the platform currently registers users for additional defenses when there is a pattern of harassment coming from new accounts to the user.
With user control and freedom of speech being the main vocal points of the platform, to balance free speech with legal compliance, bluesky has implemented a geography-specific label for when a legal request from a court or government to remove certain content has been made. When this occurs, access to the content will be limited to users in that area, allowing for both free expression and legal compliance.
Bluesky has also made some changes to how lists can be used. For example, if a user is using a custom list to harass users within it, they can be removed from the list when they are blocked. Bluesky’s control of how users interact with your content is another ‘quality of life’ change that is different from X.
For example, users now have the ability to remove their original post when users quote from it, allowing them to have control over their content and how users may interact with it.
Should I Use Bluesky?
While there are many changes Bluesky has made to separate itself from current platforms such as X, and Meta, users may question what platform they should use.
The reality is, we should be where our customers are, and if our customers aren’t there, then neither should we. So this is the question we must ask ourselves when we assess the viability of a new platform.
It has been well-documented in recent times that a user departure is occuring with the X platform. A correlation appears to be the increase in users on the Bluesky platform, given the two platforms’ similarities, so if your customers are or were on X, there’s a good possibility that they will be on Bluesky, too.
However, time will tell if Bluesky will become a popular platform that continues to grow and thrive in the years ahead. Many platforms have experienced a ‘false dawn’ of short-term growth in the past (e.g. Google+, Threads etc.) but ultimately failed to truly take off.
Savvy brands see the potential opportunity in Bluesky, but keep their optimism at arms length.
That said, at this moment in time there’s nothing but blue skies ahead for Bluesky.
What are the Features of Bluesky vs X?
Functionally, if you are looking for a platform that offers you more customisation with the content that you may see and interact with, while offering you complete control over your data and information, then Bluesky might be the platform that will suit your needs, as its focus on user privacy is one of the main unique selling points of the platform.
However, if you are more concerned about the performance of your content, and require different tools to engage with your audience and analyse their interactions, platforms such as X might be better suited, as Bluesky currently does not provide any analytical tools for tracking performance or engagement. Another key feature for users on X is the ability to manage all communication on the platform such comments, direct messages and mentions through on integrated social inbox, a feature that is currently not available on Bluesky.
Both platforms offers it users key features which the other currently does not have in place. While Bluesky’s focus on user privacy is vital to some in the current digital age, the power behind X’s advertising tools allows it to still remain as a strong platform for advertisers to get their message across to their targeted audience.
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