If you stay current on social media trends, you may have noticed the recent massive publisher shift to BlueSky. Since the U.S. election, BlueSky’s social media platform jumped from 16 million registered accounts to 20 million in just one week, many of which have been publishers, journalists, and other media accounts. But what’s behind the sudden switch to BlueSky for publishers? More specifically, what’s in it for publishers, and how are they using the platform’s features to their advantage? 

If you’re unfamiliar with the BlueSky platform, it’s not too late. Let’s explore the platform and its most popular features, leading publishers to test the waters. 

The basics of BlueSky

While the BlueSky social media platform has been around for a bit, it’s still new enough that some publishers may not have explored it yet. BlueSky started as a research project with Twitter in 2019 before becoming an independent company in 2021. It was launched in February 2023 as an invite-only service and didn’t open up to public registration until February 2024. 

BlueSky is a decentralized text-based platform structured similarly to the old Twitter interface. Users can share a post with up to 300 characters, with just text or a photo. Other users can then reply, repost, like, or engage. You still get to use hashtags, and the @ symbol lets you mention other users. 

It sounds pretty similar to X, Threads, and some other platforms. So why make the switch? The biggest draw is the focus on content curation and personalization. These are the bits every social media user is looking for, especially going into 2025. 

Features that set BlueSky apart

While BlueSky may share stark similarities with other social media platforms like X/Twitter, it has a rich set of features that allow users to control and shape their overall experience more than ever. Here are a few to note. 

Custom feeds

Custom feeds are a huge benefit for publishers switching to BlueSky. This feature lets users build multiple feeds within their account, not just one based on the current algorithm trend. 

There are four primary feeds available on BlueSky:

• Following: A feed that only shows you the content from the people you follow on the platform, formatted chronologically, without the algorithm’s influence. 
• Home: The main feed on the platform where you can see content from users you follow is typically algorithm-based. 
• Local: Not all users are on the same server community since BlueSky is a decentralized network; this feed will show you only users within your same server. 
• Global: This is the largest feed, showing you all the content from people you follow and don’t follow, giving you a comprehensive view of what’s going on across the app. 

Within each of these feeds, publishers can customize even further, with the ability to make rules and lists of accounts they do and do not want to see. This feature is huge, helping users discover more content without one-way feeds that pigeonhole them into only a few topics. 

Starter packs

Building a new social media account from the ground up is not easy. Also, it’s not very appealing for brands that already have a bigger following on some platforms. That’s why BlueSky offers “starter packs” to ease new users into the app without spending all their time looking for audiences. 

BlueSky starter packs are curated lists of accounts suggested based on inputted interests, topics, or locations. Meant to feel like a welcome pack, users can publicly share starter packs to help audiences find their new accounts. This puts less pressure on publishers to ’algorithm please’ and sacrifice the quality of their content just to show up on the main feed. 

Content moderation menu

Critics may argue that BlueSky’s heavy use of curation tools leads down the wrong path, creating spaces where differing views will no longer be tolerated. However, the pull to this platform may be simply that users are looking to enjoy social media again.

BlueSky’s moderation menu is designed to eliminate those who are NOT your audience. These customizable spaces allow publishers to narrow in on the exact readers their content is made to reach—less time is spent on guessing and shooting content into the void.

BlueSky vs. other platforms 

The top two platforms most competitive with BlueSky are X and Threads. Both have some very similar features that allow healthy competition, but there are a few significant differences that are putting BlueSky over the top for some publishers. Let’s take a look.

BlueSky vs X

It’s not surprising that BlueSky and X are similar in many ways, as Twitter’s CEO initially started BlueSky back in 2019. Here are a few of the most important ones to know: 

• Centralization: X is a centralized platform, meaning all content, algorithms, and moderation are under the control of the owner(X corporation/Elon Musk). BlueSky is decentralized, operating on an open-source protocol, allowing multiple independent servers and apps to connect. 
• Posts: X allows 280 characters for videos, text, photos, and more. BlueSky has a 300-character limit and only currently offers photos. 
• Ads and subscriptions: Publishers on X can monetize using ads and subscription services. BlueSky is not quite there, but some publishers prefer that to avoid bots. 
• Moderation: BlueSky users can create moderation rules, app customizations, and content policies. An internal team controls moderation on X and has recently received some controversial publicity for its lack of user control. 
• Interface: Both platforms offer text-based posts, although BlueSky operates more like the old Twitter interface, while X now offers videos, broadcasting, and payment systems. 
• User feeds: Everything you see on X is recommended based on the activity, engagement, and the current algorithm rules. BlueSky’s decentralization means the user controls the content feed, not the algorithm. 

Overall, publishers are finding higher-quality engagement with BlueSky over X, with less trolling and bot activity that drives users crazy. Some of this is the platform’s restrictions on ads and subscriptions and its current small audience, which allows for more intimate conversations. However, BlueSky’s value on content curation is attracting audiences; the more audiences connect, the more they tend to engage. 

BlueSky vs Threads

We’ve talked about X vs. Threads before, so some differences between Threads and BlueSky are the same. Threads is also a centralized platform (owned by Meta), has a 500-character count, and can include photos, videos, and other media. The feeds are more similar to X, using algorithms to suggest content, all controlled by Meta’s existing technology stack. 

The main difference between these two platforms is that Threads is more controlled and mainstream, while BlueSky is a social media platform for user control, content curation, and privacy. Threads was developed as a text-based app option to run in line with Instagram, syncing many features and offering the same audience. 

However, while created in parallel with Twitter at the time, BlueSky is its own space. It’s an app that allows you to program exactly the type of audience and content you want, further enhancing the user experience. 

Ready to try BlueSky? 

If you’re not currently on BlueSky, it may be time to explore it. There are several benefits to jumping on this platform right now, and even more so since it is still a bit newer and free from distractions.