Why Marketers Should Pay Attention to Bluesky— even if they’re not ready to make the jump

Bluesky is currently not offering any paid options for advertising. Additionally, its open protocol gives users access to “the fediverse,” a decentralised shared space for users to connect their content across multiple social platforms. While Bluesky CEO Jay Graber said she is open to advertising, this centralisation would make implementing in-feed ads complicated.

While Bluesky’s advertising future is uncertain, experts argue that marketers should still be paying close attention to what’s happening on the platform, both from a creator and a social listening lens.

“Bluesky has seen impressive growth, but its user base is still significantly smaller than X and Threads,” said EMarketer analyst Jasmine Enberg, who stressed that its growth represents a notable fragmentation on the social landscape based on political beliefs. “It can’t really be a major investment area for brands yet, but it is something they should be keeping an eye on.”

Social listening and community building

The early days of a social platform can come with more candid and unfiltered conversation by its users. This can be valuable for both creators and brands as a social listening channel.

Teresa Day, chief operating officer at social media management tool Planoly, said many creators make it a point to answer every direct message from their audience—something that is a lot more feasible in a less-congested space like Bluesky.

“Brands and creators are constantly thinking ‘How do I reach my audience and have real conversations with them?” Day said, emphasising the value of text-heavy social platforms even in the area of video dominance in helping brands find their voice.