What a wild few years it’s been. Twitter, now X, used to be the internet’s town square - a place for communities of all shapes and sizes to come together. Now? It can sometimes feel more like a chaotic reality show, with people (and bots) scrambling for views and engagement.

Unsurprisingly, this left many people and organisations eager for an alternative, and Bluesky swooped in at just the right time. Visually, the platform is almost exactly the same, but it promises more transparency and user control with its decentralised platform (more on that later…).

So, how did we get here?

Since being taken over by Elon Musk in late 2022, a number of key changes have been made to the social media platform, making it unrecognisable from its pre-X era:

1. Subscription models that price many out

Verified accounts - once a free and vital tool for trust-building and combating misinformation - now cost organisations upwards of $1000 per month. For smaller charities and purpose-driven teams, that’s a hard cost to justify, especially with audience numbers dwindling. To make matters worse, analytics now sit behind a paywall too, making it harder to measure impact.

This pay-to-play approach has made X inaccessible to many non-profits and caused many other organisations to question its lasting impact as a platform.

2. Algorithmic bias is reshaping feeds

It didn’t happen overnight, but we’ve seen a dramatic shift in the types of content that X’s algorithm favours, with increasing right-wing biases.

Researchers at UC Berkeley reported a 50% spike in hate speech in the months following Musk’s takeover, while another study from Queensland University of Technology suggested that Musk and other right-wing users’ content saw noticeable increases in views and reposts in the months leading up to the US election.

3. Content moderation has plummeted

When Musk first acquired X he fired thousands of employees, including 80% of the platform’s global Trust & Safety team. This, coupled with changes to their hateful conduct and misinformation policies, has led to a dramatic reduction in action being taken on reported content.

What does all of this mean for non-profits and purpose-driven organisations? What was once a hub for community building and conversation has become increasingly unwelcoming, especially for marginalised groups. With the target audiences of many charities and purpose-driven organisations fleeing the platform to more welcoming and inclusive pastures, is it time to consider Bluesky as a legitimate alternative?

What is Bluesky, and who’s using it?

At first glance, if you think Bluesky looks eerily similar to X/Twitter - that’s because it is. It was originally developed by ex-Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey and features an almost identical user experience, feeds, engagement features and message.

There’s one key difference: Bluesky is a decentralised platform. Decentralisation means there isn’t one single company or server that controls everything. Instead, organisations or communities can run their own independent hubs while still talking to each other. This gives you the freedom to choose and even host where your data lives, without getting locked into one platform’s rules.

It’s early days, but interest is growing. Since its public launch in February 2024, Bluesky has reached 35 million users globally – including 2.7 million in the UK. Uptake is especially strong among researchers, policy professionals, climate voices and the third sector.

Seeing as the platform has been positioned as an alternative to X, it’s unsurprising that the majority of users identify as politically progressive.

How is the impact sector using Bluesky?

Not sure how to get started? One of Bluesky’s best features is ‘starter packs’, helpful lists that group similar accounts together. These make it really easy to find your audience and follow your people straight away.

Some examples of starter packs and Bluesky accounts to get inspired by:

Universities & academia

Policymakers

Journalists & media

Charities & non-profits

Is now the time to join Bluesky?

You’ve heard the pros and cons, so now let’s help you decide.

It’s time to join, if…

You have the resources and capacity to explore a new platform.
Your team and/or target audiences are on board.
You see potential for meaningful engagement in a fresh space.

You might want to wait a bit longer, if…

You lack bandwidth to create unique content for a new channel.
ROI is your main focus, and current audience numbers feel too low.
You’re not ready to shift your tone to a more conversational, community-led style, which may not align with your existing tactics.
You're uncertain about the long-term viability of the platform.

Still unsure? That’s OK - you don’t need to figure it out alone.

We’re here to help. If you’re looking to refresh your channel strategy, better understand your audiences and the platforms they’re using, or get some training on optimising content for the latest platforms, we’re just a click away.

Bluesky vs. X: What’s happened so far, and what’s next?