Since Elon Musk acquired X, formerly known as Twitter, in October 2022, many users have been seeking an alternative social media platform amidst the changes. However, the jump to a new microblogging platform hasn’t been linear, as many fail to replicate what users loved about Twitter before it was X, while others aren’t convinced there is a viable alternative just yet. Some X users have switched to Instagram Threads and Mastodon, but the migration to new platforms has yet to create significant enough competition for the original micro-blogging platform.

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Recently, X users began migrating to the new social media platform Bluesky Social in numbers that might eventually hinder the original platform’s dominance. As of November 2024, Bluesky Social exceeded 20 million users on the platform and continues to grow. For context, X reported 588 million users as of September 2024, a staggering contrast to Bluesky Social; however, the platform has lost millions of users this year alone—in April 2024, X reported 611 million users. While the fate of each platform is still unclear, let’s review why X users are leaving in the first place:

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Why are users leaving X (Twitter) in the first place?

Many X users are unhappy with the platform and even distrust the platform. In August 2024, a survey reported that “42% of daily X users have a negative opinion” of the platform. Since Elon Musk purchased the platform, users have cited many changes that prompted them to leave, including:

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  • Renaming the site and altering the logo
  • Allowing blocked users to view profiles and tweets despite being blocked
  • Making the blue checkmark verification system as a payable subscription available to anyone and undermining the goal of verifying identities
  • A widespread increase in conspiracy theories, harassment and abuse, and mis- and disinformation on the platform
  • A rise in unchecked hate speech and the platforming of hate groups across the platform
  • The CEO’s use of X to share political support of President-elect Donald Trump and right-wing ideologies

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Between the constant overhauls of its features and increased distrust of the platform’s management, many users seek an alternative to X. Following the 2024 U.S. election, millions of X users traded platforms, but will this trend persevere? Let’s take a deeper look at what BlueSky Social is and why the platform might be enough competition for X:

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What is Bluesky Social?

Bluesky Social is a microblogging platform inspired by Twitter before it became X. Bluesky Social was kickstarted by Twitter founder and former CEO Jack Dorsey in 2019 and launched in 2021 with Jay Graber as CEO. Where the platform differs from X and other platforms is in their mission. Bluesky Social’s primary mission is to decentralize social platforms and allow online users to maintain control over their online identities rather than allowing platforms to own their online data and identities. It’s also why everything on the app is public—likes, follows, posts, and even your blocked list. 

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Why Bluesky Social?

Over the years, several platforms have emerged as alternatives to X, including Instagram Threads and Mastodon. While these platforms have skyrocketed in popularity, their user base still doesn’t compare to the competition. So why might Bluesky Social be different? The platform has a few advantages over X, including familiarity, the rejection of X, and a new approach to social media.

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With an interface similar to X's, Bluesky Social makes the transition from the former microblogging platform as seamless as possible—an essential factor in garnering more users. Social media users are known to oppose drastic changes, as evidenced by the discourse on X’s platform changes. By presenting a platform with familiar elements that reject X’s approach, Bluesky Social eliminates the one reason people hesitate to sign up on a new platform. Bluesky users may also find the decentralized social media format ideal for controlling their online presence.

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Should I Join Bluesky Social?

So, should digital marketers all hop on Bluesky Social now as early adopters? Not necessarily, unless you’d like to secure your username handle and check out the platform as research; however, it's still too early to add it to the social media strategy.

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Although many aspects of our online world have become instantaneous, it's important to remember that it takes time for a platform to build popularity and become the majority. Many factors will contribute to how Bluesky Social will perform, including how each platform evolves—or doesn’t—and how the public reacts to these developments. While it's still too early to say whether Bluesky Social will become the new microblogging platform to take down X, we’ll be keeping an eye on whether the butterfly effect takes hold or if the ex-bird still tweets in the upcoming years.

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Go Beyond The Social With BlueTickSocial

BlueTickSocial is a woman-owned and women-led digital marketing agency. We focus on building your digital presence to generate sales, increase engagement, create brand awareness, and take your company goals to the next level.

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Sources:

X Will Soon Let Users See Tweets From People Who Block Them—The Controversial Change, Explained

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