Bluesky
Jan 16, 2025

Bluesky may be the new Twitter, but not for advertisers

Dayna Lang
Author Dayna Lang

Bluesky is the latest social media platform to emerge from a crumbling X (formerly known as Twitter). But while this social endeavor is exciting, it isn’t worth advertisers’ time. The rapidly growing social media platform doesn’t support ads; and according to its owners, it never will.

Positioned as an alternative to X, Bluesky reads more like the platform’s original Twitter brand and feel. The color, logo, and user interface of Bluesky are reminiscent of Twitter’s early days, and fonder memories for many users. 

The platform is growing fast, snagging almost a million new users per day. It added more than 10 million users between November and December 5, 2024. As of writing this article, Bluesky has over 24 million unique users. 

Bluesky screenshot
Bluesky’s homepage

 

Created by the former head of Twitter, Jack Dorsey, Bluesky is built to be a decentralized version of Twitter – a platform that no single person or entity owns outright. Dorsey left the Bluesky team in May 2024, leaving the platform as a US public benefit corporation, run by majority owner and chief executive Jay Graber. 

It’s no surprise that Bluesky aims to starkly differentiate itself from X (formerly Twitter). The platform was born out of dissatisfaction with modern social media in 2019 and is growing due to increased scrutiny of X’s political alignments. 

The app was invitation-only until February 2024, giving developers time to fix bugs and resolve issues. The combination of opening to the public and X owner Elon Musk’s political comments and support has skyrocketed it into the mainstream. 

Political division is pushing users off of X, and into the welcoming arms of Bluesky. But this potential for controversy isn’t why Bluesky is a flop for advertisers. Because of its strong value set, Bluesky is opting to avoid advertising. 

This move is surprising, as it potentially leaves billions of dollars on the table. In 2024, the platform’s inspiration, X, raked in an estimated $3.14 billion in advertising revenue. Bluesky may change its tune with so much to lose, but it’s not something advertisers should bank on. 

Where does this leave brands and agencies?

In its heyday, Twitter made the majority of its income from advertising. Now, X, the platform continues to pull significant revenue from ads. Bluesky has different plans. The new social network aims to leverage paid services, like custom domains and user names, to pay its way. 

Eventually, Bluesky may branch out into other revenue streams like subscription features, but only the future will tell. What is certain: even if the platform decides to permit advertising on the platform, it won’t be any time soon. 

There is still huge value in Bluesky for brands looking to expand their organic reach, but paid advertising will remain the realm of X and other older social media hubs like Meta’s Instagram and Facebook.

 

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