Guide to Bluesky: Getting Started and Best Practices

Craig Kanalley
Fri, 22 Nov 2024 15:48:56 +0000
Rebelmouse, Social media strategy, Bluesky, Social media, Social media marketing

You may have heard about this Bluesky thing. It’s catching on.

Recently the social media platform surpassed 20 million users and it’s showing no signs of slowing down. The site skyrocketed with 500% more traffic since the U.S. election, as Elon Musk has taken X, formerly Twitter, into an increasingly political direction over the last several months.

Jump Ahead:

Getting Started on Bluesky

Best Practices for Bluesky

Why Bluesky Is Different From X

Bluesky’s secret sauce: It’s decentralized. It uses an open-source framework called AT Protocol, giving those outside the company both transparency and much more control. Instead of signing up on Bluesky’s server, you can set up your own personal data server if you’d like, where you maintain full control and can set your own rules.

In this way, you can set up your domain name as your user name. While optional, this has an added benefit of verifying your identity for other users. Here’s Bluesky’s guide to setting this up.

Bluesky’s decentralized nature also allows for the ecosystem to evolve in any number of ways, as opposed to a platform like X where the company dictates everything, from the algorithm to future functionality. Bluesky encourages developers to build on top of it and gives creators independence from their platform if they want it, while also reducing the risk of censorship. You can set up custom feeds to follow what you’d like and messages are encrypted end to end.

Then there’s the other very practical reason you should be on Bluesky, if you’re not already: A huge amount of people are there. It’s not just the tech savvy anymore, either. The general public has started to flood to the platform looking for a choice beyond X and Meta-owned Threads. And more and more brands, and celebrities, are establishing their presences.

Getting Started on Bluesky

So what are you waiting for? Here’s how to get started:

1. Sign Up: Go to https://bsky.app to sign up for your account (or download the Bluesky mobile app and start there).

2. Decide on a Server: Make a choice if you want to start on Bluesky’s server or set up your own custom server.

IMPORTANT: This is not set in stone, so don’t think too hard about it. The initial setup can be changed later if you want to migrate to your own domain.

3. Set Up Your Identity: Choose a unique handle and upload a profile picture.

4. Explore Who to Follow: You’ll see recommendations and you can very quickly start following content that interests you. The default algorithm is set up to highlight diverse and engaging posts, and it will develop over time based on your use.

5. Confirm and Post: Confirm your account via email, and you’re ready to start posting. Send your first post into the Bluesky world and you’re off and running.

Once you’re in, you’ll see it’s a lot like Twitter used to be. That isn’t by mistake. In fact, Twitter founder and former CEO Jack Dorsey was involved in the beginnings of Bluesky, co-founding it in 2019. The familiar UX allows you to hit the ground running quickly. You can quote posts, repost them, heart them, reply, utilize hashtags, and all of the rest you’d expect.

What you won’t see? It’s not as toxic as other social media platforms, at least not in its current form. It doesn’t force controversial content into your feed like some other platforms do. Instead, it’ll be curated based on what you select and the custom feeds or lists that you set up. That makes for more fruitful discussion and less shouting, fighting, or controversy in general.

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Best Practices for Bluesky

1. Customize Your Experience: Take the time to follow the right accounts, so you’ll start getting recommendations of who else to follow. You’ll find that once you get going, it’s actually very easy to discover new content that you’re interested in.

2. Expedite the Setup With Starter Packs: Look for “Starter Packs” or create your own — curated lists of follows based on topics or categories. You can utilize Bluesky’s search to find some. Start here and then add a word or two based on your interests, like Tech Starter Pack, News Starter Pack, etc. Bluesky makes it easy to follow these as lists or follow all of the accounts on them at once.

3. Take Advantage of Decentralization: It’s set up this way for a reason — use it! That means actively looking for third-party apps and tools that are compatible with Bluesky, and enhancing the functionality of your experience with the moderation tools or personalized feeds.

4. Build Meaningful Connections: It’s social media — be social! Start interacting with others, reply, quote post, repost, and have conversations with those who have similar interests. This will help to build your own following and set you on a path to success.

5. Contribute to the Ecosystem: Think about what you can do to extend the premise of Bluesky and help it grow. Everyone benefits when there are real competitors and choices out there, so a select few companies can’t dominate the ecosystem. If you’re tech savvy, build an app or plugin. Otherwise, just help get the word out on Bluesky.

Once you’re there, be sure to promote your presence on Bluesky:

Add it to your website alongside other social media profiles

Send an email our to your audience to promote the account

Consider adding a Share button to articles if you feel confident that your audience is on Bluesky

One more tip: Look for bsky.app or “sky” as the referral source in either GA4 or Looker Studio to track the impact of traffic from Bluesky.

Excited to get started yet? Sign up today! And be sure to follow RebelMouse on Bluesky.

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