The State of Social Media: Navigating X, BlueSky and Meta Threads

Social media is constantly changing. Not just the updates and algorithms, but new platforms are created, old platforms are bought and changed, and audience preferences switch based on that week’s cultural zeitgeist. In summary, it can be a lot to keep up with when you manage a business or marketing team. Our media team is here to help you make strategic choices for your business’s social media presence and help you stay on top of the constant change, especially with this new era of text-based platforms. Let’s break down the latest:

X was one of the original social media sites, setting the tone for what we know about social media today. With massive amounts of users limited to 280 characters, the platform is a great way to reach audiences with quick news updates, links to articles and thought leadership expertise. However, X has been under scrutiny since Elon Musk purchased and rebranded the platform, removing restrictions on the types of content that can be posted. Our social media experts recommend brands step away from X for a few reasons—primarily due to concerns regarding brand safety. There is a potential negative association with the platform’s recent controversy, steep decline in user trust, rising misinformation and the possibility of your brand’s ads or messagin appearing next to harmful content. Many users are migrating to other platforms, making X less effective for reaching the target market. That being said, we recommend keeping the account rather than closing it down or deleting it in order to keep the username.

Bluesky is a newer platform still in its infancy, developed by Jay Graber and founded by Jack Dorsey, former Twitter CEO. BlueSky has many benefits, including allowing users to customize their content preferences and build their own feeds. It doesn’t have an algorithm that controls users’ feeds.. So, should your brand use it? That’s ultimately up to you, though we would suggest at least securing a profile and brand handle. The platform does not currently have advertising abilities, so it would be for organic content and conversations only. It gives your brand a chance to reach audiences, be thought leaders in your industry and be early adopters in the trend cycle.

Threads is another text-based platform developed by Meta, though in association with Instagram. In true Meta fashion, you can connect your Instagram account and cross-post any piece of content to Threads. Threads has a very strong algorithm and allows you to easily connect with and build your feed around your industry, specific topics or interests. Our agency has used it as a way to find and connect with creators for influencer projects, and we’ve seen great success from it! Do we recommend using it? Yes! If your brand has an active Instagram account, we strongly recommend connecting to a threads account. It’s a great way to connect with your customers, chat with them directly and perform social listening in your industry.

Social media is always evolving, and it can feel nearly impossible to keep up with. Our team of experts is here to help you navigate the best platforms and the best strategy for your brand. Want to chat X, BlueSky, Threads or anything social? Contact us to set up a call.