Bluesky Sees Significant User Surge Post US Election

In the wake of the recent US presidential elections, which took place on November 8, 2024, Bluesky has seen a remarkable influx of over 700,000 new users, predominantly from the United States. This surge was confirmed by the Chief Operating Officer of the microblogging service to a US media outlet, indicating a growing trend of users migrating from other platforms, particularly X (formerly known as Twitter), which is owned by Elon Musk.

Rapid Growth for Bluesky

Bluesky has recently surpassed 14 million registered accounts, and this latest user wave has pushed its total past the 14.5 million mark. As a result of this growth, the Bluesky app has become the second-most popular social media application on the App Store, trailing only behind Threads, another notable platform.

Threads Also Experiencing Growth

As reported by Bloomberg, Threads, the alternative social media platform developed by Meta, is also witnessing a notable user increase, driven by the electoral success of Donald Trump. Elon Musk has been heavily campaigning for Trump, which some users perceive as overstepping. This perception has led to mass migrations from X to other platforms, with groups such as Taylor Swift fans reportedly moving in large numbers, as highlighted in a piece by Wired.

However, Threads is not without its issues; since the election, there has been considerable user dissatisfaction regarding its algorithm. Many noticed that older posts are frequently resurfacing, sometimes days after they were initially made, leading to frustration among users during the election night festivities.

Historical Context of Bluesky's Growth

This latest surge for Bluesky follows a significant increase in mid-October when the platform saw over 500,000 new accounts created in a single day. Prior to that, Bluesky also benefited from over a million users migrating from X in Brazil following a temporary suspension of the platform. The recent growth appears to be concentrated mainly in the US market, a critical area for X.

The migration trend is facilitated by various Starter Packs, which are user-generated collections of accounts that users can follow with a single click, easing the transition for new arrivals. Notably, there are dedicated Starter Packs available for accounts associated with media outlets, helping users to quickly connect with their interests.

With this exponential growth, Bluesky's ability to attract and retain users remains a topic of keen interest in the evolving social media landscape.

For further details, you can read the original article from Heise.