Giving Twitter Another Shot
As someone who has spent years using a news aggregator, now Feedly, to discover and share niche related news, information and insight, I’ve always valued platforms that allow me to engage and connect with others via the sharing of what I’ve found.
Lately, much of what I am following is on AI in publishing—and I’ve been using both Twitter (now X) and Bluesky for my “micro-sharing.” More so Bluesky because of its upbeat atmosphere and user-friendly interface.
Finding engagement on Bluesky to be lacking, I picked up my use of Twitter over the last couple days, and found it worthwhile from an engagement standpoint.
Some observations: .
Twitter Has a Much Bigger Audience
Despite some users migrating to Bluesky, Twitter remains the go-to place for sheer reach. The audience size is much greater, providing more opportunities to connect with clients, potential clients, partners, peers and influencers.
Better Engagement
Effective use of Twitter results in more meaningful interaction. When you post, you’re more likely to receive likes, retweets, and comments from relevant users. Though I wasn’t there to follow my feed, per se, I didn’t find my feed flooded with junk.
Easier to Maintain and Build My Following
Twitter’s long-standing presence means the majority of people I want to yet connect with are already there. Bluesky, while promising, hasn’t reached the critical mass necessary to make consistent networking as effective.
Influencers Are Still On Twitter
From mainstream and industry media to leading bloggers, Twitter remains the dominant platform for influencers. It’s easier to engage with them, tag them in posts, and get noticed.
Simpler Tagging and Recognition
Giving credit to others by tagging their username is a cornerstone of engagement on Twitter. Unlike Bluesky, where finding usernames can be hit-or-miss, Twitter makes it simple and intuitive to tag others and foster connections.
News Moves Across Twitter
People come to Twiter to follow and share news, making it the perfect place not only to establish myself as a niche news source and to engage those in the news media, whether they be mainstream or niche.
More Followers = Greater Reach and Engagement
I’ve been active on Twitter for years, and have a solid following of users, most of whom are not using Bluesky. Though engaging with those on Bluesky is meaningful, it’s minimal.
Bluesky Is Far From Reaching Twitter as a Social Media Platform
Though grabbing a lot of attention this year, Bluesky has a long way to go in establishing itself as a mainstream media platform. Twitter, like it or not, and despite it declining some in use, is by far the leader in social micro-media. Note too that I have yet to build my user base on Bluesky.
I’ll be active on Bluesky, I appreciate its upbeat vibe, but its low engagement will have me back using Twitter.
As a blogging legal professionals aiming to grow your reputation, build connections, and engage with a larger audience, Twitter likely remains a powerful and effective platform.