Adult industry flocks to BlueSky Social but is it worth it?

Bluesky, the rising star in the social media landscape, has crossed the 21 million user mark, gaining traction as a potential game-changer in the industry. The platform, which opened to the public in February, has grown rapidly amid changes and controversies surrounding X, formerly known as Twitter. But Bluesky’s leadership insists it isn’t just another X alternative; it’s aiming to redefine social media entirely.

“We’re not positioning ourselves against X,” said Rose Wang, Bluesky’s COO. “We’re positioning ourselves as the new social web.”

Bluesky’s growth has coincided with missteps by X. For instance, when Brazil temporarily banned X for refusing to remove misinformation about its 2022 presidential election, Bluesky gained 4 million sign-ups. Another spike followed X’s policy shift, allowing blocked users to see posts of the accounts that blocked them.

Most recently, the U.S. presidential election and X owner Elon Musk’s involvement spurred another wave of users to seek a more neutral platform. Wang attributes Bluesky’s success to its focus on fostering global conversation without partisan leanings.

“There’s a hunger for a space that isn’t tied to the political or corporate agendas of traditional platforms,” she explained.

Unlike many social media giants, Bluesky prioritizes user autonomy. Its open-source code allows users to take their data, including follower lists if they leave—a feature reminiscent of the open web in its early days. This design contrasts sharply with the “walled garden” approach of platforms like Meta.

Bluesky has rejected the traditional ad-driven revenue model. Instead, the company relies on venture funding, securing $15 million in a recent Series A round. Wang highlighted plans for paid subscriptions offering premium features, such as high-quality video uploads and customizable avatar frames. Core functions will remain free, maintaining the platform’s commitment to accessibility.

“We would never put speech behind a paywall,” she affirmed.

Additionally, Bluesky is exploring a payment system to compete with services like Patreon. Through this, the platform could take a cut of transaction fees, diversifying its revenue streams without resorting to intrusive ads. While Wang hasn’t ruled out advertising entirely, she emphasized that any future ad model would be non-disruptive and user-centric.

Bluesky has drawn praise for fostering a culture of civility and meaningful dialogue, with nearly one-third of its users actively posting—a sharp contrast to X, where active engagement hovers around 1%. Some users have even likened the experience to Twitter’s early days, though a few have noted the platform’s wholesomeness as an unexpected adjustment.

“The best marketing strategy is speaking to what people care about and what they’re experiencing,” Wang said. “What we keep hearing is that people are making friends again.”

The platform has attracted a diverse user base, including adult industry professionals seeking an alternative to X’s shadow-banning practices. Whether Bluesky can maintain this inclusivity remains to be seen, but its appeal lies in its promise of transparency and fairness.

Bluesky’s immediate goals include launching a bookmarking feature—a seemingly minor yet highly requested addition—and rolling out subscription options. The team is also working on advanced features like feed customizations and tools that allow users to create websites using their Bluesky domains.

Despite competition from platforms like Meta’s Threads, which boasts 275 million users, Wang expressed confidence in Bluesky’s unique approach. “We’re just doing our own thing,” she said.

Among Bluesky’s growing user base, a playful tool called BlueskyScore.com has gained traction. Although not affiliated with Bluesky, the site allows anyone with a Bluesky account to enter their username and receive a numerical “score” reflecting engagement and activity levels. In an example shared widely online, one user reported a score of 4.32—labeled “Active Participant,” meaning they “consistently add value to discussions.”

As Bluesky continues to grow, its challenge will be to maintain its ethos of user empowerment while scaling operations. Whether it can truly reshape the social media landscape or simply become another niche platform remains uncertain. For now, its vision of a “new social web” offers a refreshing alternative to the status quo.

Will Bluesky social replace Twitter? I wouldn't go that far, but it is gaining traction, so it's worth checking out for sure.

If you're on Bluesky social, be sure to follow me at bsky.app/profile/kelli.net. Fleshbot's Bluesky is fleshbotofficial.bsky.social.

If you are just getting started, you can check out my Bluesky "starter kit," which allows you to quickly follow a handful of adult industry people in one quick click. You can also create your account once you have set it up. It's just one of the many features.

If you found this information helpful, please take a moment to visit our friends at Kwiky.com, who sponsored this post with the intention of helping you grow as a content creator. You can also follow Kwiky on Twitter at @kwikyofficial.

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