Loupa PR

Second post in the #FridayPR101Day series, with FAQ/useful tips for entrepreneurs, tech and PR/comms/media professionals.

This week’s topic couldn’t be about anything other than Bluesky – with the infamous X-odus and influx of over 2million users already on the platform, powered by a cumulation of unique sociopolitical circumstances, the market need is clear (but Tom Abrose explains this much better, for the Guardian, here).

What do I need to know about Bluesky?

Bluesky comes as a breath of fresh air to provide a ‘healthier’, more democratic social media experience– it is an open social network that gives users, developers and creators choice, independence and freedom to build, levelling the playing field when it comes to engaging with your community and communicating your messages.

It could be the future of social media as Chris Stokel-Walker  predicts – I’m sure as is human nature we’ll get in our own way on Bluesky too, but until then I’m keeping my rose-coloured glasses on, and let’s all enjoy the ride!

If you want the quick ‘origin’ story and some fun facts, here’s a summary from Bluesky’s CEO, Jay Graber.

Why is it important for media/PR professionals, entrepreneurs and companies?

For companies and PR/media professionals, this creates many opportunities – if you follow where your audience goes, and really listen to how they want information communicated to them, you can ‘hit’ them with the right messages, at the right time. You need to have a presence to be found – the old ‘if a tree falls in the woods’ applies.

Many brands have already left X, and publications (Guardian); while journalists like CNBC, Ryan Browne ; IT Pro, Ross Kelly ; BBC/Forbes (freelance), Emma Woollacott have already ‘migrated’ partially, or completely to Bluesky – making it the best new way to reach them, and keep up to date with their ‘beat’, on social media. The usual ‘pitching rules’ apply here too though – don’t abuse the platform to spam them!

How should I leverage Bluesky for my social media presence / media relevance/ PR campaign?

• Connect with prospects, potential employees, partners and influencers, share insightful content
• Long live #Journorequest – the old hashtag for media requests applies on here too – great way to be included in any features etc.
• Starter packs are a great way to kick-off your community – some of the biggest publications like (Wired, The Verge) already have useful starter packs on their pages – and you can find plenty of PR starter packs as you can imagine 😉
• Journalists – and most users – are a lot more enthusiastic and passionate about this ‘clean slate’ on social media, presenting a wider opportunity for genuine engagement and community building.

What do you think of Bluesky so far?