Let’s be real: social media fatigue is a thing. We’ve all watched platforms shift their priorities, change their algorithms overnight, and leave us scrambling to figure out how to reach our target audiences. Sound familiar?
With the ongoing changes at X (formerly Twitter), many organizations and businesses are seeking a fresh space to tell authentic stories and connect with new audiences. Enter Bluesky. Before you roll your eyes at another social platform, hear me out. This isn’t just another place to cross-post your content. It’s built on something completely different: decentralized, open-source technology that gives you and your community more control over the conversation.
Think of it this way: instead of some faceless algorithm deciding who sees your economic development wins or tourism highlights, your community members and local businesses help drive where the conversation goes. Pretty refreshing, right?
Why Economic Development and Tourism Organizations Should Pay Attention
Here’s the thing: your mission is already about building authentic connections and telling real stories. Bluesky may be the platform that finally understands and amplifies that purpose.
Decentralization and User Control: No single company controls Bluesky, which means less risk of sudden algorithm changes tanking your carefully crafted content strategy. Remember when Facebook decided business pages needed to pay to reach their own followers? That won’t happen here.
Authentic Engagement: With fewer bots and trolls cluttering the space, your stories about workforce development, downtown revitalization, or that amazing mixed-use project can actually spark genuine conversations. Imagine that: real people engaging with your real content.
Customizable Feeds for Targeted Messaging: You can create custom feeds or use the platform without algorithm manipulation. This is huge for EDOs and tourism organizations who need to reach specific audiences—from site selectors to travel bloggers to talent pipelines.
Ad-Free Experience: Your message about that new manufacturing facility or outdoor recreation opportunity doesn’t have to compete with random ads. As a result, your content shines.
Early Adopter Advantages: With around 37 million users (compared to millions elsewhere), you have a real opportunity to establish your voice and create a sense of community.
Perfect for Media Relations: Right now, journalists are flocking to Bluesky. They’re tired of the noise on other platforms, too. This creates a prime opportunity for direct, authentic relationship-building with reporters covering economic development, tourism, and community stories.
Why You Might Want to Wait
Advantages aside, Bluesky isn’t perfect for everyone right now.
Smaller Audience Means Slower Growth: Building a meaningful following takes time and genuine effort. If you’re lean on time, stick to more established platforms.
Resource Intensive (But Worth It): Unlike Meta’s Business Suite, which allows for convenient cross-posting to Facebook and Instagram, Bluesky demands a more hands-on approach. While this means more time and intention, the payoff is meaningful: that focused effort often leads to deeper engagement and more authentic interactions with your audience.
Still Evolving: The platform is evolving, which yields occasional bugs and missing features. Bluesky lacks advertising tools at the moment, so a paid promotion strategy won’t work here.
Learning Curve: Even though the interface feels familiar if you’ve used Twitter, expect to invest time understanding how to maximize your impact.
For smaller organizations with limited bandwidth, it might make sense to master your existing platforms first while keeping an eye on Bluesky’s growth.
How Bluesky Fits Into Your Social Media Mix
Facebook: It’s still effective for reaching local audiences, but algorithm limitations and ad prioritization make authentic engagement harder than what Bluesky offers.
X (Twitter): Once a vital tool for real-time updates and media outreach, X’s unpredictability has made Bluesky a trusted alternative.
Instagram: Ideal for visual storytelling, Instagram excels at grabbing attention, while Bluesky allows for deeper, conversation-based storytelling.
LinkedIn: Great for professional networking and workforce development content, LinkedIn complements Bluesky’s more casual, flexible environment for authentic narrative building.
Your Bluesky Game Plan: Start with Starter Packs
Here’s where Bluesky is smart for EDOs and tourism organizations: Starter Packs. These are curated collections of accounts and feeds that aren’t heavily promoted within the app, but they’re great for discovering and joining communities aligned with your mission.
For Economic Development Organizations:
- Find Starter Packs focused on municipal government, urban planning, or economic development
- Connect with site selectors, prospective talent, and other EDOs
- Share wins like new business openings, workforce initiatives, or infrastructure improvements in context
For Tourism Organizations:
- Join travel and destination marketing communities
- Connect with travel writers, bloggers, and photographers
- Share authentic local stories beyond the typical tourism highlights
For Both:
- Build relationships with local media who are active on the platform
- Engage in conversations about regional development, quality of life, and community building
- Use the platform to share behind-the-scenes stories that humanize your work
Should You Bluesky?
Bluesky offers something rare in today’s social media landscape: a chance to prioritize authentic storytelling over algorithm gaming. For economic development and tourism organizations, that’s not just refreshing, it’s strategic.
The platform’s decentralized structure might feel unfamiliar at first, but it aligns perfectly with your mission of building genuine community connections and telling real stories about place and progress.
Is it worth exploring? If you have the capacity to nurture authentic engagement and you’re tired of fighting algorithms for visibility, then yes. Start small, focus on building real relationships, and familiarize yourself with the platform.
The worst that happens? You get some practice at authentic storytelling. The best that happens? You discover your new favorite platform for connecting with your community and the media that cover your work.
Thinking about giving Bluesky a try? Drop me a line to discuss the pros and cons of giving it a whirl!
