How to Get Engagement on Bluesky

Jumping into a new social platform like Bluesky can feel like navigating an unfamiliar city, but unlocking real engagement is simpler than you think. It's about understanding the unique culture, tapping into its specific features, and focusing on quality conversations over broadcast noise. This guide provides actionable strategies to help you not just post, but connect and build a genuine presence on Bluesky.

Understanding the Vibe: Bluesky's Unique Culture

Before you even write your first post - or "skeet" as they're called - it's important to grasp that Bluesky isn't just a carbon copy of X (formerly Twitter). It has its own distinct personality shaped by its user base of early adopters, tech enthusiasts, developers, artists, and academics. The general atmosphere is more relaxed, quirky, and less polished than what you might find on other networks.

Here’s what that means for you:

• Authenticity Over Everything: Users value genuine voices. Stiff corporate-speak and overly promotional content tend to fall flat. Share your personality, be human, and don't be afraid to show the person or people behind the brand.
• Humor is a Universal Language: The platform thrives on clever humor, memes, and an overall sense of playfulness. If it aligns with your brand's voice, leaning into wit and lightheartedness can go a long way.
• Community First, Sales Last: Bluesky is still very much in its community-building phase. The most successful accounts are those that contribute to conversations, share valuable insights, and build relationships. Hard-selling is generally frowned upon and will get you quickly muted or blocked.

Think of it as showing up to a friendly neighborhood block party. You wouldn't immediately start passing out business flyers. Instead, you'd introduce yourself, join a conversation, and get to know people. Apply that same mindset to your Bluesky strategy.

How to Write Posts ("Skeets") That People Actually Engage With

Your posts are the foundation of your engagement strategy. A generic post gets scrolled past, a thoughtful post sparks conversation. The goal is to create content that invites a response, whether it's a reply, a repost, or a like.

Go Beyond Simple Statements

Stating a fact is broadcasting. Asking a question or sharing a relatable experience is a conversation-starter. Instead of posting promotional announcements, frame your content to encourage interaction.

• Instead of this: "Our new line of sustainable coffee mugs just launched."
• Try this: "We just spent 6 months perfecting our new sustainable coffee mugs. What's the one thing you absolutely *need* in your go-to mug? For us, it has to be a handle that actually fits your whole hand."

Use Visuals Intelligently

Bluesky gracefully handles images and GIFs. Visuals break up the monotony of a text-heavy feed and grab attention immediately. Use them to:

• Add Context: Show a picture of the product you’re talking about or a behind-the-scenes shot of your workspace.
• Inject Humor: A well-placed reaction GIF or meme can make your post more relatable and shareable.
• Demonstrate Value: Instead of just *telling* people about something, share a screenshot, a short diagram, or an infographic.

Remember to add alt text to your images. It’s a simple step that makes your content accessible to visually impaired users and is a sign of good community etiquette.

Tell a Miniature Story

People connect with stories, not data points. Even within a 300-character limit, you can tell a small story. Share a brief anecdote about a customer success, a funny challenge you overcame, or the inspiration behind a new project. Storytelling makes your brand feel relatable and human.

You can also use threads to tell longer stories. A well-structured thread that unfolds a narrative piece by piece is an excellent way to hold a reader's attention and encourage engagement on each post in the sequence.

Custom Feeds: Your Secret Weapon for Discovery and Engagement

Custom feeds are arguably Bluesky's most powerful and unique feature, and they are essential for growing your engagement. A custom feed is a curated timeline created by a user, based on specific rules, algorithms, or topics. Anyone can create, subscribe to, or share a feed.

For example, there are feeds for specific interests like an "Indie Gaming" feed, a "Book Lovers" feed, or a "What's 🔥" feed that collects popular skeets from across the network. Understanding how to use them is a massive advantage.

How to Use Feeds to Get Found

Posting brilliant content is only half the battle, people need to see it. Custom feeds are your direct line to an audience that has already self-identified as being interested in your niche.

1. Discover Relevant Feeds: Go to the "Feeds" tab and browse popular options. You can also search for feeds based on keywords related to your industry or interests. Find the communities where your ideal audience is hanging out.
2. Understand the Feed's Rules: Some feeds aggregate posts based on specific keywords or hashtags. For instance, an "Art Feed" might pull in every post that uses the word "art" or #art. Learn how the feeds in your niche work so you can tailor your posts to appear in them.
3. Engage Within the Feed: Don't just hope your content shows up - actively participate directly within these custom feeds. Spend time scrolling through them, replying to other users' posts, and adding to the conversation. This establishes you as a valuable member of that niche community.

Your Engagement To-Do List for Feeds:

• Pin 3-5 of your most relevant feeds to your home screen for easy access.
• Dedicate 10-15 minutes a day to checking and engaging with posts within those feeds.
• When you create content, think about which feed it might appeal to and include keywords that might get it picked up.

The Community Comes First: Interact with Others

This is the most important rule on any social platform, but it’s especially true on Bluesky. You can't just drop your content and leave, you have to be part of the community. So much of your visibility and engagement will come from your interactions with others.

Reply with Meaning

Go beyond a simple 👍 or "great post." A meaningful reply adds to the conversation and makes the original poster feel heard. Ask a follow-up question, share a relevant experience of your own, or offer a thoughtful compliment that shows you actually read and understood their post.

A higher-effort reply is far more likely to get a response, earn you a follow, and be seen by the original poster's audience.

Be a Follower Worth Following

Proactively follow other accounts in your industry or niche. Look for people who are having interesting conversations, not just those with the biggest follower counts. When you follow someone new, don't just stop there. Engage with one or two of their recent posts to show you’re interested in what they have to say.

Often, this simple act is enough to make them check out your profile and follow you back, especially on a platform where those initial connections are being forged.

Join In, Don’t Just Start

Observe which conversations are already happening. Don't be afraid to jump into a thread between two other users if you have something valuable to add. As long as you’re respectful and on-topic, this is a perfectly normal and encouraged behavior on Bluesky. It's one of the fastest ways to become visible to new circles of users.

A Quick Word on Hashtags and Composure

Unlike other platforms where hashtags are a primary discovery tool, their role on Bluesky is a bit different. They make text clickable, but they don't function as a centralized searching and sorting system. For true content discovery, custom feeds are much more powerful.

Use hashtags sparingly. One or two for context is fine (e.g., #gamedev, #scicomm), but a wall of tags at the end of your post can look spammy and doesn't provide much functional benefit. Instead, focus on writing clear, descriptive content that custom feed algorithms can easily pick up on based on keywords.

Finally, consistency matters. Finding a sustainable rhythm is better than posting a dozen times one day and going silent for a week. Aim for quality over quantity, and focus on being a consistent presence your followers can come to expect and enjoy seeing in their feeds.

Final Thoughts

Ultimately, getting engagement on Bluesky boils down to being a good community member. Understand the platform’s relaxed and authentic culture, create content that invites conversation, leverage the unique power of custom feeds to find your people, and make genuine interaction a priority over broadcasting.

Being consistent and present across multiple platforms, especially newer ones, can feel like a lot to juggle. That's why we built our visual calendar in Postbase to give you a clear view of your entire content plan, helping you spot gaps and maintain that all-important consistency without the stress. By simplifying the scheduling part, you get more time back to focus on what really matters: creating great content and engaging with your community.