How to Make Money on Bluesky

Turning your Bluesky presence into a source of income isn't about finding a hidden monetize button, it's about strategically building a community and funneling that attention toward your own offers. This guide breaks down the real, actionable ways creators, freelancers, and small businesses are generating revenue using the platform right now, moving from foundational brand building to direct sales and promotions.

Building Your Foundation: You Can't Monetize an Empty Room

Before you can make a single dollar, you need to give people a reason to follow and trust you. On a platform like Bluesky, where the culture values authenticity and conversation over polished advertisements, this foundation is non-negotiable. Don't skip this part - it's what separates a successful creator from someone just shouting into the void.

Find Your Niche and Own It

General-purpose "lifestyle" accounts struggle in a decentralized environment. Specificity cuts through the noise. What are you truly enthusiastic about? Your niche doesn't need to be obscure, but it must be defined. Think less "I love movies" and more "I analyze practical effects in 80s horror films." Think less "I love food" and more "I share budget-friendly vegan recipes for busy people."

A narrow focus does two things:

• It attracts the right people: People passionate about your niche will actively seek you out, often through custom feeds. They are a much warmer audience for future offers.
• It establishes your authority: When you consistently post insightful content about a specific topic, you become a go-to voice. Authority is the bedrock of trust, and trust is what convinces someone to buy from you, hire you, or subscribe to your newsletter.

Actionable Advice: Define your three content pillars. These are the 3-5 core topics you will consistently talk about. For a freelance writer, it might be: 1) Copywriting tips, 2) Freelance business advice, and 3) Behind-the-scenes of their writing process. Everything you post should fit into one of these pillars.

Cultivate an Engaged Community, Not Just Followers

A large follower count means nothing if no one interacts with you. Engagement is the currency of Bluesky. The platform's conversational nature rewards genuine interaction. You aren't just broadcasting, you're participating in a bigger public square.

Spend as much time replying and reskeeting (Bluesky's version of a retweet) as you do creating your own posts. Ask genuine questions and give thoughtful responses when others reply. Use custom feeds to discover conversations in your niche and add value to them. When you make your corner of Bluesky an interesting place to hang out, people stick around. It's these relationships that form a loyal community - one that will be more receptive when you eventually have something to sell or promote.

Indirect Monetization: Building a Funnel Off-Platform

For most creators, the most sustainable way to make money from Bluesky is to make money off of Bluesky. Think of your profile as the top of your sales funnel - a welcoming front door that leads people to places where monetization is already built-in. This is the primary strategy for 90% of successful creators on the platform right now.

Driving Traffic to Your Blog, Newsletter, or YouTube Channel

If you create long-form content, Bluesky is the perfect place to promote it. The goal is to give your followers a taste of your content that makes them want the full meal.

• Share compelling snippets: Post a provocative quote from your latest article or a short, interesting clip from your new video.
• Create "trailer" threads: Write a short thread summarizing the key takeaways of your blog post or video, with a link to the full piece at the end.
• Go behind the scenes: Share your research process, a photo of your recording setup, or a rough draft. This builds personal connection and makes your audience feel invested in your work.

Example in Action: A podcaster who reviews indie video games posts a screenshot of a particularly stunning in-game moment. The post reads, "The level design in Emberfall is next-level. I spent an hour just exploring this one area. We break down exactly why it's so compelling in this week's episode." They then add a link to their podcast.

Don't just drop a link and run. Provide context and value on Bluesky first. Make people feel like they're getting something useful right there in their feed, with the option to go deeper.

Growing Your Email List With a Valuable Freebie

Your email list is one of the only marketing channels you truly own. It's not subject to algorithm changes or platform shutdowns. You can use your Bluesky presence to get your most dedicated followers onto that list.

The best way to do this is with a lead magnet - a free piece of valuable content that people get in exchange for their email address. It should be a direct solution to a problem your target audience has.

• A graphic designer could offer a free pack of custom icon templates.
• A fitness coach could offer a one-page weekly workout planner.
• A financial advisor could offer a simple budget-tracking spreadsheet.

Once you have your lead magnet, promote it. Pin a post to your profile with a clear, compelling description of your freebie and a link to your sign-up page. Mention it in your bio. Talk about the concepts inside it in your regular posts. This transforms followers into leads you can nurture over time.

Direct Monetization: Selling Straight to Your Audience

Once you've built trust and authority, you can start selling directly. This approach is more forward, so it relies heavily on the goodwill you've already established. A portfolio of helpful, non-promotional content makes a sales pitch feel welcome, not intrusive.

For Freelancers and Consultants: Landing Clients

Bluesky is a phenomenal tool for demonstrating your expertise. Instead of paying for ads, you're earning clients' trust by publicly helping people and sharing your knowledge. Consistently share valuable tips, industry insights, and high-level case studies related to your services.

Engage in conversations where people are asking for help in your field. If someone in a marketing feed is confused about SEO, offer a helpful, no-strings-attached tip. This kind of public problem-solving positions you as a knowledgeable and generous expert. Inbound leads will naturally follow.

Optimize Your Bio: Your bio should clearly state who you are, what you do, and who you help. For example: "WordPress Developer helping small businesses build faster, more secure websites. Link to portfolio below 👇." This makes it easy for potential clients to immediately understand your value.

For Creators and Artists: Selling Your Creations

If you sell products - whether digital or physical - Bluesky is a great showroom. It's a perfect place to generate excitement and communicate directly with customers.

• Showcase your process: Post videos of you painting, photos of your prototypes, or screenshots of your digital product's user interface. This builds a narrative around your product and makes people feel connected to your work.
• Announce drops and new releases: Build anticipation for a new product launch. You can run polls asking followers which design they prefer or tease a countdown to launch day.
• Open limited commission slots: If you're an artist or artisan, announcing a limited number of commission slots creates natural scarcity and urgency, encouraging followers to act quickly.

Use high-quality visuals. Even though Bluesky's feed is text-focused, great images and videos always stand out. Link directly to your shop in your bio and don't be afraid to post direct calls to action, like "My Etsy shop is now updated with new prints!" but balance them with a steady stream of your usual, non-promotional content.

The Next Frontier: Affiliate Marketing and Brand Partnerships

As Bluesky matures, opportunities for sponsored content and affiliate marketing are beginning to appear. While not as established as on Instagram or TikTok, acting now can set you up for future success.

Affiliate Marketing Done Right

Spamming random affiliate links is the fastest way to lose your audience's trust. The only way affiliate marketing works on a community-centric platform is with absolute authenticity.

Only recommend products or services you genuinely use and believe in. Go beyond a simple link and write a mini-review. Talk about a specific feature you love, how it solved a problem for you, or why it's a better option than its competitors. Provide real value alongside the link.

Example: A productivity expert using a new project management tool could post, "I've tried every to-do app out there, but [Tool Name]'s calendar integration is the first thing that's actually stuck. Being able to drag tasks into time blocks is a game-changer for me." They can then add their affiliate link with a clear disclosure like (#ad) or (#affiliate).

Getting Ready for Sponsored Posts

Most brands aren't allocating huge budgets to Bluesky just yet, but they are watching it. Companies look for influencers with strong engagement rates in specific niches. Your job is to become that person.

Focus on creating high-quality content and fostering a vibrant community. Brands are looking for creators who their target customers trust. Start by building organic relationships with brands you already love. Mention their products naturally in your posts without expecting anything in return. Engage with their company accounts.

Actionable Advice: Prepare a simple one-page media kit PDF. It should include a brief bio, a description of your niche and audience, key engagement metrics (like your average number of likes and replies per post), and links to your other social profiles. Keep it on hand so you're ready when a brand reaches out.

Final Thoughts

Monetizing Bluesky successfully is a marathon, not a sprint. It's less about chasing platform-specific monetization features and more about building a genuine brand, establishing expertise, and strategically guiding an engaged audience to your existing sales channels. Whether you're driving traffic, selling services, or launching creative products, the core principle is the same: give first, sell later.

Building a multi-platform presence to support your work is a lot to juggle, and we know firsthand how clunky a lot of social media tools can feel. At Postbase, we focused on building a modern social media manager that is simple, reliable, and designed for today's content - especially short-form video. It helps you manage and schedule your content across all your accounts from one beautiful calendar, giving you the headspace to focus on creating great stuff instead of fighting with your software.