How to Post on Bluesky Social

Learning the ropes of a new social platform can feel a little intimidating, but posting on Bluesky is more straightforward than it seems. This guide will walk you through exactly how to create your first post, use the platform's unique features like custom feeds and content labels, and share strategies to help you start conversations and build your presence.

Crafting Your First Post: The Fundamentals

At its core, a Bluesky post - often called a "skeet" by early adopters - is simple. Once you understand the basic components, you'll be ready to share your thoughts in minutes. The compose window is clean and focuses on three main elements: text, images, and links.

1. The Text Body (300 Characters)

You have a 300-character limit to work with, giving you more space than X (formerly Twitter) but still encouraging you to be concise. This is where you'll write your main message. You can also include:

• @-mentions: To tag another user, simply type "@" followed by their handle (e.g., @postbase.com). As you type, a list of suggestions will appear. Mentioning someone will notify them.
• Hashtags: You can add hashtags like #SocialMediaMarketing to your posts. While they are clickable, it's important to know that they don't function as the primary discovery tool on Bluesky. Instead, discovery is largely driven by custom feeds, which we'll cover later. One or two relevant hashtags are fine, but there's no need to load your post with them.

2. Adding Images (Up to 4)

Visuals make your posts stand out. Bluesky allows you to attach up to four photos per post, which is great for showing multiple angles of a product, creating a mini-photo essay, or sharing a multi-panel comic.

To add an image, just click the picture icon at the bottom of the compose window and select the files from your device. They'll appear as thumbnails below your text, ready to be published.

3. Embedding Links

When you paste a URL into your post, Bluesky automatically generates a link card preview. This preview typically includes a feature image, a headline, and a short description pulled from the website's metadata. It's a great way to share blog articles, products, or news in a visually appealing format without using up your character count. For best results, make sure the website you're linking to has its Open Graph (OG) tags set up correctly, as this is where Bluesky pulls the preview information from.

Step-by-Step: Your First Bluesky Post

Ready to try it out? Here's a quick-start guide:

1. Click the blue "New Post" button on the web or the blue compose icon with a feather in the mobile app.
2. In the "What's up?" field, type your message (up to 300 characters).
3. To add images, click the image icon and select up to four photos.
4. To add a link, simply paste the URL into the text box and wait for the link card to appear.
5. Review your post, and when you're ready, hit the "Post" button.

That's it! You've officially made your first post on Bluesky.

Going Beyond the Basics: Advanced Posting Features

Once you're comfortable with the basics, you can start using some of Bluesky's more powerful features. These tools are designed to improve accessibility and give users more control over their content experience.

Mastering Alt Text for Accessibility

Alt text, or alternative text, is a written description of an image. It's read aloud by screen readers for visually impaired users, making your content more accessible to everyone. Taking a moment to add thoughtful alt text is a small step that makes a huge difference.

How to Add Alt Text:

• After you upload an image, a small black banner with "ALT" will appear on the thumbnail.
• Click on it, and a text box will pop up.
• Write a concise, descriptive summary of the image. For example, instead of just "dog," you might write, "A happy corgi lying in the grass with a red ball."

This not only helps with accessibility but is also considered good etiquette on the platform. It signals that you're creating content with the entire community in mind.

Using Content Warnings and Labels

Bluesky empowers users to curate their own feeds by giving creators tools to label their content. If you're posting about a sensitive topic, spoilers for a new movie, or something potentially triggering, you should use a content label. This hides the post behind a warning that users must click to view.

To add one, click the shield icon in the compose window. You'll see a list of common labels like "Spoiler," "Nudity," or "Graphic Violence," but you can also create your own custom warning. This feature allows people to opt-out of seeing content they'd rather avoid, fostering a more respectful and user-controlled environment.

Setting Your Post's Language

Next to the shield icon, you'll see a small globe. Clicking this allows you to specify the language of your post (e.g., English, Spanish, Japanese). Why is this useful? Many users set their content viewing preferences to only show posts in languages they understand. By correctly labeling your post's language, you're helping it reach the right audience and not show up in the feeds of people who can't read it.

Strategies for Creating Content That Connects

Knowing how to use the tools is one thing, knowing what to post is another. The culture on Bluesky is still evolving, but a few key strategies have emerged for building a community and creating engaging content.

Find Your Vibe: The Conversational Culture

Bluesky generally has a more relaxed, conversational, and niche-focused feel compared to other major platforms. It's less about slick, corporate broadcasts and more about authentic conversations within smaller communities. Before you dive into promoting your brand, spend some time exploring. Participate in conversations, find accounts you genuinely enjoy, and get a feel for the tone. People on Bluesky appreciate genuine interaction, not just link drops and advertisements.

The Power of Custom Feeds

This is arguably Bluesky's killer feature and the key to discoverability. Unlike a single, all-powerful algorithm, Bluesky allows users to create, share, and subscribe to "custom feeds." These are essentially curated timelines based on specific rules.

For example, there might be a feed for:

• "Cat Pictures": Collects all posts that include the word "cat" or "#cats."
• "Graphic Design": Shows posts from a curated list of top designers.
• "Positivity Feed": Filters for posts containing positive keywords.

To get discovered, the goal isn't just to use particular keywords, it's to create content that will logically fit into a custom feed. Find and pin a few feeds that are relevant to your interests or industry. By posting content that matches the criteria of those feeds, you vastly increase your chances of being seen by a highly relevant audience.

Engage Authentically: Replies and Quote Posts

The fastest way to build your presence is by joining existing conversations.

• Replying: Don't just post into the void. Find interesting conversations happening in your custom feeds and add thoughtful replies. Ask questions, share your perspective, and compliment others' work. This is the foundation of community building.
• Quote Posts: A quote post shares someone else's post along with your own commentary. It's a great way to add your voice to a trending topic or share a post from someone else with your own followers. Use it to add value, offer a different perspective, or champion content you love.

Crafting Compelling Threads

With its 300-character count, threads are a popular way to tell longer stories or break down complex topics. To create a thread, simply post your first message, then reply to it to add the next part.

Tips for a Great Thread:

• Start with a strong hook: Make your first post intriguing enough that people want to know what's next.
• Number your posts: Using a format like (1/5), (2/5) helps people follow along and know how long the thread is.
• Maintain a clear focus: Each post should contribute to the main idea without getting sidetracked.
• Include visuals: Break up text-heavy threads with relevant images or GIFs.
• End with a summary: Your last post should bring everything together and offer a final takeaway or a call to action.

Do's and Don'ts: Bluesky Posting Etiquette

As you get started, keeping these best practices in mind will help you integrate smoothly into the community.

The Do's

• DO always use alt text for a more accessible and inclusive experience.
• DO tag sensitive content with content warnings to give users control over what they see.
• DO explore and subscribe to custom feeds to find your communities and get your content discovered.
• DO be yourself. Authenticity and genuine conversation are highly valued.

The Don'ts

• DON'T just drop a link without context. Tell people why they should click it.
• DON'T spam irrelevant hashtags. Focus on keywords that will get picked up by custom feeds instead.
• DON'T broadcast without listening. Community on Bluesky is built on two-way engagement.
• DO NOT engage only for self-promotion. Prioritize adding value to conversations and building relationships.

Final Thoughts

Posting on Bluesky is an intuitive process built around features that prioritize user control and community building. By mastering the basics, leveraging tools like custom feeds and content labels, and focusing on authentic engagement, you can create a meaningful presence on this rapidly growing platform.

Juggling a content strategy on established platforms while also trying to grow on a new one like Bluesky can stretch anyone thin. We know that struggle well, which is why we built Postbase with a focus on simplicity and reliability. Our platform removes the complexity from scheduling your TikToks, Reels, Stories, and X posts so you can manage all your core channels from one visual calendar. Having a streamlined workflow frees up your time and mental energy, giving you the space to experiment and genuinely engage on new creative frontiers like Bluesky.