The news: Bluesky isn’t trying to be the biggest platform. It’s trying to be the platform where the conversations that matter actually happen—and COO Rose Wang is clear that this is the source of its momentum.

“We’re 21 months since public launch,” she told EMARKETER at Web Summit, and people now see Bluesky as “a new social platform,” even if they don’t fully grasp how it works. What they do understand is the broader shift: Users “don’t know what they’re running towards … they just know what they’re running away from.” Many are leaving platforms where one person can “change the culture overnight” and choosing something that feels more participatory.

Conversation over content: Wang emphasized that Bluesky’s stickiness is rooted in community behavior, not algorithmic reach. “People are actually coming here for the conversation and they’re staying for the communities,” she said—describing a hybrid of old-school Twitter energy and subreddit-style depth that has become hard to find elsewhere, as many social platforms lean into passive viewing.

That’s why the platform, which just surpassed 40 million users, often becomes a place where major cultural moments unfold. “If you wanted to see where the World Series conversation was happening, it was on Bluesky,” Wang said. The same was true of election night 2025, when engagement surged “1.5 to 2 times.” Nearly 4 in 10 of its users rely now rely on the app for news, per Pew.

The draw, she argued, is simple: “There’s still a yearning for people to gather … and to feel that connection and bond.”

Back to basics: Wang noted that most platforms have shifted from community to content distribution.

“Social media has mostly become media more than it is social,” she said, creating environments where people connect with posts, not one another. Bluesky aims to reverse that by prioritizing genuine connection. As she put it, “If you're looking for the top-line numbers of followers and views … it is hard to compete,” but what matters is “a strong connection with a smaller group of people” because “that passion is actually more important.”

Culture shaped by users: Wang said Bluesky is built around user choice, with custom feeds acting like “cities within our state,” each with its own character. Moderation works the same way: Communities can set their own rules to match their norms. The result is a platform where users pick the environments they want, and culture forms from the bottom up rather than through top-down policy.

Why this matters for marketers: For advertisers, Bluesky’s early-stage culture is the point—not a barrier.

• It’s a high-signal environment. Users are opting in for conversation, discussions often have depth, and subcultures form fast, suggesting a platform that attracts users with intentionality.
• This is where taste starts, not where it ends. Wang noted that people are “meeting someone online again” and “learning something”—behaviors associated with idea formation, not downstream amplification. Brands tracking early cultural signals should treat Bluesky as a laboratory.
• Authenticity expectations are high. The platform punishes inauthentic brand behavior simply because communities can route around it. Marketers can’t drop one-size-fits-all content into a space that is intentionally fragmented and user-curated.
• It’s already hosting real cultural moments. World Series chatter, election-night spikes, and niche communities producing real-world connections are early indicators of a platform that can drive influence without scale.

Bluesky isn’t offering brands massive reach; it’s offering the right audience in a meaningful cultural setting. With fragmentation rising, that matters. Marketers should adjust accordingly: Learn the norms, participate thoughtfully, and treat Bluesky as a place where culture forms in real time.