Goodbye Twitter (X), Hello Bluesky, Threads and Discord
Takeaways
- The political social media landscape has shifted dramatically away from the dominance of X (formerly Twitter).
- Platforms like Threads, Bluesky, and Discord now offer unique channels for reaching distinct audiences and organizing supporters, each with its strengths and weaknesses.
- Successfully navigating this fragmented digital terrain requires a tailored strategy to leverage these platforms effectively for maximum campaign impact.
Tweets No More
Founded almost twenty years ago as a niche microblogging platform, Twitter has emerged as a core platform for political communications since the early 2010s. Twitter’s tweets have the same gravitas as press releases and serve as the primary channel for elected officials, candidates, and parties to reach constituents and voters.
However, the landscape has fundamentally shifted. Following Elon Musk's purchase of Twitter (and subsequent rebranding to “X in 2022, the platform has become nearly unrecognizable compared to its previous iteration.
Pre-X Twitter was actively (but, at times, imperfectly) moderated against speech and content considered hate speech or violence, among other criteria. Accordingly, Democratic and progressive elected officials, candidates, and organizations heavily utilized this platform.
Post-2023, the landscape dramatically changed. Instead of impartial moderators and algorithms, multiple observers have noted X’s bias towards right-wing speech - including extreme right-wing speech that would have been banned without reservations before 2023.
In this landscape, the digital environment previously occupied by Twitter has fragmented into multiple platforms, with Threads, Bluesky, and Discord emerging as key players.
The New Frontier
Threads: Instagram without Pictures
Launched by Meta in July 2023 as a direct competitor to the now-named X, Threads leveraged its deep integration with Instagram to quickly build its user base, reaching ~320 million monthly active users by early 2025.
Threads' approach to political content has been inconsistent since the service launched. After initially stating it wouldn't algorithmically amplify political topics, Meta introduced user controls to limit or allow such content. By early 2025, reports indicated a policy change towards recommending more political content. Yet, the moderation policies and decisions of Threads remain opaque, with no insight into the algorithms that promote – or hide – content.
On the upside, from a campaign perspective, Threads offers access to a massive user base often overlapping with Instagram audiences. While launched ad-free, Meta began testing integrated advertising via its Ads Manager in early 2025. As of April 2025, policies regarding political advertising are not yet available, making its future utility for paid campaigns uncertain.
Bluesky: A Decentralized Public Forum
Emerging from a project initially incubated within Twitter, Bluesky offers a "decentralized" social network built on the AT Protocol. This means multiple entities contribute to its infrastructure, preventing any single individual or organization from controlling the platform and allowing users greater control over their algorithms and data.
As of early 2025, Bluesky has grown to nearly 35 million users. While these numbers fall short of X's or Threads' reach, they don't fully reflect Bluesky's outsized importance as a hub for certain engaged communities, including many in Democratic and progressive organizing.
Its primary advantage: freedom from the unpredictable decisions and perceived political biases of X's current ownership, and a different model than Meta's centralized approach on Threads. It currently features no advertising, relying purely on organic reach and engagement.
From the DNC to members of Congress and state legislators, Bluesky has become a primary communications channel for many elected officials, candidates, state parties, and party committees seeking an open, yet more controlled and predictable, public forum.
Discord: Creating Dedicated Campaign Communities
Originally developed for gaming communities ("Slack for gamers"), Discord has evolved into a versatile platform supporting diverse interest groups, including political movements. Its structure—built around user-created servers with dedicated channels for text, voice, and video communication—offers unique advantages for political organizing.
One key difference of Discord from Threads and Bluesky: Just as Slack workspaces are not public, Discord servers are typically private or semi-private communities. While some servers have open invites, many require specific invitations, making them less about public broadcast and more about dedicated community building.
However, for State and local campaigns, starting their own Discord server can serve as a powerful catalyst for engagement. A campaign’s Discord server can bring together organizers, supporters, and candidates for collective action, resource sharing, and capacity building in a controlled environment. Discord’s features also facilitate interaction through gamification, roles, and dedicated channels for specific initiatives.
Strategic Integration for Your Campaign
The era of relying solely on Twitter/X for digital political communication is over. The fragmentation across Threads, Bluesky, and Discord presents both challenges and significant opportunities for campaigns willing to adapt.
Each platform demands a unique approach – understanding its specific audience, features, culture, and advertising potential (or lack thereof) is critical for success.
Developing an effective strategy requires navigating the large scale and uncertain policies of Threads, the niche but engaged communities of Bluesky, and the deep organizing potential of Discord.
Civic Forge Solutions specializes in helping campaigns and organizations navigate this complex new digital landscape. We work with you to understand your goals, identify your target audiences across these platforms, and develop tailored strategies that integrate public messaging, community building, and targeted outreach for maximum impact.
Visit Civic Forge Solutions on Bluesky at @hello.civicforge.solutions