SOCIAL
Could Bluesky Supersede Twitter as the Key Real-Time Social App?

While Elon Musk’s changes at Twitter have been heavily criticized by many, according to Twitter’s numbers, usage of the platform has not declined as a result.
Indeed, while Twitter has reinstated a range of previously banned users, including neo-Nazis, misinformation peddlers, transphobic spokespeople, and worse, while Twitter’s softened its rules around content removals, potentially putting more people at risk of abuse, while its changes to verification have opened the app up for more manipulative behavior, and it’s switched up tweet ranking, so that paying users get priority. Despite all of this, Twitter claims that usage is actually reaching new record highs.
Why is that? Well, in part, there’s a fascination with controversy, and it could be that more people are interested in seeing how these changes play out. But the main factor is that there’s nowhere else that offers the same experience – there’s nothing like Twitter that offers a real-time stream of updates from some of the most influential people on the planet, as well as top-level journalists breaking news, along with the people and profiles that you’ve been following for years, who are still sharing key updates via the app.
But the tide could be changing – and ironically, it’s because of the man who once labeled Elon ‘the singular solution’ to getting Twitter back on track.
While he was still in charge at Twitter, Jack Dorsey launched a new social platform project called ‘Bluesky’ which is focused, essentially, on creating a better version of Twitter, free from the various impediments that Dorsey believed had stymied his vision for his original app over time.
Built around decentralization, the main aims for Bluesky, according to Dorsey, are:
- To facilitate enhanced efforts to address abuse and misleading information, without overburdening staff
- To enable users and the broader community to have more input into platform algorithms
- To improve conversational health by giving people more input into platform rules
Based on the way that other decentralized social projects have gone, Bluesky has seemed like a similar pipe dream, a utopian vision for how a social platform can coalesce, like a natural organism, and rely on the power of the collective – while in reality being utterly unusable for regular people who don’t have a background in computer science.
Yet despite this, Bluesky is actually, seemingly working, for regular people as well as more tech-aligned types. And it’s now attracting some big-name users, a key step in facilitating mass adoption.
As reported by Decrypt:
“Among the big names joining the platform are Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY), who has over 13 million followers on rival platform Twitter, and ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’ director James Gunn, who’s recently taken charge of DC Comics’ film output. Others who’ve joined the invite-only platform include model Chrissy Teigen, ‘Mission: Impossible’ director Christopher McQuarrie, ‘Silicon Valley’ and ‘The Eternals’ star Kumail Nanjiani, Edgar Wright, director of ‘Shaun of the Dead’ and ‘Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World’, and ‘Moon’ director Duncan Jones.”
The migration of influential users is significant, and what’s led to big changes in the social media landscape in the past. Vine, for example, was shut down not because Twitter failed to manage the platform properly (as per the now pervading narrative), but because its top creators demanded more money from Twitter to keep sharing their content in the app. When Twitter refused, they switched to YouTube and Instagram instead, which was the beginning of the end for Vne, as their legions of fans gradually stopped paying attention to the app as a result.
Could the same now be happening to Twitter – and could Twitter be killed off by its own decentralized project, which the company itself invested millions in?
When the Bluesky project was first launched in 2021, Twitter invested $13 million into what would eventually become an independent entity. Dorsey has continued to fund Bluesky since October, when it effectively separated from Twitter – i.e. Musk and Co. cut off Twitter’s funding, while as part of the Musk takeover, Dorsey also rolled over his shares of Twitter into Bluesky, giving it more runway to keep building. But in essence, right now, Bluesky is separate from Twitter – though given Musk’s angst around OpenAI, another project that he funded in its early stages, that’s now making money without him, I suspect that Elon will be none too pleased if Bluesky does emerge as a legitimate threat.
Which is still, to be clear, a long way off. Bluesky’s currently operating on an invite-only basis at this stage, which significantly restricts its capacity to see mass adoption and take-up.
But it is growing, fast. According to data.ai, Bluesky Social is currently the 8th most-downloaded social media app.

The hype around Bluesky seems to already have superseded Mastodon, the other big Twitter alternative, and with a UI that’s virtually the same as Twitter (minus DMs and some other functional elements), it does seem like Bluesky, at least right now, is offering some communities a better experience than the changed Twitter feed.
Bluesky also offers a range of content control options which could lessen the impact of an expanded user base, as a broader range of people set up profiles in the app.

To be clear, Bluesky still has a lot of challenges to overcome, and those challenges compound with every thousand or so more active users. It’s not going to be a simple scaling – hence the steady, invite-only process. But there are signs that Bluesky could be legit, and could be the real Twitter alternative that people have been seeking.
It’ll be interesting to see how Musk responds – as noted, he has a growing track record of attacking anything that he deems a threat, with more specific venom for projects that he’s had prior association with.
I suspect, as the hype grows, Musk will look to punish links to Bluesky, or ban references to it – though at that stage, it could be too late, especially if big-name users continue to switch across, and start posting exclusively on Bluesky instead.
That’s a more significant next step, as most users still seem to be posting on both Twitter and Bluesky concurrently.
But there are some signs that this could be the thing, which could be a big problem as Musk continues to alienate elements of Twitter’s user base.
SOCIAL
TikTok announces $1.5 bn deal to restart Indonesia online shopping business

TikTok has around a billion montly users and its growth among young people far outstrips its competitors – Copyright AFP/File SEBASTIEN BOZON
Chinese-owned short video app TikTok on Monday announced a $1.5 billion investment in GoTo group in a deal that would allow it to restart its online shop in Indonesia, the companies said in a statement.
Under the deal, TikTok Shop will be merged into GoTo’s Tokopedia, and TikTok will have a controlling stake in that entity.
“TikTok has committed to invest over US$1.5 billion in the enlarged entity over time, to provide future funding required by the business, without additional dilution to GoTo,” the Indonesian firm said.
“TikTok, Tokopedia and GoTo will transform Indonesia’s e-commerce sector, creating millions of new job opportunities over the next five years.”
“The strategic partnership will commence with a pilot period carried out in close consultation with and supervision by the relevant regulators,” GoTo said, adding that it expected the deal to close in 2024.
TikTok in October shut down its online shop in Indonesia, one of its biggest markets.
That came days after Southeast Asia’s largest economy banned sales on social media to protect millions of small businesses.
The regulation means social media firms cannot conduct direct transactions but only promote products on their platforms in Indonesia, the first country in the region to act against TikTok’s growing popularity as an e-commerce site.
Indonesia’s e-commerce market is dominated by platforms such as Tokopedia, Shopee and Lazada but TikTok Shop gained a significant market share since launching in 2021.
Indonesia, with 125 million users, is TikTok’s second-largest global market after the United States, according to company figures.
The Indonesian ban came after calls grew for regulation governing social media and e-commerce, with offline sellers seeing their livelihoods threatened by the sale of cheaper products on TikTok Shop and other platforms.
The regulation was yet another setback for TikTok, which has faced intense scrutiny in the United States and other nations in recent months over users’ data security and the company’s alleged ties to the Chinese government.
SOCIAL
TikTok spends $1.5B on Tokopedia JV to get around Jakarta social e-commerce ban

Just two months ago, ByteDance-owned TikTok abruptly closed its shopping platform in Indonesia to comply with surprise regulations from the Southeast Asian country’s government. Jakarta ordered social media companies like TikTok and Facebook to stop selling goods on their platforms, demanding a separation of social media and e-commerce services.
TikTok now seems to have found a way to revive its e-commerce dreams in Indonesia by spending billions to start a joint venture with Indonesian tech giant GoTo. On Monday, the two companies announced that TikTok Shop will now be available on GoTo’s Tokopedia platform.
“Tokopedia and TikTok Shop Indonesia’s businesses will be combined under the existing PT Tokopedia entity in which TikTok will take a controlling stake. The shopping features within the TikTok app in Indonesia will be operated and maintained by the enlarged entity,” TikTok said in a statement Monday.
TikTok will invest over $1.5 billion into Tokopedia, taking a 75% stake in the platform. GoTo will remain an ecosystem partner to Tokopedia and receive an “ongoing revenue stream from Tokopedia commensurate with its scale and growth,” but will not be required to continue funding the platform. Further funding from TikTok also won’t reduce GoTo’s remaining 25% stake.
Getting back into the Indonesian ecommerce market will be a win for TikTok. Indonesia, which is the platform’s largest market outside of the U.S., is key to Tiktok’s online shopping aspirations. In June, CEO Shou Zi Chew pledged to “invest billions in Indonesia and Southeast Asia over the next few years.”
ByteDance wants to replicate its Chinese e-commerce successaround the globe. Last year, consumers spent in China 1.41 trillion yuan ($196 billion) on products sold on Douyin, the version of TikTok for the Chinese market, The Information reported in January. ByteDance, through TikTok, is expanding its online shopping services in both Southeast Asia and the U.S. Yet the company is struggling to win over American consumers: The Information reported in August that U.S. shoppers are spending just $4 million a day, equivalent to $1.4 billion over a whole year, on goods sold on the social media platform. (TikTok officially launched TikTok Shop in the U.S. in September, though sellers have complained about a flood of low-quality products on the platform).
Before Indonesia imposed its ban in September, the country’s president, Joko Widodo, complained that social media platforms were threatening local micro-, small- and medium-sized enterprises. Government officials also accused TikTok of engaging in predatory pricing.
GoTo’s deal with TikTok means the Indonesian tech giant is giving up its majority ownership of Tokopedia . Tokopedia started in 2008 and grew to be one of Indonesia’s largest e-commerce platforms. The company merged with ride-hailing startup GoJek in 2021, becoming GoTo Group. The company debuted on Jakarta’s stock exchange in April last year.
Yet the company has struggled to wow investors since then. GoTo has yet to make a profit since becoming a public company. The tech firm reported 2.4 trillion Indonesian rupiah ($147 million) in net losses last quarter, significantly less than the 6.7 trillion rupiah ($428 million) it lost this time last year.
Investors do not appear to be thrilled by the news of GoTo’s TikTok partnership. Shares fell by over 19% by 2:30pm Indonesia time on Monday, erasing gains made late last week as rumors began to build of the new partnership.
SOCIAL
How to Train ChatGPT to Write in Your Brand’s Tone of Voice [Infographic]
![How to Train ChatGPT to Write in Your Brand’s Tone of Voice [Infographic] How to Train ChatGPT to Write in Your Brand’s Tone of Voice [Infographic]](https://articles.entireweb.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/1702266964_How-to-Train-ChatGPT-to-Write-in-Your-Brands-Tone.jpg)
Are you looking for ways to improve your ChatGPT output? Want to train it to write in a more unique tone of voice, in order to better suit your branding?
The Creative Marketer shares his ChatGPT prompt tips in this infographic. To enact these, add “Write like [INSERT CHARACTER]” at the start of your ChatGPT instructions.
TCM breaks things down into the following categories:
- Innocent
- Sage
- Explorer
- Ruler
- Creator
- Caregiver
- Lover
- Hero
- Everyman
- Magician
- Jester
- Outlaw
Check out the infographic for more information.
A version of this post was first published on the Red Website Design blog.
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