But activity on X is also slowing, with some opting for a ‘soft X-it’

We’ve seen this movie before. A rival to X emerges. Excitement builds. Then the euphoria dies down, and X reasserts its market dominance. Could this time be different? Maybe. A social media network is only as useful as the number of active members it can attract. While Bluesky is not going to eclipse X any time soon in active users, well-known journalists and academics have been stampeding toward the social network since the US presidential election. By the end of 2024, Bluesky said it had nearly 26 million users, growing by 13 million people in less than two months. So far, many of the largest global law firms have not followed. According to data gathered by Infinite’s research team, 37 of the Am Law Global 200 have registered Bluesky accounts. Just 10 firms have posted to the site. Still, it may be too soon to write off Bluesky’s importance to law firms. High-profile attorneys and legal academics have left X for Bluesky, finding it a more engaging and less toxic platform. Meanwhile, some brands, including entertainment companies like Netflix and professional sports franchises like the Golden State Warriors and FC St. Pauli have established their presence on Bluesky.

For a law firm, the utility of having a presence on either X or Bluesky is a nuanced calculus. Given that X has more than an estimated 600 million weekly users, it may be tempting to ignore Bluesky. But that’s a mistake. The journalistic talent on Bluesky means it punches well above its weight. At a minimum, the emergence of Bluesky gives firms and their communication teams another network to monitor. “A core function of a global law firm’s communications team is managing risk,” notes Infinite Director Ryan McSharry. “Being prepared for a crisis today means doing your best to understand the conversations taking place on social media and how they may affect your organization. Bluesky has already proved its capacity to shape narratives." Nearly all the Am Law Global 200 have accounts on X, with 123 actively posting there. But three firms—Gordon Rees Scully Mansukhani, Taylor Wessing, and Eversheds Sutherland—publicly announced their departure from X. Others seem to be on the fence. Infinite researchers identified 57 firms that have not posted on X since November 1—which might be called a “soft X-it." “Some firms, like many corporate brands, have decided that the X platform is either too toxic generally or too damaging and unpredictable from a reputation management perspective to justify continued engagement,” says Infinite Vice President Clay Steward. “The diminished activity we are seeing from some firms on the X platform post the US election could be a consequence of a variety of factors, such as the platform simply not being where their core stakeholders engage with them the most, so they are focusing on LinkedIn, Instagram, and other platforms where they can better reach their key audiences.”