A new, encouraging report from Pew Research shows that social media influencers are starting to wake up. Many in left-leaning circles are getting very excited about the platform Bluesky while continuing to keep an account on X, formerly Twitter. The research pit 500 different influencers against each other—each one having at least 100,000 followers on each of the big six platforms. Of influencers with political affiliations, 69% were left-leaning versus only 15% conservative.
The data showed that engagement on Bluesky has increased. During that first week of January, 54% of influencers were posting consistently on the platform. By the last full week of March, that figure surged to 66%. Yet this shift occurred amid dramatic political upheaval. Elon Musk’s partnership in crime with Donald Trump appears to have added thousands of new users to Bluesky. The report walks through how this movement to Bluesky was not immediately at the expense of X.
Even with this mounting movement towards Bluesky, an overwhelming 90%+ of influencers continue to be active on X. The report states that 82% of the tracked influencers had an account on X, down only slightly from 85% in the summer of 2025. This suggests that most influencers are using a two-platform strategy, using both platforms to engage with their audiences.
Interestingly, more than half of surveyed influencers, 51%, started their accounts post–2024 presidential election. This trend is a really positive sign that they are just starting to respond to the new political landscape. This trend further underscores the divide between right-leaning and left-leaning influencers on Bluesky, suggesting differing motivations and strategies for engagement across political lines.
Anthony Ha, TechCrunch’s weekend editor who resides in New York City, emphasized that the report’s findings reflect a dynamic media environment where content creators adapt to new platforms while retaining existing audiences. Ha’s extensive background in technology journalism, including roles at Adweek and VentureBeat, positions him as a credible voice in analyzing these trends.
