# Looking for more engagement?  If you are someone who is expecting to have the same level of engagement on Bluesky that you do on other platforms within a short time, you might as well as STOP reading right now since the rest of this post won’t be all that useful to you. For those who are able to adjust their expectations, feel free to keep reading. > [!NOTE] Advice from the Bluesky community > I asked the community for their advice on finding more engagement, and [here's what they said](https://bsky.app/profile/debbieohi.com/post/3lapt3quwjs2w). ## Some of my top tips **Instead of saying “Bluesky is too quiet,” be more specific**. Doing so may help you figure out what steps you need to take to change this. Example: Do you mean that when you post something, people aren’t Liking and/or commenting on your content the way they do on other platforms? **Remember that Bluesky is a relatively new platform**. It reminds me of early days of Twitter, when we all had to put in more effort into engaging with others. I think many of us have forgotten that (I’m just as guilty). Instead of “Why aren’t people coming to MY Bluesky profile and interacting with MY content?” I realized I needed to instead think “I need to start spending more time seeking out and interacting with OTHER people on Bluesky. They may or may not reciprocate, but I need to look at this as a gradual process of building up relationships again…the way I did in early Twitter days. Yes, it’ll take time and effort…and that’s why I should focus on 1-2 platforms I enjoy instead of trying to be everywhere.” > [!NOTE] From Scholastic art director [Brian LaRossa](https://bsky.app/profile/brianlarossa.com): > “**There is no baseline algorithm at work here, clamoring for your attention. This is a grocery store, not a restaurant. If you came here because you don’t want other people messing with your feed, you need to learn to cook.**“ **Don’t just broadcast**. This has always been true for anyone who wants more community engagement on any social media platform. There’s no one right way to use social media, of course, and some people may not have the time/motivation to interact with others on a social media platform, apart from just Liking some posts. If that’s your style, then embrace it. Just don’t be disappointed when you don’t get as much engagement as you had hoped, especially on a new platform like Bluesky. **Look for people who engage with others**: If you are mainly looking to connect with those who DO engage with others on Bluesky, check their Replies tab on their Bluesky profiles. You'll get a good sense of how often (or IF) they engage with others in the community. **Instead of expecting people to discover you and your posts, put more effort into discovering others and their posts**. I quickly discovered that I couldn’t just post on Bluesky and expect the same level of engagement that I had on Twitter/X. What I did (and still do): I regularly seek out a few people whose posts I enjoy on Bluesky (usually via custom feeds, hashtags, lists etc), respond with comments, take part in conversations that interest me. Some will respond in kind, some won’t. I think of it as planting seeds in gardens I’m already interested in. [Here are some Advanced Search tips from the Bluesky team](https://bsky.social/about/blog/05-31-2024-search). **Fill out your profile before starting to follow anyone**, **and make at least one post**. I regularly scan through my list of followers and very rarely follow anyone back who has the default/empty profile. Try to pick a username/userpic that is the same as one you use on other platforms, to help people find you more easily. Include a LINK in your profile bio, where people can click through to find out more about you; I’m floored by how many people (and companies) are NOT doing this. See [[a. Your User Profile|Your User Profile]] for tips. **When checking your Notifications screen, make sure you click on the "Mentions" tab**, so you can more easily keep up with your replies and conversations. ![[Mentions_Tab_Bluesky.jpg|400]] **Check your Following Feed Preferences** (formerly known as Home Feed Preferences). If your home feed seems quiet, doublecheck your [Following Feed Preferences](https://bsky.app/settings/following-feed) to make sure you're seeing Replies in your Following Feed; even if replies aren't to your posts, it can be a great way to find interesting conversations. If you haven't already do go through your [[b. Settings|settings]] and especially your [[e. Control What You Do (& Don't) See|moderation]] options. **When replying to someone on Bluesky, try to include some context**. Some people may come across your replies out of context and without seeing the original thread/post, so including useful content in your reply may inspire someone to reply to you or want to find out more about you. Here’s an example: _Your reply may be: “I agree!”_ _A better reply might be: “I agree! School visits by authors can inspire young readers.”_ **Use hashtags**. Note that people can click on a hashtag to not only search for the hashtag across the platform, but also for a particular user’s posts containing the hashtag. Click on Latest to see results sorted from the most recent. ![[HashtagOptions02-BlueskyTips-flat2000.jpg|600]] *Alt-text: "Screenshot of a social media post by Debbie Ridpath Ohi on Bluesky, sharing a tip on time management and mental health by focusing on a few preferred platforms, specifically Bluesky. She highlights the hashtag \#BlueSkyTips, suggesting the use of consistent hashtags to help followers find relevant content, with a drop-down menu showing options like "See \#BlueSkyTips posts" and "Mute \#BlueSkyTips." A yellow text box emphasizes the importance of consistent hashtag use for user engagement and easier content navigation."* > [!NOTE] This is NOT an official Bluesky resource! > Be aware that this is a living vault, very much a work-in-progress. It is NOT meant to be a 100% accurate and finished resource. Please note that these tips are just based on my own experience. What works for me may not work for you. Feel free to send me feedback via [[Contact Debbie]]. If you're looking for Starter Packs, here's a directory of thousands of Starter Packs you can search by keywod: https://blueskydirectory.com/starter-packs/all **The ability to search within a user’s feed for posts that include a particular hashtag has SO MUCH POTENTIAL for curation**. An illustration looking to illustrate middle grade, for example, might use a hashtag like \#bw-art whenever they post black and white art on Bluesky. That way, anyone wanting to browse samples of that artist’s b&w art just needs to click on the hashtag and “see \#bw-art posts by user.” You could even include significant hashtags in your profile bio. I’ve been using the “see \#hashtag by user” to help me find older posts I’ve made. This requires careful thought about what hashtags I use, and how many. When I see someone post with a zillion hashtags, I’m unlikely to click any of them. If I just see ONE hashtag, especially if it’s specific and of interest, I’m more likely to click it, to see similar posts made by the same user. Take the time to discover hashtags used by the community. If you are trying to connect with educators, for example, adding \#Edusky to a post will result in more educators finding that post. Be wary of abusing hashtags, though – if you over-use hashtags or use a community-specific hashtag on spammy posts, it’s more likely people will want to Mute or Block you rather than want to interact with you. ## Related resources [[Tips - How To Fix A Quiet Feed]]