Finding Your Twitter/X Replacement — And Do You Really Need One?

If your team has spent the last year watching Twitter (sorry — X) unravel, you’re not alone. At Emdash, we’ve heard it from folks across all the for-good sectors we work with: social reach is tanking, analytics are questionable, trolls are taking over, and the platform that once felt like a town square now feels more like a minefield.

And now, the replacements are rolling in: Threads, Bluesky, Mastodon, Substack, plus an upcoming Canadian-built option. They each promise something better — more reach, more ownership, more trust. But let’s be honest: your comms team is already stretched. Do you really need to be there?

Let’s break it down.

Threads: Low Lift, Big Platform, Still Evolving

What it is: Meta’s Twitter alternative, linked directly to Instagram.

Why you might be curious:

1. Option to auto-follow your Instagram followings on Threads (if they’re on it) — they’ll still need to follow you back
   
2. Early-stage organic reach is decent (some content is recommended to Facebook and Instagram users)
3. It feels less toxic than X (for now...)
4. Adapt your content — like early Twitter, jargon doesn’t work here. Instead, mimic your fave Twitter threads from the past and think personalized, bite-size storytelling and hot takes
5. Forget hashtags — their tag systems let you join a thread of conversation  

What to watch:

1. No scheduling tools yet (posting is manual)
   
2. Features and algorithms are still in flux
   
3. If you don’t already use Instagram, this may feel like extra work
   
4. Meta has started to become more aligned with right-wing viewpoints, and the trolls are not too far behind
   

Verdict: If your audience is active on Instagram and your team can commit to 2 to 3 posts a week, Threads is worth a light-touch test. Keep it short, visual, and values-forward. But don’t be afraid to look elsewhere if Zuckerberg’s laissez-faire approach to moderation brings an ick factor to the whole thing.

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Bluesky: Intimate, Ethical — but Niche

What it is: A decentralized, user-curated alternative to X, popular among journalists, academics, and tech-adjacent thinkers.

Why you might be curious:

1. Its open protocol and non-corporate vibe feel more aligned with mission-driven work
   
2. You can curate feeds and follow interest-based threads
   
3. Some journalists and sector influencers are already there
4. Customize your experience with Starter Packs to customize your feed and find accounts to follow
5. Since the community is still small, it’s easier to get mutual follows from major accounts

What to watch:

1. It’s still small — don’t expect mass reach
   
2. No built-in ads or analytics yet
   
3. Unless your audience is chronically online, you’ll be building community from scratch
4. It’s still evolving, new policies are being added often — especially regarding content moderation — so be prepared for anything
   

Verdict: If you’re doing thought leadership work, advocacy, or policy comms, and have someone on the team who likes experimenting, Bluesky can be a good long-game platform. Just don’t treat it like your main channel.

Substack: Slow Media, Strong Relationships

What it is: A newsletter-first platform that also offers podcast hosting, paywalled content, and community chat.

Why you might be curious:

1. Rather than giving away your content and lists to social media overlords like Elon Musk, you have total ownership and control.
2. Subscribers can choose to receive email updates automatically
   
3. You can cross-post longform writing and create a real sense of belonging
4. Substack lets you let your nerd flag fly — this is where to get really deep into your topic and bring in nuance that other platforms’ character limits don’t let you dig into
   

What to watch:

1. You need a consistent writing cadence — once a month isn’t enough
   
2. Discovery is limited if you’re not actively sharing across platforms
   
3. Not ideal for local-only orgs unless paired with strong amplification
   

Verdict: If your organization wants to deepen relationships with supporters, donors, or stakeholders, Substack is a great tool — as long as you can commit to a regular publishing rhythm.

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Mastodon: Decentralized, Quiet — and a Bit Tricky

What it is: A federated, open-source social network built on independently run servers (“instances”), often used as an alternative to X.

Why you might be curious:

1. It’s ad-free, algorithm-free, and community-moderated — aligned with many nonprofit values
2. Posts can reach broader audiences through hashtags and boosts
3. Some activist, academic, and tech-savvy communities have migrated here

What to watch:

1. The user experience is clunky — there’s a learning curve
2. Choosing the right “instance” can feel like picking a team before you understand the game
3. Discoverability and reach are limited compared to centralized platforms

Verdict: Mastodon can be a fit for digital rights orgs, decentralization advocates, or anyone seeking a quieter, values-aligned space. But it’s not a plug-and-play solution. If your team doesn’t have the time or interest to learn the ropes, this might be more of a monitor-and-wait situation.

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Gander: Made‑in‑Canada, Privacy‑First — but Still in Beta

What it is

A home‑grown, Ottawa‑built micro‑blogging network that runs on the open, decentralised AT Protocol (same backbone as Bluesky). All data stays on Canadian servers and moderation follows Canadian law.

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Why you might be curious

1. Digital‑sovereignty play — no U.S. ownership, no cross‑border data flow.
   
2. Promises “no surveillance ads” and a user‑controlled feed.
   
3. Built‑in bias checks and troll‑filtering tools to foster healthier discourse.
   
4. Early‑access sign‑up lets you lock a username and influence the roadmap.

What to watch

1. Still pre‑launch — a Bluesky handle is needed for access; standalone app isn’t live yet.
   
2. No analytics, ad options or scheduling tools for comms teams (yet).
   
3. User base is tiny, so reach is limited until critical mass builds.
   
4. Funding model and feature roadmap remain short on public detail.

Verdict: If Canadian data residency and ethical design are priorities, grabbing a Gander handle is low‑risk homework. Just don’t rely on it for campaign reach until the beta closes and the user numbers climb.

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So. Do You Really Need to Be There?

Maybe. But probably not everywhere.

The truth is, emerging platforms can be exciting — but they’re also distracting. A shiny new channel won’t solve unclear messaging, under-resourced teams, or a lack of communications strategy.

Here’s what we tell our partners. Before you join a new platform, ask yourself:

1. Where does most of our engagement happen right now?
   
2. Do we have the capacity to show up here consistently?
   
3. What audience are we trying to reach — and are they even here?
   
4. What would success look like in 6 months?

If you can’t answer those yet, it’s okay to sit back. You can always claim your handle, listen in, and return to your strongest channels while you watch how things unfold.