Not sure how to use Mastodon for content marketing? Use this guide to come with some Mastodon app content ideas. 

Since Elon Musk took control over Twitter on Oct 27, the social media networking site is in the news for one or the other news. First, he laid off half of the staff, then rolled out ill-advised “blue tick” verification. This raised concern among many Twitter users over how new owner Elon Musk was taking the company. Thus, they decided to hop over to Mastodon, an open-source Twitter alternative. 

By the time Elon Musk took over at the end of October, Mastodon had just under half a million active users. But now, the platform has grown to over 2.5 million users. 

If you’ve ever used Twitter for private DMs, retweets, or user-friendly onboarding, Mastodon might not be your ideal platform. However, if you want to explore something new on the social web, you should try Mastodon.

Learn more about Mastodon and whether you should try Mastodon for content marketing in this blog. 

What is Mastodon? 

An avid user since 2008, Eugen Rochko was frustrated with the state and direction of Twitter, so in 2016 he decided to launch Mastodon, an open-source project.

The first public launch was made in October 2016. In April 2017, it received its first big break and garnered worldwide attention and press coverage.

At first glance, Mastodon may look like a clone of Twitter, but the underlying system behind the microblogging platform is much more complex.

Mastodon describes itself as “the largest decentralized social network on the Internet.” What does that mean? Mastodon is a non-profit business built on open-source software located within Fediverse, which stands for “Federated Universe“, an online universe of applications and websites connected by thousands of independent servers. Fediverse currently has about 5,700 Mastodon servers.

Read the following tweet from Mastodon’s main Twitter account for a better understanding. 

Get to know Mastodon better 

Mastodon is said to be a Twitter alternative as it offers microblogging capabilities. Even though there are some similarities between Mastodon and Twitter, they are not quite the same. You can rather say that Mastodon is the best combination of Twitter and Tumblr. 

On Mastodon you don’t tweet but post. Also, sharing someone else’s post means you reblog or boost (rather than retweet). It has hashtags and lists that let you express yourself in up to 5,000 words. In addition, it also can add GIFs, videos, and images.

A mastodon handle contains the full ID and server name. If you log into Mastodon from the most popular server, Mastodon. social, your address will be @[username]@mastodon.social. However, regardless of which server you log into, you can communicate with users on other servers in the same way Gmail users email Hotmail users and vice versa.

Image credits: https://mstdn.social/@stux

As for a checkmark to prove who you are, there is no universal verification system like Twitter, and you don’t have to pay anyone. Simply add a link to a website under your control that serves as verification.

Most importantly, you can always edit your post for free. Also, get notified when a post you boosted/reblogged is edited to prevent misinformation.

Posts on Mastodon can be set to public, followers only, or removed entirely from all timelines. You can create polls for your followers and use your favorite generic emojis or custom emojis made for specific servers.  

How to set up a Mastodon account? 

Want to set up a Mastodon account for B2B marketing? Getting started with Mastodon can get complicated as you need to find your own server. Here are the details on how to create a Mastodon account. 

Step 1: Join a server 

The first step to use Mastodon for content marketing is to find the address of a server running the Mastodon software (called an instance) accepting new signups to join. 

Now you may be wondering how to find it. There are multiple options.

• Check out Mastodon’s server list to see which servers you might join and where your current Twitter followers are on Mastodon using Debirdify. Being part of this community might be nice, so start there.

• Alternatively, you can find an extensive list of Mastodon servers at JoinMastodon.org/servers(Opens in a new window). From here, you can sort the list in different ways.  

Step 2: Sign up to your chosen Mastodon server

Once you have identified the servers (instances), you want to join and that accept new members, fill out the form. You can reuse your Twitter ID or another ID of your choice.

After completing the form, click Sign Up and await the confirmation email. This may take several minutes to several hours. Given the increase in signups, some people have reported not receiving an email to activate their accounts. Remember which instance you used. Why? If you sign in with another browser or mobile app, you’ll need to enter the address of this server. You cannot use these credentials to log into another instance.

Note: You can create different profiles on different servers and transfer data from one server to another.  

Step 3: Set up your profile

Enter all available details to help others find you easily. After verifying your account, use the Edit Profile button to add details about yourself.

Next, add a compelling bio and a photo (called “avatar”) before you get started with Mastodon for content marketing  to help people identify you.

Finally, add your Mastodon handle to your Twitter bio. This makes it easier for people who know you on Twitter to find you in new places. 

Step 4: Start building a community

Before you use Mastodon for content marketing make sure you follow people and build a community. If you have Mastodon IDs for people you know are active, type that name in the search box to find their account and follow them.

Step 5: Introduce yourself

If you have Mastodon IDs for people you know are active, type that name in the search box to find their account and follow them.

Step 6: Find friends

You can use tools like Debirdify and Fedifinder to look for people who have shared their Mastodon handle on Twitter.

Also, check out hashtags like #TwitterMigration, filter by “people you follow,” or look for lists created by people migrating to Mastodon.

Voila! That’s it. You can now use Mastodon for content marketing.  

How to use Mastodon for B2B content marketing? 

As mentioned earlier, Mastodon is not Twitter. Additionally, Mastodon states that the platform never serves ads or puts one profile on top of another. There is no profit incentive and no desire to work with advertisers.

However, if you’re willing to play the long game, there are infinite opportunities for your B2B brand on Mastodon for content marketing. Let’s deep dive and understand them  better:

1. Market Research 

If you’re looking for B2B content marketing topics, Mastodon might be a great alternative to Twitter. On Twitter, algorithms force you to sift through uncategorized tweets to find relevant hashtags and topics.

But in Mastodon, each server is essentially a self-contained community centered around a single topic, such as location, common interests, or a specific career. Find the right server and get unfiltered access to what matters to your audience and new market segments.

You can search for relevant hashtags on Mastodon to see what your audience is discussing. Use the search bar or external tools like Hashtagify  for Mastodon app content ideas related to your industry, products or services, and competitors.  

2. Affiliate marketing and sponsorship 

Like any other social media platform, you can use Mastodon to run affiliate marketing and sponsorship campaigns. 

Identify industry influencers with a strong following on Mastodon and partner with them to promote your B2B brand. But remember, you should do a little more research here before finding the right account.

You’ll see that Mastodon has a much lower follower count than Twitter. That means your efforts may be less effective. You may not find the same scale of influencers you’re used to. But the platform isn’t overcrowded with influencers like Instagram and Twitter, giving you a whole new way to push your content.  

3. Post valuable content

Your B2B brand can use Mastodon for content marketing to educate and inform your target audience. This includes blog posts, white papers, infographics, videos, and podcasts.

For Mastodon app content ideas you can look for successful B2B accounts doing great with their content. Choose popular topics that overlap with your interests. Also, be bold in experimenting with new content types from time to time. 

But remember, just posting content is not enough. Sticking to your posting schedule and interacting with your audience is also important.  

4. Become industry expert 

With a focus on community and conversations, you can use Mastodon to participate in relevant discussions, contribute your expertise, answer questions, and provide insights. This will help your B2B brand build a relationship with your audience and establish yourself as a thought leader in your industry. 

For instance, if you’re a B2B company offering small business content marketing solutions. You can create your Mastodon instance or join an existing one dedicated to content marketing for small businesses. Once you’ve established a presence on Mastodon, they can share your knowledge and expertise by posting informative content, engaging in discussions with other users, and answering questions from your followers.

5. Share user-generated content

Encourage your followers to share unique content related to your company or industry on Mastodon. By sharing user-generated content, your B2B can provide valuable insights and advice to your audience without having to think about Mastodon app content ideas.

For instance, if your B2B brand sells software to help small businesses create BI (Business Intelligence) reports. You can create a hashtag like #SmallBizReports and encourage your followers to share their own tips and tricks for managing reports as a small business owner.

You can later reshare these tips on your Mastodon account and give credit to whoever sent those tips. This creates a sense of community among your followers, increasing loyalty and trust.

Here are some ways that your B2B company can encourage its followers to create user-generated content:

• Ask questions
• Host a contest or challenge
• Solicit feedback

6. Use relevant hashtags

Creating and using hashtags on Mastodon can be an effective content marketing strategy for your B2B business. This increases awareness and reach of your content, making it easier to engage with your audience.

You can use hashtags to drive engagement with your target audience by making it easier for users to find and participate in discussions related to specific topics. Similarly, you can create branded hashtags and use them consistently. This helps your B2B brand build awareness and establish authority in the industry. 

Note: Try to use only relevant hashtags and keep them to a minimum. Too many hashtags can be distracting and take away from your posts.

Overall, using Mastodon for content marketing is an effective way for your B2B company to engage with the audience, build thought leadership, and increase brand awareness.  

What is the future of Mastodon for B2B content marketers? 

Mastodon’s future looks bright for B2B content marketers as the platform offers unique advantages for engaging with prospects in a non-intrusive and engaging way.

Mastodon is a treasure trove for B2B companies looking to reach specific audiences, as the app’s user base is focused on specific niches and interests. And by combining relevant instances and hashtags, B2B companies can easily come with Mastodon app content ideas to connect with customers interested in their products and services.

Mastodon’s lack of advertising may seem like a loss, but it’s also an opportunity for B2B content marketers to create more organic and authentic content. This can open the door for B2B companies to build relationships with their target users and establish themselves as industry leaders. 

Finally, as an open-source platform, Mastodon will allow B2B companies to customize and adapt the platform to their specific needs. This benefits B2B companies developing a unique and engaging content marketing strategy.

So what are you waiting for? By focusing on valuable content, engagement, community building, and user-generated content establish your thought leadership and attract potential customers on Mastodon.

Reach out to the Contentify team if you need help with Mastodon app content ideas. Contact us now! 

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) 

How is Mastodon different from Twitter?

Both Mastodon and Twitter are social media platforms that allow users to share short messages and media with their followers. However, Mastodon offers a more decentralized and customizable social media experience than Twitter, with more control over privacy and content moderation. 

How do you find people on Mastodon?

There are several ways to find people on Mastodon.

• Search bar: Use this to search for keywords, hashtags, or specific people.
• Hashtags: You can find other users interested in similar topics and industries by searching for relevant hashtags.
• Explore Page – Mastodon’s Explore Page is a great way to discover new users and content.
• Instances: Connect with others who share your interests and industries by participating in relevant instances. 

Is Mastodon a free app?

Yes, Mastodon is a free and open-source social media platform. Anyone can sign up for a Mastodon account for free. However, be aware that some Mastodon instances charge a fee to participate or offer premium features for a fee. These instances are typically run by independent administrators responsible for setting policies and pricing.  

What are different Mastodon app content ideas?

B2B companies can use Mastodon for content marketing in different ways. Some of them are:

• Short updates up to 500 characters
• Share thought leadership, industry insights, and other in-depth content.
• Visual content to persuasively present your products and services
• User-generated content
• Conduct polls and surveys to get feedback