With the recent happenings on Twitter, you may have heard about Mastodon in the news. You may have already joined the protest or found an alternative.
Although you can use Mastodon as an alternative to Twitter, there is no such requirement.
This article discusses how digital marketers can join Mastodon, what to expect and how to use it. I’ll also highlight a few tips to help you absorb the flow of information in Mastodon.
What is Mastodon?
Mastodon describes itself as “a free and open source decentralized social media platform.”
It has microblogging features like Twitter, but on a decentralized infrastructure called the fediverse (or federated universe). Although it sounds very similar to Web3, it is only similar, not exactly the same.
Mastodon is free for the average user, but as always things are a bit more complicated, which I’ll talk about below.
Tip: If you decide to leave Twitter for Mastodon (for whatever reason), don’t delete your account. Instead, keep your Twitter account and set it to private to prevent bad actors from misappropriating your old Twitter address book and pretending to be you.
Is it worth joining?
The answer depends on your personal situation – but think about it.
If you (or your company) already have a presence on Twitter or other SEO-related communities on Reddit, Slack, Facebook, LinkedIn and the Google Search Central Help Community, then why not join Mastodon and establish a presence there?
On Mastodon, like all other discussion platforms, SEOs come together and discuss topics related to search marketing. You don’t have to participate, but feel free to join.
Many SEOs are already there, including Googlers like John Mueller, Danny Sullivan, Lizzi Sassman, Gary Illyes, and Martin Splitt. In other words, you’ll probably hear more about the things that were said on Mastodon in the future.
How do I join?
Before you get started, it’s important to understand how decentralized microblogging works.
Simply put, instead of one entity (eg Facebook or Twitter) running all the servers and controlling all the data, anyone can set up a server to host Mastodon for themselves, exclusively for their organizations, or for others to join.
Due to this decentralized nature, unlike a Twitter-like handle (i.e. @username), your Mastodon handle must contain the server hostname (eg domain name) and will look like this:
The server name becomes part of your identity. However, it is important to note that you can freely switch between servers while redirecting older handles to the new handle on the new server.
An important principle of Mastodon is that you are in charge of your data. Your content will be indexable by search engines on the public website of the server you choose.
Your Mastodon profile URL will look like this:
(Or in my case: https://seo.chat/@fili)
Again, [server-name] is the hostname of the Mastodon server you joined.
Often, when you click on profile links, you may end up on the user’s profile, instead of the handle.
You can see the tag displayed below the username on the profile.
You can use tags to track users if you are not on the same Mastodon server. Just copy the handle and paste it into the search box inside Mastodon’s apps.
Where do I join?
You can choose to host your own server on your own domain, so your branding includes your own branding. Search for “Mastodon hosting” to find a managed host you like.
Please note that due to the current situation, many of Mastodon’s managed hosting providers are currently not accepting new clients as they work through the backlog and improve their infrastructure.
Alternatively, you can join an existing server. Often you may need to apply for membership. This reduces spam and prevents unexpected server overload due to increased demand.
Mastodon sees a large influx of new users so it might be difficult to find a good server to join. There are several fast-growing, dedicated and popular SEO community servers already up and running.
If you want to forgo the hassle of setting up your own Mastodon server (even if just for a while), you can join one of the following SEO community servers (for free):
• seommunity.com (focused on the Spanish language)
You can join any other Mastodon server and still participate in SEO discussions.
I recommend choosing a server name that is short and memorable, something you can identify with. As mentioned, it becomes part of your online Mastodon identity.
Note: You don’t have to choose the most popular Mastodon server to discuss SEO. It doesn’t matter which server you use to access and be active on the Mastodon network. Just choose a server with a name you can easily type.
If you join an existing Mastodon server, be sure to read the community rules (this is important!).
When possible, donate to your server admin as they pay for all traffic and services associated with your Mastodon handling and activity, often out of their own pocket.
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Anything else I need to know about Mastodon?
Once you join Mastodon, there are a few quick facts to know. Here are a few:
Due to the lack of commercial intent (eg promoting paid content and/or ads) and the enforcement of community moderation rules that users must adhere to (to avoid being banned from their servers), the overall experience of many digital merchants on Mastodon has been:
I just joined, so how do I participate in SEO discussions?
Hashtags are everything
Mastodon is a bit different from Twitter when it comes to discussions. If you don’t diffuse it, most people won’t see it.
It may appear in the home feed of people who follow you, but so will many other “toots”. If you want to be visible and participate in discussions, hash everything you post on Mastodon!
Follow fellow SEOs
Then start following SEO experts who are on the platform. You can download the SEO list on Mastodon maintained by Jon Henshaw. Follow the instructions to import the list into your Mastodon account.
Customize the user interface
When you log into the server of your choice, by default you will have an interface similar to other microblogging platforms.
However, in your account settings, you have an option to display an advanced web interface. For marketers and power users, this is an ideal interface as it loads as a PWA in your browser and looks quite similar to Tweetdeck.
In the advanced interface, you can create columns – including lookups.
An interesting option is to combine multiple searches in one column.
Monitor hashtags
A few more (fedi)tips
Becoming a Mastodon master
As you get used to the platform and post, keep an eye out for posts with the #feditips hashtag.
These posts will help you get the most out of Mastodon’s full potential.
Management apps
Although there are a number of different (mobile) apps, there aren’t many advanced apps available for managing multiple accounts with built-in scheduling and scheduling functionality.
But as adoption grows, I suspect many popular social media management tools will extend their services to Mastodon.
If they haven’t yet, and you want to, ping them and ask them to do so. Often they just need a little push.
Meanwhile, for the geeks among us there is an API you can use and many libraries are available in different programming languages such as Python that you can use to programmatically plan and schedule your own posts.
Verifying identities
Unlike Twitter, you don’t have to pay for verification. In fact, you confirm it yourself.
To do this, you need to add your websites to your Mastodon account and add a rel=”me” link back to your profile from your (company’s) website, as a link:
Or as a link element in the HTML header:
This will turn the link in your profile green with a small checkmark, as confirmation that you have verified your identity.
Additionally, John Mueller has written two great scribbles on:
Custom emojis
Depending on the server you join, you can use different custom emojis. These are loaded as shortcodes like:
When categorized, they are also available in the emoticon selection menu.
Not. There is much more to Mastodon and this article only scratches the surface.
It reminds me a lot of Twitter and microblogging in the early days.
So, should I join?
As a digital marketer, embrace the opportunity to experiment with a new communication channel and learn about decentralized platforms.
Will it replace everything on Twitter? Probably not.
Does that mean it’s a waste of time? Probably not, because some people (and their chats) will be only and/or primarily on Mastodon.
Don’t miss out and join today.
The opinions expressed in this article are those of the guest author and not necessarily those of the search engine country. The author’s employees are listed here.
Fili is a well-known SEO technical expert, a former Google engineer and was a senior technical lead in the Google Search Quality team. At SearchBrothers, he offers SEO consulting services with SEO audits, SEO workshops and successfully recovers websites from Google penalties. Fili is also a frequent speaker at SMX and other network marketing events.
Is Mastodon any good?
In many ways, Mastodon is safer than most other social media websites. In terms of social engineering – scams and bots – it is no less secure than any other site. In fact, it might be safer at this point considering it’s not the biggest platform at the moment.
Who owns Mastodon social networks? Eugen Rochko looks exhausted. The 29-year-old German developer is the founder of Mastodon, a distributed alternative to Twitter that has exploded in popularity in recent weeks as Elon Musk’s ownership of the platform has caused chaos among its users.
Is Mastodon social Safe?
User safety on Mastodon depends entirely on the instance you choose to join and their content and harassment policies. The social media site allows users to add content warnings to posts.
Why do people use Mastodon?
Like Twitter, Mastodon allows users to post, follow people and organizations, and like and repost other people’s posts. But while Mastodon supports many of the same social networking features as Twitter, it is not a single platform. Instead, it is a federation of independently managed, interconnected servers.
Is Mastodon secure?
In short, if you want to tell someone something private – don’t use Mastodon. You probably shouldn’t use Twitter either. Instead, use a more secure end-to-end encrypted messaging system like Signal. But there are more dangers potentially associated with direct messages on Mastodon.
How many users does Mastodon have?
With just one million users now, Mastodon is far smaller than Twitter, which today has over 237 million monetizable daily active users.
What’s so great about Mastodon?
Like Twitter, Mastodon allows users to post, follow people and organizations, and like and repost other people’s posts. But while Mastodon supports many of the same social networking features as Twitter, it is not a single platform. Instead, it is a federation of independently managed, interconnected servers.
What is Mastodon and why are people leaving Twitter for it?
Amid uncertainty surrounding Twitter’s future following Elon Musk’s takeover, some users have been looking for an alternative social network to migrate to. Mastodon, a decentralized microblogging platform, has become a popular alternative for Twitter users looking to leave after Elon Musk took over the social media app.
How does Mastodon work?
Mastodon servers run social networking software capable of communicating using the W3C ActivityPub standard, which has been implemented since version 1.6. A Mastodon user can therefore communicate with users on any other server in Fediverse that supports ActivityPub.
Does Mastodon allow NSFW?
| server | Reason |
|---|---|
| humblr. social | Instance aimed at NSFW |
| pawoo.net | Lots of public unmoderated NSFW content |
| sinblr.com | Instance aimed at NSFW |
| switter.at | Instance aimed at NSFW |
Is Mastodon social Safe?
Is Mastodon safe? In short, if you want to tell someone something private – don’t use Mastodon. You probably shouldn’t use Twitter either. Instead, use a more secure end-to-end encrypted messaging system like Signal. But there are more dangers potentially associated with direct messages on Mastodon.
Why do people use Mastodon?
Like Twitter, Mastodon allows users to post, follow people and organizations, and like and repost other people’s posts. But while Mastodon supports many of the same social networking features as Twitter, it is not a single platform. Instead, it is a federation of independently managed, interconnected servers.
How does Mastodon work?
Mastodon servers run social networking software capable of communicating using the W3C ActivityPub standard, which has been implemented since version 1.6. A Mastodon user can therefore communicate with users on any other server in Fediverse that supports ActivityPub.
What is Mastodon and why are people leaving Twitter for it?
Amid uncertainty surrounding Twitter’s future following Elon Musk’s takeover, some users have been looking for an alternative social network to migrate to. Mastodon, a decentralized microblogging platform, has become a popular alternative for Twitter users looking to leave after Elon Musk took over the social media app.
Can I change instance subnet?
It is not possible to move an existing instance to another subnet, availability zone, or VPC. Instead, you can manually migrate the instance by creating a new Amazon Machine Image (AMI) from the original instance. Then launch a new instance using the new AMI in the desired subnet, Availability Zone, or VPC.
Can I change my instance type? It is not possible to simply change the instance type – you must migrate to the new instance type by creating an image of the existing instance and launching a new instance of the desired type from the image.
How do I change VPC for instance?
Find the ECS instance for which you want to change the VPC. In the Actions column, select More > Network and Security Group > Change VPC. Select the instances for which you want to change VPCs and choose More > Network and Security Group > Change VPC at the bottom of the page.
Can an EC2 instance be in 2 VPCs?
An ec2 instance can have multiple network interfaces in multiple subnets, but they must all be in the same VPC.
How do I change my VPC on AWS?
Select the database instance, and then select Modify. In the Connectivity section, select the Subnet Group associated with the new VPC. Then select the appropriate subnet group for that VPC. Select Continue and then Apply Now.
How do I access my EC2 instance from another VPC?
Create a VPC security group for your EC2 instances (web servers and clients). This security group can, if necessary, allow access to EC2 instances from the Internet using the VPC routing table. For example, you can set rules for this security group to allow TCP access to EC2 instances over port 22.
How do I change my instance settings?
To edit the instance configuration Stop the instance if it is not already stopped. On the instance page, click the instance name to display the details page. Click Edit to display the edit page. Edit the instance configuration, as needed.
How do I change my instance configuration?
To edit the instance configuration Stop the instance if it is not already stopped. On the instance page, click the instance name to display the details page. Click Edit to display the edit page. Edit the instance configuration, as needed.
Can EC2 be in different subnets?
With this solution, you can place instances launched by EC2 Auto Scaling in two different subnets of your choice. For example, you can have one elastic network interface in a public subnet and another in a private subnet.
Can a EC2 be in multiple VPC?
An ec2 instance can have multiple network interfaces in multiple subnets, but they must all be in the same VPC.
How can you connect an Amazon EC2 instance to multiple subnets?
Open the Amazon EC2 console at https://console.aws.amazon.com/ec2/.
- In the navigation pane, select Instances.
- Select your instance, select Actions, Networking, IP Address Management.
- In the IPv6 addresses section, select Assign a new IP address for each IPv6 address you want to add. …
- Select Yes, update.
How many subnets does an EC2 have?
You can run any number of Amazon EC2 instances within a VPC, as long as your VPC is sized appropriately to have an IP address assigned to each instance. Initially, you are limited to running 20 Amazon EC2 instances per VPC at any time and a maximum VPC size of /16 (65,536 IPs).
Can I edit subnet in AWS?
To modify the public IPv4 addressing behavior of your subnet Open the Amazon VPC console at https://console.aws.amazon.com/vpc/. In the navigation pane, select Subnets. Select a subnet and choose Actions, Edit Subnet Settings.
How do I change my AWS subnet name?
Sign in to the AWS Management Console and open the Amazon DocumentDB console at https://console.aws.amazon.com/docdb.
- In the navigation pane, select Subnet Groups. …
- Select Actions, then select Edit.
- DescriptionâTo change the description of your subnet, enter a new description.
How do I change my AWS subnet?
Open the Amazon VPC console at https://console.aws.amazon.com/vpc/. In the navigation pane, select Subnets. Select a subnet and choose Actions, Edit Subnet Settings.
Can you resize subnets in AWS?
It is not possible to change or modify the IP address range of an existing virtual private cloud (VPC) or subnet. However, you can do one of the following: Add an additional IPv4 CIDR block as a secondary CIDR to your VPC.