There’s a new player on the ever-changing social media field. Its name is Mastodon – and some argue that it may replace Twitter in the online starting lineup.
How valid is this claim? Because it’s so new, it’s difficult to predict whether Mastodon will be the next social media superstar, recede to the back burner or even, like the origin of its name, become extinct.
The Twitter/Mastodon Debate
Mastodon has gained popularity as people have expressed their unhappiness with Twitter, Inc.’s new owner, Elon Musk. Whether it was because they disliked Musk’s treatment of laid-off workers or disagreed with his policy decisions, they began seeking an alternative after Musk purchased Twitter last October.
While there are some similarities between the two, Mastodon is not a carbon copy of Twitter.
- Twitter is owned and operated by a single company. By comparison, while people work on it at a non-profit company called Mastodon gGmbH, Mastodon is not centralized within that company. Rather, it’s made up of thousands of independent servers. Similarly, you need to pick the server you want to host your account.
- Because Mastodon is run by a non-profit, it has no advertising infrastructure, no built-in monetization, and no algorithms.
Can you use Mastodon for social recruiting?
Because it’s a network of servers, you can’t go through a single person or platform for marketing on Mastodon. Mastodon’s homepage states that it will never serve ads or push some profiles above others. Since Mastodon is run by a non-profit, it has no profit incentive or desire to work with advertisers.
But that’s not an entirely bad thing. For instance:
- For market research, Mastodon may be a good alternative. Although Twitter lets you search hashtags and topics, you’re served an uncategorized jumble of Tweets, due to the platform’s algorithm. But with Mastodon, each server is essentially a self-contained community gathered around a singe topic. If you find the right server, you get unfiltered access to what really matters to your target demographic or new market segment.
- You can create your own community by running your own server. This way, you have complete control and can choose to approve every new account, handle content moderation, and steer conversations. This can make it a powerful marketing tool. Essentially, you create your own server, pick a topic that fits your niche, and start creating content. Or, you can repurpose content from your blog, YouTube channel or website to get started.
Making the best use of social recruiting – including keeping abreast of the most effective platforms, all their technicalities, and how to best use them – is a pillar of successful talent sourcing and hiring. With nearly three decades of experience, the Haley Marketing team can help you optimize the impact of your social recruiting, as well as your website, job advertising, employer branding, and more. Contact us today to schedule a free, 30-minute focus call.
