Mastodon feels confusing at first. Here's everything you need to know to get started on the Fediverse.
Mastodon is one of the fastest-growing social networks you've probably never fully understood. Here's your plain-English guide.
What is Mastodon?
Mastodon is a decentralized social network — part of the "Fediverse." Instead of one company owning everything, Mastodon runs on thousands of independent servers (called "instances") that all talk to each other. You pick a server to join, but you can follow people on any server.
Choosing your instance
This is the most confusing part for newcomers. Don't overthink it. Options:
Your instance affects your local timeline (posts from others on your server) but not who you can follow globally.
Mastodon vs Twitter
What to post on Mastodon
Mastodon rewards genuine engagement over viral chasing. Post your work, your thoughts, questions for the community. Use hashtags — they're how people discover content (no algorithmic recommendations).
Scheduling Mastodon with SocialMate
SocialMate supports Mastodon natively. Connect your account in Settings → Accounts and schedule posts alongside all your other platforms. One tool, every platform.
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