Dear gentle reader,

Welcome to Episode 3 of our Social Web / Fediverse miniseries. In Episode 1 we talked about what the Social Web and Fediverse are, last week in Episode 2, we broke down how the Fediverse actually works—why it’s different from Big Social, how ActivityPub powers the true open web, and why Tumblr’s upcoming integration might change the game. 

But now, let’s talk about what this means for marketers, brands, and creators.

If social media as we know it is built on ads, algorithms, and engagement hacks, then how does marketing even work in the Fediverse? Are we looking at the death of social media marketing, or is it just transforming into something better?

Spoiler: it’s the latter. And that’s a good thing.

But before we jump into that, here’s a super quick list of social media news and updates for the past week:

• Facebook will now delete live videos after 30 days – All past live broadcasts older than 30 days are getting wiped, unless you opt in to save them.

• Elon Musk’s X is blocking links to Signal – Musk's 'free speech' platform now prevents users from sharing links to the encrypted messaging app. But totally not for anti-competition reasons.

• TikTok returns to Apple and Google app stores in the US – After some legal back-and-forth, TikTok is back—but don’t get too comfortable just yet.

• Mastodon is adding quote posts, and its users are divided – Critics say it’ll turn the platform toxic, while others just want a better way to dunk on bad takes.

• Gen Z teens say they trust influencers more than experts – Because who needs credentials when your favorite TikToker has vibes and a ring light…

• Reddit plans to introduce a paywall for exclusive content – The CEO says paid subreddits are coming, meaning you might have to start paying to argue with strangers online.

• OpenAI may be paying Reddit $70M for AI training data – Between OpenAI and Google, Reddit is raking in 10% of its revenue from licensing deals. Good news for Reddit, bad news for genuine content.

• Linkedin expands CRM integration - making it easier to connect Linkedin to your existing CRM data and adds Expanded Attribution Data

• TikTok and X promote far-right AfD in Germany - As report claims, this comes ahead of the German elections

• Instagram launches “disappearing DMs” for EU users

• Meta introduced Community Notes in their version for Instagram, Threads and Facebook

My name’s Mark Valasik, I help businesses master early-stage marketing and build authority through social media and you’re reading the 28th edition of my Marketing Right Side Up newsletter.

The Social Web, Episode 3: The Future of Social Media Marketing

Why the End of Viral Content is a Good Thing

For the past decade, marketing has been a game of numbers—hacking reach, chasing trends, and feeding the algorithm with more, more, more. The rise of AI-generated content has only accelerated this trend, flooding feeds with shallow, engagement-optimized noise.

But what happens when users stop caring about reach and start caring about trust and real connections?

The Fediverse doesn’t reward virality—it rewards value. There’s no algorithm to game, no engagement metrics to chase. The best content isn’t what the AI overlords decide—it’s what real people find genuinely useful, interesting, or entertaining.

And honestly? That’s a huge opportunity for marketers who know how to build real brand love.

How Brands & Creators Can Thrive in the Fediverse

In the Fediverse, growth isn’t about hacking engagement—it’s about earning trust. The winners won’t be those who churn out 30 AI-generated posts a day—they’ll be the ones who:

✅ Deliver real value—whether it’s education, entertainment, or a unique perspective.
✅ Engage in conversations, rather than just broadcasting messages.
✅ Embed themselves in communities, instead of treating them like target markets.

The brands that lean into relationship-building instead of engagement farming will thrive. And let’s be real—consumers are already tired of mass-produced, algorithm-chasing content. They want real. They want human. They want trust.

The “Anti-Ad” Myth: What’s Actually Happening

A common misconception about the Fediverse is that it’s anti-marketing or anti-business. That’s not quite true.

🚫 It’s not that people hate ads—it’s that they hate being exploited.
💡 People still promote products, services, and ideas—it just happens through content and conversations, not algorithmic ad buys.
🔄 There’s no incentive for platforms to farm user data, which means there’s no incentive to shove ads down your throat.

So can brands exist on the Fediverse? Absolutely. But they’ll have to earn attention, not buy it.

What Social Media Marketers Should Do Right Now

Here’s the smart move: start duplicating your content on the Fediverse now.

🚀 Pick a platform—whether it’s Mastodon (Twitter/X alternative), PixelFed (Instagram alternative), or even a self-hosted blog on Wordpress (and soon Tumblr.)
🚀 Post your existing content there—it takes almost no effort but establishes a long-term presence.
🚀 Secure your brand name—so no one else takes it before you do.
🚀 Engage slowly—find communities that align with your niche and start building trust.
🚀 Introduce your audience to it—mention it in your existing channels, post exclusive content there first, and give them a reason to follow you.

No need to ditch Big Social overnight. Just be prepared for the potential shift. Because when the next big platform collapse happens (and it will sooner or later), those who have already planted roots in the Fediverse will be way ahead of the game.

What’s Next: The Bigger Picture

One thing that needs to be said - this is NOT the NEXT BIG THING where EVERYONE will move.

Mastodon as the most successful Fediverse platform might have hundreds of millions of users, maybe even billions of users in the future, BUT they will be spread into countless smaller servers and communities. Sure, there will be the big ones, the “main” ones, like mastodon.social, but don’t expect to have the same size of audience there as you had on Twitter, Threads, Facebook or even Instagram/Tiktok.

What it will (by design) lack in audience size, it will compensate in audience engagement. 

Right, with that disclaimer out of the way, the natural next question is:

What happens when social media marketing is no longer dictated by engagement algorithms?

We’ll see less mindless content, fewer vanity metrics, and more actual relationship-building.

Marketing will shift from ad-buying to trust-building. From manipulating engagement to delivering real value. From rented space to owned communities. 

And honestly? That’s the best thing that could happen to social media.

So, let’s keep our fingers crossed, because from the look of it, the shift is already happening.

Next week, to have a bit of a pause from all-things-Fediverse, let’s talk about the trends and predictions for this year on a more realistic level now that’ we’re already in the second half of Q1 and things look clearer in terms of the direction of the industry, at least more than they were at the end of last year.

Don’t miss that and make sure you’re subscribed!

Until then, take care.

Cheers,

Mark.