#41 - Mastodon and Decentralized Social Networking Models for Higher Ed Marketers w/ Andrew Cassel of Middlebury College

Higher Ed Storytelling University

My guest for this episode is Andrew Cassel, Senior Social Strategist at Middlebury College. In this episode we dive into emerging social platforms like Mastodon, BeReal, and the future of social networking in a Web 3 environment.

Key Takeaways:

• Understanding the decentralized, ad-free experience of Mastodon instances and the Fediverse
• Growing authentic community engagement through hashtag use on Mastodon
• The dopamine rush of gaining followers on platforms without vanity metrics
• Monetization challenges and community support funding models behind platforms like Mastodon
• Balancing creativity and storytelling with metrics expectations in higher ed marketing roles
• Why BeReal feels inauthentic for brand accounts but creates a sense of community
• The importance of owning and controlling your own platforms and data
• How tools like generative AI could impact higher ed storytelling and SEO

Connect with Andrew:

• Twitter: https://twitter.com/Middlebury
• Website: https://www.middlebury.edu

Connect with John:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnazoni
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