I’ve written before about the importance of social media marketing for promotion and networking for freelance editors. But what happens when one of those networks — on which you’ve spent years building brand awareness, cultivating relationships, developing a following — goes rogue?
Other social platforms I’ve put time and effort into have literally gone kaput in the past, the most recent being Google Plus. But that was not as ubiquitous as the one I’m referencing here: Twitter. I’ll not go over all the developments — if at all active on social media, you know what’s happening — but suffice it to say the atmosphere there is not terrific.
In fact, the toxicity is impossible to ignore, which is why I’m refocusing efforts on the other site where I’m active, LinkedIn, plus building a new presence on another — which, for now, is Mastodon. What these actions entail:
LinkedIn: Cross-checking professional Twitter freelance and small business follows (who also followed me back) on LinkedIn, and extending an invite to those I’m not already connected with. Then, concentrate on being a lot more active on the site. Not just with content curation, but regularly engaging my previous and new connections on a weekly basis.
Mastodon: Set up and verify the account by linking to my website and vice versa. Recreate my Twitter network (as much as possible) by using a tool to find and follow tweeps who are also on Mastodon; Movetodon is the best of the available apps. Then spend time learning to use the site, and connect with new editing, proofreading and small business peers.
The process has been extremely time-consuming. And I’m not even certain that Mastodon is my final platform for a second social media marketing presence. For example, I have a placeholder account on Post.News and have preregistered on Spoutible. Everything still shaking out, and will be for several years.
In the meantime, join me on LinkedIn or Mastodon to continue the fabulous discussion:
If you’ve made your own Twitter migration to these or other social platforms, please share your thoughts in the comments!
Pamela Barroway 
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