The fediverse explained…in 2 minutes or less

Hey there 👋🏾

I’m writing this from my hotel room in Amsterdam, having kicked off my bucket-list European summer.

It’s off to a bit of a rough start, as I’ve caught the flu and have been sequestered in my room, but social media has definitely come to the rescue in between hot compresses and re-hydration.

A surprise addition to my social stack has been Substack — with the X-like text posts, the chat rooms, and the announcement that they’ll be adding video as a post type, I’ve read more newsletters in the past couple of days than I have in…a while.

It’s definitely a niche platform, but if you’re a ✨reader✨, it could be a great place to check out.

That's it from me — have a lovely weekend, and see you next Friday.

Warmly, 

Tami & the Buffer team

P.S. Threads in Buffer is closer than ever — sign up here for updates!

🖊️ Deep dive: The fediverse explained, in less than 2 minutes

The fediverse, not to be confused with the multiverse (that’s Marvel) or the metaverse (let’s not go there), is a decentralized network of interconnected social platforms that promises greater privacy, customization, and community engagement.

It allows users from different platforms to interact seamlessly, much like how various email providers can communicate with each other.

Of course, it’s much more nuanced than that, but if you want the Cliff’s notes, here’s a quick overview of the fediverse.

• The fediverse explained:

   

  • The fediverse (“federation” + “universe”) comprises independent platforms that can communicate using the ActivityPub protocol, enabling interoperability.

     

  • It’s decentralized, so no single organization ‘owns’ the fediverse. This means users have more control over their data and experience.

     

• Popular fediverse platforms:

   

  • Threads: A new social media platform by Meta, similar to Twitter, with features for text updates, photos, and videos.

     

  • Mastodon: A microblogging platform with its own decentralized structure where users join servers with specific rules and requirements.

     

  • Bluesky: Created by former Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey, it is a  network resembling Twitter, with an open-source AT Protocol.

     

  • PeerTube: A video hosting platform, like YouTube, that uses peer-to-peer streaming.

     

  • Pixelfed: A decentralized photo-sharing platform similar to Instagram, where users join servers to share content.

     

• Why you should care about the fediverse:

   

  • When the fediverse takes off, you’ll be able to manage content across multiple platforms from a single source. No more platform fatigue.

     

  • You'll get the flexibility to create and engage in specialized communities.

     

  • The communities are small and tightly-knit, meaning more focused and meaningful interactions

     

  • Decentralization means no financial incentive for platforms to control your content or data.

     

The fediverse is growing, with over 11 million users across various platforms, not including Bluesky and Threads. Given the rate of adoption, it seems unlikely that the concept of the fediverse won’t take off.

And, as is often the case with new social media phenomena, the early bird catches the worm.

The best time to join the fediverse is now.

🏎️ Marian speeds up her growth with Buffer

We pride ourselves on being an excellent tool for creators and business owners to grow on social media — and our users are more than happy to back us up. 

Marian says, "I've saved weeks of time and have increased my engagement at 50%”

Want to skyrocket your growth? Get started with Buffer today!

👇🏽 The latest from the blog

• Learn how this founder used Reddit to build his profile as a thought leader and gain new customers.

• Get started with content curation using our essential guide.

• Learn how this small business owner developed the right Instagram Reels strategy for connecting with customers and landing sales.

• Here are some of our tried-and-tested strategies for growing your following on Threads.

📱Social tip of the week from Mitra, Buffer’s Social Media Manager 

“I beg you, don’t embarrass me” (TikTok) (Instagram)

Sabrina Carpenter is back with another viral hit for the summer. Creators and brands are making fun videos using to the tune of her lyrics, “heartbreak is one thing, my ego’s another, I beg you, don’t embarrass me…” This trending audio is the perfect way to show moments you have to put yourself out there in your business (while having a little fun with it).

This one does contain some explicit lyrics, but you can cut off the audio before it gets to that part at the very end if you don’t want to include it!

Here’s an example from ceramicist @ghostbirdbaby on TikTok, who uses the audio to share that they hope their kiln doesn’t embarrass them after they promised some orders would be ready soon.

🤳 What's happening in social?

• YouTube’s experimenting with Notes, a crowdsourced feature that lets users add context to videos
• TikTok’s owner just launched a new Instagram-like app called Whee — not to be confused with its other Instagram-like app
• Instagram adds Close Friends-only live streams

Thanks for reading! 💟

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