I think maybe for Mastodon to really take off there needs to be more people with bigger following on here (influencers, content creators, or celebrities). I don’t think branding and business incentives to join are necessary but creating an incentive for clout and trendiness are. I remember joining Ello when it was invite-only back in ~2014 because a handful of my Tumblr mutuals joined. From Myspace to Mastodon, social media platforms has really evolved.