Do you follow people you know or strangers?

You can do both for sure. I didn’t follow anyone I knew personally.

A lot of independent musicians, artists who do art by commission, and self-publishing authors use it to connect with their fanbase in lieu of a personal website.

I only followed bars to find happy hour specials

I used it similarly. I only followed a podcast that I listened to and people that posted their art and/or cute photographs of their pets. Mastodon has been pretty great about replacing it in regards to art and pet photos.

I suppose it depends on what you used Twitter for whether or not Mastodon is a useful alternative. As an example, if you followed a particular celebrity and they don’t post on Mastodon then that might be disappointing. All you can do is give it a try for yourself.

Should I leave Twitter?

Yes. You should leave Twitter even if you’re not going to go elsewhere.

For Mastodon toot.io instance?

If that instance appeals to you, sure.