Marketers looking for the best ways to communicate with their intended audience will often try a host of different channels before settling on a few to act as cornerstones to the campaign. While most brands have Facebook pages, Twitter accounts and a website, there has been slower adoption of Tumblr. Many view this social media channel as less structured and more difficult to handle, which is why it hasn’t increased in popularity beyond casual social use with typically younger internet users. Part of this estrangement with Tumblr comes from the lack of guidance and best practices for use.
Tumblr has no set rules for businesses
The social media network has gone on the record to state that it does not have standard practices for use lined up for businesses at this time. However, a representative for the organization did tell Web Pro News that the brand was encouraged that businesses wish to use it as a marketing tool.
“We don’t have a standard list of best practices but we love businesses to use Tumblr as an opportunity to engage with their community by actively engaging in other blogs, posting regularly, and following members of Tumblr who might be interested in your brand,” a Tumblr staff member said. “As we grow, I’m sure that we’ll be open to business partnership opportunities, but it’s not something that I have specifics on at this time,” she said, adding that Tumblr is “always actively looking for creative ways to help out brands on Tumblr.”
Why should your business consider using Tumblr?
Tumblr is a popular blogging and social platform that hosts more than 132 blogs, according to Social Media Examiner. It is among the top 15 websites visited daily in the United States and in May 2013 the website received over 5.5 billion page views for that single month. The popularity of the social media site is increasing each month and marketers looking for a new communications tool may want to consider taking advantage of the following the platform has attained. Using Tumblr in an online marketing strategy can boost lead generation and help create a brand identity if used correctly.
A digital marketer looking to impress marketing staffing agencies may want to consider including the strong usage of this tool under skills and past experiences. Tumblr is relatively simple to use, which is why it has grown so popular. For a business, the reblog feature is especially important. This unique feature of the site allows Tumblr users to redistribute content – maximizing the number of people who see every post and image. For a company, the ability to spread content and introduce people to the brand is unmatched in this instance and shows a return on investment.
Know if Tumblr has your audience
If a brand is targeting adults over the age of 40, Tumblr is not the right platform to use. Those people who tend to use this site are younger, so make sure the brand is trying to reach this demographic. In addition, this site is most likely the wrong platform to work on for business-to-business marketing ventures because it primarily has a business-to-customer bent.
Build a brand based on images
Because of the nature of the social media platform and the general age of most users, it is best to limit text-intensive posts and instead focus on promoting images that get a message across. According to Social Media Examiner, the fashion industry was one of the first sectors to truly embrace the power of Tumblr from a business prospective. Brands like Oscar De La Renta and Ann Taylor grew a considerable following because they realized the power of capitalizing on images. By publishing photos of the latest fashions and trends to hit the market and new products, these brands were able to boost lead generation and create a whole culture of new followers who were perhaps younger than previous fans of these labels. Coca Cola has also grown a strong following on Tumblr with the creative use of images and encouraging fans to post their photos of the popular beverage.
Remember to interact, engage and share
Like other social media sites, the primary practice a business needs to remember to gain success on a site is to share and engage members. Constantly spamming potential customers with sales pitches will turn off even the most loyal fan, but by sharing other people’s content and engaging with an audience without a sales bent, it is possible to create even stronger relationships with potential customers. Follow like-minded people and brands in the social space and make connections between these personal or corporate brands to boost success in this space.
