eModeration Tumblr Tutorial for Brands

A Tumblr

Tutorial for

Brands

Authored by

Date

26

2012

For more information call Tamara Littleton on +44 (0)20 3178 5050 www.emoderation.com

eModeration Ltd :: The Media Village :: 131-151 Great Titchfield St :: London :: W1W 5BB :: UK

A guide to the micro-blogging platform: what it is,

and best practice for use to market your brand

March 2012 Authored by Bliss Hanlin

Table of Contents

Type chapter title (level 1) 1

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Contents

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Being social in a regulated world ..................................................... Error! Bookmark not defined. Who wants to ‘engage’ with their bank? Banks are boring, right?Error! Bookmark not defined. The opportunities for social media for financial services companiesError! Bookmark not defined. Setting the rules of engagement ...................................................... Error! Bookmark not defined. Crisis and risk management over social media ............................. Error! Bookmark not defined.

Contents



eModeration: The Guide to Social Media Engagement for Financial Organisations

2

eModeration guide; A Tumblr Tutorial for Brands

Contents

Understanding Tumblr 3

But what exactly is Tumblr? 4

Who's tumbling? ..................................................................................................................................... 5 What's on Tumblr? .................................................................................................................................. 5 Brands on Tumblr .................................................................................................................................... 6 Music ......................................................................................................................................................... 6 Fashion ...................................................................................................................................................... 7 Celebrities ................................................................................................................................................ 8 Journalism ................................................................................................................................................ 9

Getting Started 10

Features .................................................................................................................................................. 10 Themes ................................................................................................................................................... 11 The Bookmarklet ................................................................................................................................... 11 Content .................................................................................................................................................. 11

Best Practices 12

Accessibility ........................................................................................................................................... 14 Challenges ............................................................................................................................................. 15 Thoughts on Tumblr .............................................................................................................................. 16

Is Tumblr right for your brand? 18

About eModeration 19

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3


Understanding Tumblr

Visual content, curation and storytelling are the three evolving trends for 2012 when it comes

to emerging niche social networks, and you might be wondering how to harness the power of

microblogging platform Tumblr for your brand and marketing strategy. In this guide, we will

take a look at different aspects of Tumblr and how they relate to brands.

Unlike content based, older forms of networking (Twitter,

Facebook, LinkedIn), services like Pinterest, Posterous and

Instagram allow users to share visually in a way that

bypasses personal networks, commentary and

conversations, and instead relies on viral spread. Microblog

king Tumblr manages to combine the small form blog with

highly engaging photos and other rich media in an

interface that allows even the most recalcitrant would-be

blogger, overwhelmed by the empty expanses and

unwieldy dashboards of WordPress and the like, an easy entry point into life/lifestyle curation.

In Tumblr’s own words, Tumblr is about "millions of people sharing the things they do, find,

love, think, or create." Sharing is “effortless” and “insanely easy.” Tumblr is both personal and

editorial, and comes with a baked-in community that is eager to explore other Tumbles. It is

feature rich, but with a deceptively simple interface. Tumblr as a platform is available for

iPhone, Android, web, voice, can integrate with Facebook and Twitter, and blogs published

from mobile are just as sharp as ones published from web. The curation and identity points

are so strong that some Tumblr authors have found themselves with book deals based around

the concept of their microblog.

Tumblr passed Wordpress in number of blogs in 2011

http://www.tumblr.com/

https://twitter.com/

https://www.facebook.com/

http://www.linkedin.com/

http://pinterest.com/

https://posterous.com/

http://instagr.am/

http://mashable.com/2011/06/15/tumblr-surpasses-wordpress/

http://mashable.com/2011/06/15/tumblr-surpasses-wordpress/

http://www.tumblr.com/why-tumblr

http://www.tumblr.com/about

http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/tumblr/id305343404?mt=8

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.tumblr

http://www.tumblr.com/dashboard

http://staff.tumblr.com/post/79132167/call-in-audio

http://staff.tumblr.com/post/165847841/facebook

http://www.quora.com/How-do-I-set-my-tweets-to-post-to-my-Tumblr-account-automatically

http://www.tumblr.com/spotlight/book+deals

http://crenk.com/2011/06/17/tumblr-passes-wordpress-com-in-blogs/

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But what exactly is Tumblr?

Tumblr is a bit like a Twitter and WordPress mash-up. Tumblr is both a microblogging platform

and a social network where "short form" content rules. On Tumblr, members post original

“tumblogs,” or miniature blogs that may be devoted to a very narrow subject, be short in

length, focus on a meme curation, present a piece of media (photos, video, audio,) display

quippy or zeitgeistie quotes and links, and/or reflect a stream-of-consciousness style. Anytime

a user sees something interesting online, a quick click on a “Share on Tumblr” bookmarklet

tumbles the snippet directly. The result is a multi-media smorgasbord that takes very little time

and effort to maintain. Unlike the “web logs” of yesteryear, wordy personal reflection and

super-techie customization are considered passé on Tumblr. As David Karp, the CEO of

Tumblr puts it, "All blogs took the same form,” he notes. “I wanted something much more free-

form, much less verbose."

Unlike Google+ or even Facebook, from a user experience perspective Tumblr isn’t about

defining circles of social permission or gating content. In the war of “walled web versus open

web,” Tumblr is firmly on the side of setting the information free. The default settings for all

tumblogs have public as the default access level. Built on a "follow model," Tumblr's built-in

sense of discovery allows connections to form

across the globe. Unlike Facebook, new

members can still have an exciting experience

without having to have personal friends on

board. While a private blog is possible, it takes

quite a few steps to reach and isn’t even

possible for the initial blog on a user’s account.

90% of Tumblr’s new registrations come

through Tumblr blogs themselves. Once

registered, 85% of users are still posting a

week after sign up.

But while Tumblr is a huge community (with close to 503M visits a month and counting,) it is

also self-referential. Instead of “commenting,” as members might do on Facebook or an

older style blog, Tumblr members are more apt to reblog and “like” to show their approval. It

takes effort to even enable traditional style commenting via a Disqus plug-in to a Tumblr

template. Once a blog post gets traction from a reblog chain reaction, it quickly moves from

blog fodder to meme. All of the account names participating in the reblog or like action are

logged, and their Tumblr logs are automatically linked.

"Let's reblog each other, back and forth, forever" by Topherchris

https://twitter.com/

http://wordpress.com/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microblogging

http://www.tumblr.com/goodies

http://searchsoa.techtarget.com/definition/weblog

http://techcrunch.com/2011/02/21/founder-stories-why-david-karp-started-tumblr-blogs-dont-work-for-most-people/

https://plus.google.com/

https://www.facebook.com/

http://gigaom.com/2012/02/07/do-users-really-care-whether-the-web-is-open-or-not/

http://gigaom.com/2012/02/07/do-users-really-care-whether-the-web-is-open-or-not/

http://www.simplyzesty.com/social-media/blogging/the-obsession-with-tumblr-charting-spectacular-growth/

http://www.howtogeek.com/howto/22806/how-to-make-a-private-tumblr-blog/

http://techcrunch.com/2011/05/26/90-of-users-join-tumblr-from-blogs-85-of-those-users-are-still-blogging-a-week-later/

http://www.quantcast.com/p-19UtqE8ngoZbM

http://disqus.com/admin/tumblr/

http://topherchris.com/

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Who's tumbling?

Introduced in 2007, Tumblr has steadily increased in

population as mobile and smartphones have become

incorporated in everyday life. The site saw hockey stick

growth in late 2009, as college students and tech-

lovers world-wide adopted the platform.

Per the comScore, users spend an average of 89

minutes per visitor a month on Tumblr. Quantcast tells

us that the demographics are split fairly evenly

between men and women, with the majority of users

falling in the 18 - 34 age range. Approximately 50% of

the traffic currently comes from the US, with the

remaining percentage being international. (Traffic has

been so heavy, quite a bit of the recent funding round

is going to shoring up the back end in order to handle

the surge.)

What's on Tumblr?

The world of Tumblr is a wide and varied one. Personal blogs often center on a meme (aka,

single topic blogs) from range in subject from riffs on modern design like Unhappy Hipsters to

Ryan Gosling "Hey, Girl" witticisms. Users are expert content curators, pulling material from a

wide assortment of published sources and also upload visual content of their own. Design,

fashion, and music all are popular focuses of the Tumblr audience.

A separate style of Tumblr blog is one devoted to

reblogging, or internal curation and sharing, where a

member neither posts original content nor

commentary on outside content, but instead

"reblogs" from within the Tumblr community.

Reblogging is a sticky factor when it comes to user

engagement and the site. Like the members of

Pinterest, Tumblr users have a constant stream of new

and interesting content flowing on site, much of it

positioned as the hippest, latest, and/or coolest thing

since sliced bread.

Average minutes per visitor to social media sites in

Jan 2012: source: COMscore via WSJ.com http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970204653604577249341

403742390.html

http://www.simplyzesty.com/social-media/blogging/the-obsession-with-tumblr-charting-spectacular-growth/

http://techcrunch.com/2011/01/28/karp-tumblr-quarter-billion-impressions-week/

http://techcrunch.com/2011/01/28/karp-tumblr-quarter-billion-impressions-week/

http://www.comscore.com/

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970204653604577249341403742390.html?mod=WSJ_hp_LEFTTopStories

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970204653604577249341403742390.html?mod=WSJ_hp_LEFTTopStories

http://www.quantcast.com/



http://www.businessinsider.com/all-quiet-on-the-tumblr-front-but-not-the-back-end-heres-what-david-karp-has-brewing-2012-1?nr_email_referer=1

http://www.peopleofwalmart.com/

http://unhappyhipsters.com/

http://slacktory.com/2011/12/gosblr-ryan-gosling-tumblr/

http://www.tumblr.com/spotlight/design

http://www.tumblr.com/spotlight/fashion

http://www.tumblr.com/spotlight/music

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reblogging

http://pinterest.com/

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970204653604577249341403742390.html

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970204653604577249341403742390.html

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Brands on Tumblr

As Tumblr’s media evangelist Mark Coatney puts it, Tumblr is “a network of interests rather

than people who know each other. This gives more flexibility and expression to your brand.“

Diana Hong, creative director at New York's Create The Group, has salient advice: “If a brand

has an idea of what their voice is on Tumblr, then that works,” she said. “It’s about creating a

culture.” The below is just a smattering of the brands currently participating on Tumblr.

Music

Music lovers congregate on Tumblr, eager to share the next best thing, archive minutia

(MVMVMV) or celebrate their collective good taste (Songs You Used to Love.) It can be an

uneasy balancing act for a brand to try its hand at authenticity and promotion at the same

time, but a few major brands are giving it a go - including EMI, Sony Music Canda, and MTV.

Major artists are also willing to experiment with the platform, with the Beastie Boys, Brittany

Spears, and Mike McCready contributing.

Adweek's profile on MTV's venture into Tumblrland

illuminates some of the reasoning why a cultural media

force would fit with a microblogging platform. #MTV was

already one of the more popular Tumblr tags and the

channel wanted to take part in sharing its content. MTV

also wants to target the web culture and design

communities, which it thinks will mesh well with its image.

The Tumblr is a way for MTV to showcase the talents of its

employees: Many of the company’s staffers are

contributors, under the supervision of MTV’s social media

manager Tom Fishman. “We feel like MTV could be a

really powerful curatorial force.”

Pete Wentz would like to tumble with you

http://www.digiday.com/social/why-few-brands-are-on-tumblr/

http://www.digiday.com/social/why-few-brands-are-on-tumblr/

http://www.quora.com/Are-there-examples-of-corporate-websites-built-with-Tumblr#ans477802

http://www.billboard.biz/bbbiz/industry/indies/musicians-on-tumblr-ten-dos-and-don-ts-from-1005541772.story

http://mvmvmv.tumblr.com/

http://songsyouusedtolove.tumblr.com/

http://emimusic.tumblr.com/

http://sony-music.tumblr.com/

http://mtv.tumblr.com/

http://blog.beastieboys.com/

http://britneyspears.tumblr.com/

http://britneyspears.tumblr.com/

http://mikemccreadypj.tumblr.com/

http://www.adweek.com/news/television/mtv-comes-tumblr-132182

http://www.tumblr.com/tagged/mtv

http://petewentz.com/

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Backstage at the Tory Birch Fall 2012 show

Fashion

Fashion is huge on Tumblr, with everything

from street-style blogs to brands

representing. As fashion is all about a point

of view, it is no wonder that it should find a

natural home on Tumblr. According to

Tumblr founder and CEO David Karp, 1 out

of 10 in the top 1,000 of Tumblr blogs is

fashion-related. Tumblr posts that are

fashion-related are reblogged on a much

greater scale than a general Tumblr post,

states Tumblr Fashion Director Rich Tong,

suggesting that “there’s a huge capacity

for fashion content to go viral on Tumblr.”

While some fashion brands present

product shots (Kate Spade NY, Alexander McQueen's McQ), Erika Bearman, director of

communications for luxury brand Oscar de la Renta, sees her role of OscaPRGirl a little

differently, eschewing direct promotion for a softer approach of interesting, relevant content

that works on themes of identity and aspiration.

“We wanted to be blogging because we knew it was relevant; that’s what smart, stylish

woman do these days: they blog or read blogs," says Julie Fredrickson, Ann Taylor’s digital

marketing manager. Nielson research agrees. According to new research (with a data set

including Tumblr,) most bloggers are well-educated, active in social networks, and are

female.

http://toryburch.tumblr.com/

http://www.tumblr.com/tagged/street+style

http://mashable.com/2011/02/06/fashion-tumblr-kate-spade/


http://katespadeny.tumblr.com/

http://www.m-c-q.com/

http://oscarprgirl.tumblr.com/


http://blog.nielsen.com/nielsenwire/online_mobile/buzz-in-the-blogosphere-millions-more-bloggers-and-blog-readers/

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Celebrities

Celebrities are finding a home on Tumblr,

where their curious mix of personal,

promotional, and taste-making comes off

as intimate and genuine, even when a

publicist or social media team is at the

helm. Lady GaGa, Joseph Gordon-Levitt,

and Zooey Deschanel and even US

President Obama are but a few of the big

names who have established Tumblr blogs.

John Mayer recently canceled an upcoming tour

via Tumblr, using the microblog's wordier-than-

Twitter platform to go into detail about his health

condition and plans for his soon-to-be-released

album. Impresario Jay-Z has embraced Tumblr to

unify his many pursuits and wrap them all into a

tidy Tumblr, "ultra-cool" package.

http://barackobama.tumblr.com/

Beyonce and Jay-Z introduced their daughter to the

world via a dedicated Tumblr blog

http://ladygaga.tumblr.com/

http://hitrecordjoe.tumblr.com/

http://zooeydeschanel.tumblr.com/

http://barackobama.tumblr.com/

http://www.chicagotribune.com/entertainment/chi-john-mayer-cancels-tour-20120311,0,3887448.story

http://jhnmyr.tumblr.com/post/19004276066/i-have-no-idea-how-to-introduce-this-post-so-im

http://lifeandtimes.com/

http://blog.ewaydirect.com/3-examples-musicians-using-tumblr/

http://helloblueivycarter.tumblr.com/

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Journalism

Journalism is such a valued portion of Tumblr, that Tumblr recently hired Chris Mohney, its first

Editor-in-Chief. The company's plan is to find editorial journalists to hand-pick the best Tumblr

links and pages and showcase them. The company's plan is to find editorial journalists to

hand-pick the best Tumblr links and pages and showcase them. Tumblr's vice president

Andrew McLaughlin says that by supporting journalist members,Tumblr will be able to provide

original content that is "real journalism and analysis, not P.R. fluff."

Curiously enough, journalists among other publishers were

some of the first to fully embrace Tumblr. Mark Coatney

(formerly) of Newsweek says of his ramp-up: "No one at

Newsweek really knew what I was doing," allowing him the

freedom to develop a cutting-edge style for Newsweek's

Tumblr that quickly developed a following. Tumblr so

appreciated Coatney's efforts, they hired him as a media

evangelist. Now legitimate journalism brands like The

Atlantic, and The Economist, and as far-ranging as Chile's La

Nacion all have topical news tumblogs.

Publishing houses are eager to work with Tumblr and no wonder - they, among all brands,

have an ever-flowing source of content and the editorial eye that turns a tumblr into

something follow-worthy. For publisher especially, there is a great opportunity for cross-

channel marketing, where a small snippet from a more in-depth source might be pulled and

presented as a teaser or stand-alone piece. Rolling Stone, Elle Magazine, and Huffington Post

are just a few of the major media presences on Tumblr.

Yogi Berra's hands, from The New

York Times' Lively Morgue Tumblr

http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/292755/20120203/chris-mohney-tumblr-needed-editor-chief.htm

http://newsweek.tumblr.com/

http://newsweek.tumblr.com/

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/02/technology/02tumblr.html?_r=1

http://theatlantic.tumblr.com/

http://theatlantic.tumblr.com/

http://theeconomist.tumblr.com/

http://nacioncl.tumblr.com/

http://nacioncl.tumblr.com/

http://rollingstone.tumblr.com/

http://tumblr.elle.com/

http://huffingtonpost.tumblr.com/

http://livelymorgue.tumblr.com/

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Getting Started

Before you set up a brand Tumblr, you will want to explore your competitor’s accounts:

review how other brands and individuals are using Tumblr and what kind of content and tone

they provide.

Creating a personal Tumblr to check out the tools and the lay of the land is in a would-be

brand Tumblrer's best interest, as experimenting with an account tied to Joe Smith is one

thing, but jeopardizing your brand's name equity is quite another: so we suggest you

experiment with a personal account first. More details on set-up and particular issues that will

be of interest to social media and marketing brand managers for establishing Tumblrs for

corporate use follow below.

Getting started with Tumblr is simple: its ease of use is one of the drivers of its popularity as a

microblogging platform. Upon registering, you'll have the opportunity to choose a URL. A

customized URL can be selected after the registration process.

Features

The Tumblr dashboard serves both as a publishing platform and an aggregate reader.

Posts can be reblogged and liked by followers directly from the dashboard menu.

Tumblr blogs can be linked with custom domain names. The “Ask” feature allows readers to

directly ask bloggers questions. The “Submit” feature allows readers to submit content to

other Tumblr blogs with the blogger’s approval.

Image courtesy of FauxShot via deviantART

http://mashable.com/2011/06/08/tumblr-dashboard-redesign/

http://nprfreshair.tumblr.com/post/13920951698/reblogging-poll-what-do-you-think

http://www.tumblr.com/docs/en/custom_domains

http://staff.tumblr.com/post/320191537/ask

http://staff.tumblr.com/post/138478782/submissions

http://fauxshot.deviantart.com/art/Tumblr-Ponies-Logo-Deal-With-It-281561825

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Themes

Themes are the visual "look" of the blog. Free themes are available, but are considered

somewhat passé by the users. Themes are built in HTML or CSS and so can be custom

designed to suit your brand. Tumblr is all about simplicity, and that’s true of an individual

blog's look as well. Narrow content areas are the norm (800 pixels or less,) both as custom and

to optimize for mobile view.

Widget creators have helped enhance the personalization of even the most common

themes, and it isn't only the casual users who make use of these add-ons. The Economist's

Tumblr team embraced the use of the Apture app for Facebook and Twitter integration,

adding practical features to the stripped-down Tumblr look. More useful widgets can be

found in this directory by ILoveTumblr.com.

The Bookmarklet

The Tumblr bookmarklet makes it simple to

post to Tumblr while surfing the web. Just drag

the Tumblr bookmarklet to your bookmarks

toolbar and use it when you find something

blog-worthy. Depending on the page’s

content, a window will pop up suggesting a

particular content format for your post. You

can change the post type right there or

accept the suggestion.

Content

We have already covered in more depth in the first part of this guide, but beyond what types

of things are being posted is the issue of on what blog and for how long the content is

available. Unlike a traditional Wordpress blog or an established Twitter handle, an interesting

part of the Tumblr culture is the "disposable" blog, or one that has a short-shelf life and is built

on a transitory theme. Some brands have used specialty Tumblr blogs for short-lived

campaigns, for example Ann Taylor and Target.

http://www.tumblr.com/docs/en/custom_themes



http://www.apture.com/

http://www.ilovetumblr.com/tumblr-widgets/

http://www.tumblr.com/goodies

http://wordpress.com/

http://www.twitter.com/


http://www.bizbash.com/the_top_10_event_brands_2_target/new-york/story/22707

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Best Practices

Promotion of Fan Art and User Generated Content

In a community that centers on visuals and design, it should

be expected that fan art be part of the experience. Savvy

brands promote and elevate fan art via direct upload and

reblog.

Olympus and Tumblr collaborated on a user generated

ontent project that had Tumblr members uploading pics to

an Olympus hosted Tumblr blog.

Livetumblring

Using a Tumblr brand blog as a live, second screen reblogging important screenshots, quotes,

animated GIFs, and fan reactions to moments as they happen in real time was a practiced

pioneered by the American version of Doctor Who to great effect.

Click-through link

Setting a click-through link (what some call "watermarking") is a simple way to drive traffic

back to your official site or to your Tumblr blog once your post has been reblogged. To reach

the Tumblr click-through link, you can either include it as you write your post or add it via edit

after publishing. To create a link that loops back to the original post, once the post is

published, copy the direct url for the piece, then edit the post to reach the Set Click-Through

Link section.

Fan art on display at the Tumblr HQ

http://industry.shortyawards.com/category/tumblr_brand/0/the-pen-ready-project

http://industry.shortyawards.com/nominee/YI/doctor-who-tumblr

http://www.searchenginejournal.com/how-to-properly-use-tumblr-to-market-your-brand/40385/

http://www.businessinsider.com/photos-tumblr-office-nyc-2012-01?op=1

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Tumblr Famous

The definition of "Tumblr Famous" refers at least in part to

follower count. Tumblr fans will also use the term as a

pejorative. For brands, it is important to note that part of

being considered a legitimate part of the Tumblr

community is the level of participation the authors put in.

Reblogging, liking, and commenting on other blog's

material is part of the Tumblr culture.

Repurposing Content

Tumblr is an excellent platform for breathing new life into older content from your more

mainstream, long-form media sources. A tidbit or factoid that was cut during editing can

make perfect sense on Tumblr, coupled with a repurposed visual. Likewise, a synopsis or

teaser with a visual from your long form content works on Tumblr when added in with a

redirect to the larger piece.

Tagging

Tagging a post with multiple descriptors may seem like overkill, but each of the tags will sort to

a different discovery stream. Tumblr users often surf from within Tumblr itself, so the more

exposure you give a post, the more likely it is to be read for a new follower to be added.

It is considered to be good Tumblr etiquette to alert followers in a spoiler about trigger posts.

Animated GIFs are very popular on Twitter, but the strobe effect can cause epileptic seizures.

Likewise, some extreme visuals may serve as psychological triggers for eating disorders, self-

harm, or post-traumatic stress disorder.

MTVUK offers a teaser on Madonna

http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Tumblr%20Famous

http://mashable.com/2011/09/27/tumblr-brand-exposure/#view_as_one_page-gallery_box2499

http://tumblretiquette.tumblr.com/

http://staff.tumblr.com/post/15623140287/1mb-gifs

http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2007/06/mias-new-websit/

http://libcom.org/blog/trigger-warnings-why-we-use-them-15012012

http://mtvuk.tumblr.com/

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Accessibility

Feeds and Subscriptions

Tumblr is a self-referential world. While follows and reblogs are desired, it is important to make

sure your Tumblr blog is accessible to non-Tumblr people as well. The fansite ILoveTumblr has

identified the following conversion points: an accessible feed, an email list, and an opt-in

form.

Comments

The default Tumblr blog does not have a native commenting system. To make interaction as

fluid as possible, you will need to add the Disqus add-in. Moderation of comments is possible

via the Disqus admin panel. Disqus allows comments to be posted as stand-alone blog posts -

a great way to value contributors and introduce a topic to a wider audience.

Integration

To make sharing seamless, a custom-built theme should include Twitter and Facebook

integration for readers and followers. For management, third party tools will allow you to post

and track from one central dashboard. Some of the integrations available include: Hootsuite,

NetVibes, Postling, Tweetdeck.

Monitoring

Built-in analytics are lacking on Tumblr. Beyond a follower count, there isn't much to be

gleaned from Tumblr-provided tools. During February 2012's Social Media Week, one panelist

joked, "They basically need to hire someone to figure out what the hell they’re doing."

Some third party providers can fill in

the gap. Google Analytics can

provide data on Tumblr once the

blog has been enabled. TumblrStats

allows you to call up any Tumblr

blog by username and is useful for a

top down look at your Tumblr as well

as for performing research on other

blogs' use. TumblrStats also allows

the data to be shared via permalink, a nice

feature for a free tool. Sample data from TumblrStats

http://www.tumblr.com/followers

http://www.wikihow.com/Reblog-Something-on-Tumblr

http://www.ilovetumblr.com/tumblr-accessible/

http://www.ehow.com/info_8606721_tumblr-rss-feed.html

http://www.ilovetumblr.com/tumblr-email-list/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opt_in_email

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opt_in_email

http://disqus.com/admin/tumblr/

http://docs.disqus.com/kb/moderation/

http://blog.disqus.net/2008/08/

http://hootsuite.com/

http://business.netvibes.com/

http://postling.com/

http://www.tweetdeck.com/

http://thenextweb.com/socialmedia/2012/02/22/for-the-love-of-tumblr-experts-weigh-in-at-social-media-week/

http://www.howtogeek.com/howto/22598/use-google-analytics-to-get-detailed-stats-about-your-tumblr-blog/

http://tumblrstats.com/

http://tumblrstats.com/

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Challenges

Trending Tumblr Memes

Participating in a trending Tumblr meme can be one way for a brand to show its more

approachable side on Tumblr. The "Explore" link on Tumblr (currently located on the

Dashboard's sidebar) can help surface current topics and interests, and the "Search" feature

offers a "Track" option as well. Sites like KnowYourMeme and TrendHunter aggregate

knowledge on a popular trends. Reviewing the history of a meme before jumping in is a wise

step to avoid an inadvertent #socialfail.

Spamming / Phishing

Tumblr increasingly is dealing with spam

Tumblrs that auto-follow and reblog

content. Spam accounts, phishing

accounts, accounts focused on content

you'd rather not have associated in any

form with your Tumblr community

(pornography, self-harm, etc.) can be

blocked from following, commenting, and reblogging your content via the "Block" feature.

Reblogging

Just as participating in a Tumblr meme without understanding the context can be risky

business, so can reblogging without reviewing the content of the original Tumblr blog. To

avoided a negative association due to unsavory content, an important step in the

reblogging process for a brand is to review the blog before posting. Many Tumblr blogs are

dedicated to unsavory topics (thinspo, cutting, pornography, etc.) Although Tumblr recently

instituted a "no self-harm" policy, the nature of the platform with its individualized subject

streams still lends itself to niche subjects.

Reposting, or using another Tumblr's content without using the "Reblog" feature, is considered

to be very poor form on Tumblr.

http://www.tumblr.com/explore

http://knowyourmeme.com/

http://www.trendhunter.com/

http://topsy.com/s?q=%23socialfail

http://www.webpronews.com/tumblr-cracks-down-on-spam-blogs-2011-10

http://www.webpronews.com/tumblr-cracks-down-on-spam-blogs-2011-10

http://www.tumblr.com/docs/en/blocking

http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=thinspo

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/self-injury/DS00775

http://staff.tumblr.com/post/18624267675/as-we-previewed-a-bit-in-the-past-week-weve-been

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Thoughts on Tumblr

In our research on Tumblr, we were happy to discover many concrete and insightful quotes

from Tumblr brand practitioners. A few of these follow below.

On Tumblr strategy:

“Do the people on here who use Tumblr for work have a strategy?

The reason I ask is because I don’t think I have a strategy — and I think that’s why Tumblr

works so well. And a person just called and asked what my strategy was and I had to admit

that there isn’t one and I Tumblr when I need to

take a 30-second mental break.

The way I think of Tumblr is that it’s kind of a

free-for-all, post-what-have-you kind of site.

Some stuff works and some stuff doesn’t. I

usually post when I need to take a mental

breather from writing stuff for freshair.npr.org.

Sometimes I post 3 times a day. Sometimes 10.

Sometimes I take a break from writing (the bulk

of my day) and go through the Dashboard.”

- Melody Kramer, Associate Producer, NPR's

Fresh Air with Terry Gross, on FreshAir on Tumblr

On brands and use:

“Tumblr is not for every brand, though. Retail

brands that wish to show new collections,

event photos from your company or client,

sharing new work, micro-sites on the cheap,

and pop-up stores are what it’s best suited for.

As with any social media platform, you should

be interesting, consistent, and social. You

should keep your pages fresh, and most

importantly, you should interact with the Tumblr

community as a whole. Every time you share

something from another Tumblr, answer a

question, like a post and add a comment, is an

extra link to your own page.”

- Flowers Communication Group

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5013

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5013

http://nprfreshair.tumblr.com/post/4191281058/social-media-strategy

http://www.flowerscomm.com/bloom/2011/12/15/tumblr-101-how-and-when-to-integrate-your-brand-on-the-hot-micro-blogging-site/

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On analytics:

“What fashion brands need from Tumblr? An analytics dashboard! We are on all

here managing blogs with the help of Google Analytics, but there is nothing

catering to the Tumblr only based metrics — reblogs, likes, followers, etc. There is

nothing out there to help brands quantify their presence here. What works?

What doesn’t? And it’s not about visitors- it’s about engagement in the oh so

tumblr way.”

- Jessica Coghan, Director of Digital Media at Starworks Group, via her personal

Tumblr blog

On commenting tools:

“Tumblr is part blogging platform, part social network - and it does the former

far, far better than the latter. It can be immensely difficult to engage in

conversation with followers or with other bloggers.

Often one of our posts will be reblogged with an additional comment to which

I'd like to respond: the only effective way to do this is to reblog my own post,

which I'm loathe to do. Tumblr lets readers reply to your posts - it even has a

feature allowing you to request responses - but there's no way to then respond

to them without screengrabbing their message and publishing a new post

(which they then might well never see).

I would definitely start, and participate in, more conversations on the site if the

social features were more appropriate. “

- Mark Johnson, Community Editor for The Economist and The Economist'sTumblr, via

Quora

http://www.starworksgroup.com/

http://digitalista.tumblr.com/post/9599464835/so-i-am-sure-you-have-all-heard-that-tumblr-is

http://digitalista.tumblr.com/post/9599464835/so-i-am-sure-you-have-all-heard-that-tumblr-is

http://www.economist.com/mediadirectory/mark-johnson


http://www.quora.com/How-could-Tumblr-be-improved

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Is Tumblr right for your brand?

What works really well on Tumblr are small snips of media that come from original content,

reblogs and added opinions on content that is shared. Some brands have enthusiasts ready

to blog, but without a built-in audience (General Electric's Tumblr is a prime example.) Other

brands seem a natural fit with Tumblr (young, design-oriented,) but are so far missing from the

platform.

Without a committed curator, however, no Tumblr blog is successful. The content stream has

to remain constant and engaging, otherwise even strong starts can end with a string of

unfollows. That kind of creative energy can be taxing to those who view their Tumblr curation

as a duty instead of a recreation. While some content is text, audio, or video, the vast

majority of what is presented is visual - and that can be a hard fit for brands that are unwilling

to blatantly push product but are unclear on what other visual content they have to present.

A successful Tumblr blog has a clear eye and vision. While an ordinary user can start a new

Tumblr whenever he likes, for a brand the stakes of experimenting are much higher.

http://generalelectric.tumblr.com/

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About eModeration

eModeration Limited is an award-winning social media management agency. It works with

some of the world’s biggest brands (including BBC Worldwide, ITV, HSBC, MTV, Sony Mobile,

ESPN, Hyundai, Smirnoff, the LEGO Group, Sprint and The Economist) and agencies (including

Starcom MediaVest Group, Wieden + Kennedy, Ogilvy, Saatchi & Saatchi, DDB Worldwide,

Crispin Porter + Bogusky and Publicis Groupe).

Based in London UK, with offices in Los Angeles and New York, eModeration provides multi-

lingual moderation and community management services, consultancy and social media crisis

management training to clients in the TV, entertainment and digital publishing industry and blue

chip clients hosting online communities.

Committed to ethical business practices and to the promotion of child online safety,

eModeration's CEO Tamara Littleton recently worked with the UK Government department

UKCCIS to produce its guidelines on how to moderate online environments for children.

eModeration contributes to the growth of knowledge in the social media world via its white

papers, blogs and seminars, and has a strong roster of returning clients who appreciate the high

quality of its services.

Media and blogger contacts:

For eModeration: To speak to Tamara Littleton, CEO, eModeration, please contact: Kate Hartley,

Carrot Communications, Tel: 0203 178 5052 / email [email protected]

© eModeration Limited 2012. This document is the intellectual property of eModeration Limited and may not be duplicated or

disclosed to any third party without the written permission of an authorised officer of the company.

http://www.emoderation.com/

http://reputationonline.co.uk/2010/09/24/announcing-the-reputation-online-effectiveness-award-winners/

http://www.emoderation.com/2011-02-08%20UKCCIS%20release%20updated%20guidelines%20to%20industry.pdf

http://www.emoderation.com/about/publications

http://www.emoderation.com/about/publications

mailto:[email protected]

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