Social media is here to stay. With so many choices such as Twitter, Facebook, Google+ and LinkedIn, there's got to be at least one social networking website that is just right for your type of business. And let's face it, your competitors are all on social media, and you simply can't allow yourself to be left behind. So how do you find a networking site that you can make your own? If you're in an industry that relies heavily on visual marketing, and your target audience is the consumer, then Tumblr might be the site for you. With more than 133 million blogs, the site lets users publish short posts that pack a punch and link directly to their websites.
Why Tumblr?
A microblogging site (like Twitter) with a strong visual aspect (like Pinterest), Tumblr has a nifty little advantage over the other two in that it's been owned by Yahoo! since May 2013. So while Marissa Mayer works her Google magic over at the big Y, you might as well start positioning yourself for the benefits of association when the takeover comes. OK, we don't know if Yahoo! will actually take over from Google, but it's certainly going places. So here's how to start creating content on Tumblr—what you need to do, how to do it and what to watch out for.
Setting Up a Profile
Setting up your company page on Tumblr is easy enough using the site's customizable themes. If you don't find the right look among the free templates, the premium ones cost between $9 and $49, and there are plenty to choose from. Alternatively, you can design your own theme using HTML or CSS if you have the know-how to do so. Set up your Tumblr page so that it's consistent with your company brand in terms of messaging, look, feel and content.
Growing Your Community
Once you have your profile page ready to roll, you need to attract some followers and build a tight-knit, niche community of users you can engage with. People find things to follow by using Tumblr tags, so choose one or two focus areas for your content to start with and tag your posts using popular tags.
For example, if you're a home building contractor, you might focus initially on kitchen renovations. Blog about the projects you do, add "before" and "after" photos and link to external sources for fixtures and fittings. You can branch out into related topic areas once you have a following, but try not to be too random or widespread to begin with. Consider creating an editorial calendar so that you can remember when to post.
Telling Your Stories
Tumblr is a mostly visual medium, so images work better than gobs of text. The medium is informal, so don’t get all business-like when you write there. Focus on posting news, anecdotes and inspirational content that evokes an emotional response from the reader. Make your content easy to share by using photographs, videos, quotes, outside links and music--pretty much anything goes as long as it's short and sweet. Watermark all your posts with links back to your Tumblr profile and your blog or website so that each time a post is reblogged or shared, readers can click on the link to see the original version.
Don't be out of the loop; implement a social media communications strategy that kicks butt. Use these tips to get started on Tumblr and begin building your network today!
* Image courtesy of freedigitalphotos.net
