Who knew that one ugly blue dress could almost break the Internet? You also may not have known that #thedress actually originated from Tumblr.
Tumblr is quickly becoming the go-to social networking site—especially for viral content. The dress phenomenon received 27 million page views, with 550 tweets per minute, and was covered by just about every news site.
The popular platform for multimedia blogging where users share everything from text and photos to songs and links, has become one of the the consistent sources of viral memes on social media. You, too, could create a blog featuring content that has the potential to go viral by setting up your own Tumblr page.
Whether you are new to Tumblr or striving to have a blog like "Felines of New York," we've got you covered with the basics and hacks. This guide will explain how to create the best Tumblr blog.
1. It's All In The Name
Your first step toward Tumblr stardom is brainstorming a name that will get you noticed. Think about what type of content you want to post on your blog and create a catchy title from there. For example, if you are into House of Cards, then you would create a blog like "House of Carbs."
(Photo: House of Carbs)
Tumblr is a platform where you can really express yourself, even if that means wondering "If Paintings Could Text" or "What Would Yeezus Wear?" Avoid using your own name because this makes it harder for people to know what your blog's about. Instead, look at blogs with interesting (clickable) titles for inspiration. It's all in the name, people.
2. Design Is Key
So you have your name game down, now it's time to think about design. What's cool is the site offers about 200 free themes and, in general, it's easy to customize layouts. You can also opt for a theme that visually pops, but these will cost you. Whether you pay for a theme or not, make sure to switch up your font type and colors. Allow your creative juices to flow!
3. Get Followers
Now that you actually have a blog set up, you can start to post all the unique thoughts and images your heart desires. But to create the best Tumblr blog, you will need more than just a witty name and visually appealing page. Tumblr is all about the community. The best way to follow blogs and be followed is through the "Explore" section. You can see all the trending content and search for blogs based off topics you're interested in.
Turn on the "ask me anything" feature in your "Preferences," which will encourage your followers to connect with you. You can also send your blog to editors@tumblr.com to be considered for the Tumblr "Spotlight" that is shown to all new users and could help get you more followers.
4. Post Hacks
When it comes to your posts, there are some hacks that can help get your Tumblr page noticed. Create your own memes or gifs as opposed to reblogging them to stand out in a sea of posts. You also want to make sure to post consistently, keeping in mind that people commonly search for things like cats and pizza.
For each post, make sure to tag everything. Tags should include things like what the post is about (for example: cat, cute cat, cat eating pizza, etc.) and follow back tags (for example: follow, follow back, follow me.) You should also tag the names of other users you want to see the post so they won't miss it.
Just make sure not to post so many images an hour that users get annoyed. Don't reblog 50 posts an hour because users will see this as spam. Instead, post original content and reblog about 10 to 20 images an hour until you gain more followers. You can post more on the weekends and after work hours, but avoid going over 200 posts per day. This may seem like a lot, but Tumblr is a platform where post frequency is much higher than on other platforms.
Now that you're equipped with the basics, you can sail off into the virtual sunset to post all the kitten memes you please. Remember to add your own personal touch. With about 460 million active monthly users, you know you can catch all the viral content or create the next viral post on Tumblr.
Be sure to follow T-Lounge on Twitter and visit our Facebook page.
Photo: Romain Toornier | Flickr
