There’s an extra-large Friday buzz at Skout PR in Manchester today as we’ve launched Skout Stories, our very own sub-site hosted by Tumblr. On the site you will find some of the news and views we have helped to create and shape, as well as interesting web content we simply like and would like to share with the world. You can find Skout Stories at skoutpr.tumblr.com and we will be updating it every weekday so make sure you keep checking the site and if you are already a Tumblr user make sure you follow our blog!
What on earth is Tumblr?
If you’ve never heard of Tumblr, take note! It is one of the fastest growing social networks in the world. Just 1 year ago they were seeing 1.5 billion page views a month; this has now risen to over 13 billion! It is now starting to make a name for itself, however you may be surprised to learn that it launched way back in 2007.
What is Tumbling?
Tumblr is a blogging platform, similar to Blogspot and WordPress but with an emphasis on simplicity (that’s why we like it!). It takes less than a minute to sign up and get posting, and it works best when text is kept to a minimum. Tumblr blogs are often used to showcase images and videos where traditional blogs are more focused on text based posts. Added to the mix are familiar social networking elements – second nature to Facebook and Twitter users. You can follow the Tumblr blogs of other users and share their content on other social networks with just a click. You can even “re-blog”, which is essentially the same as a re-tweet.
I first came across Tumblr back in 2008 when I was studying at The University of Manchester and thought it was a great platform for hosting a small to medium sized business website. Back then these users would usually originate from the US and the site was dominated by artists, photographers and writers.
Now Tumblr has become a global phenomenon and it is turning into a powerful online tool for businesses wanting to engage with their customers. We’ve also noticed quite a few publications using it as a new channel to their readers and followers. It can act as a great place for collating and showcasing an online content, in a clear and simple manner. It is a versatile platform and can be used as a full website a blog or as an extra piece in the online marketing jigsaw, similar to what we are doing at Skout PR.
Any business or organisation that could benefit from a simple visual digital presence should take a look.
As the amount of Tumblr users continues to increase, it is more and more likely that your customers will be on there too, just like Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. Even if it is not your number one priority, I would certainly advise keeping an eye on Tumblr’s development and think about how it could be utilised as part of your online marketing strategy. This is especially true in light of the rise of tablet browsing as the very nature of Tumblr means it should thrive on this medium.
You can find Skout Stories on Tumblr at skoutpr.tumblr.com.
You can sign up by clicking on the image below; look how simple it is!
Some good examples of brands using Tumblr can be found here:
https://theeconomist.tumblr.com/ – visual links to news and features
https://universalmusic.tumblr.com/ – to showcase interesting visual content
https://blog.foursquare.com/ – to host the company blog
https://eatsleepdraw.com/ – used as the main community website
Have a great weekend!
Chris Walmsley, Social Media Consultant, Skout PR
