Tumblr offers a large degree of flexibility. There are many different ways to use the social blogging platform. Some log on to Tumblr to socialize with others, to highlight their artistic endeavors or to document their adventures abroad.
See also: The Complete Guide to Tumblr Subcultures
There is, of course, no one way to use Tumblr. Because the platform is open to different kinds of posts and interactions, the opportunities and flexibility are endless. Here are seven of the many ways people use Tumblr on a daily basis.
Image: Tumblr, Chibird
Typically when a user first signs up for a social media site, he knows someone who already has an account. However, with Tumblr, there is no need to know anyone on the site before getting started. In fact, some people sign up because they don't know anyone on the platform; therefore, they feel more freedom to post without fear of acquaintances reading along.
On Tumblr, you can follow any user who hasn't blocked you, so it's easy to find people with shared interests. Not everyone is open to making friends on the site, but many Tumblr users wish to interact with new people.
To gauge whether others are open for communication, or to signal that you are, post on a blog's front page, where it reads "My Ask Box is Open." This means the user is open to communication, either to talk about shared interests or if anyone needs advice or a heart-to-heart conversation.
(While there are many amazing Tumblr users who want to interact, always remember to remain safe and avoid giving out personal information online.)
Not all users come to the site to kindle friendships. In fact, some join the site because their friends already have accounts. The Tumblr Dashboard makes it easy to share different types of content and communicate with small friend groups, without everyone seeing the activity, unlike many interactions on Facebook or Twitter. Some groups of friends use a specific hashtag, which they add to posts to track activity. Others mention the group or its members by name in the commentary of the post.
Tumblr allows friends to share content with everyone, but since multiple accounts can control a shared, private blog, they can also add content and leave notices there without other users having access to it.
Image: Tumblr, Laura Spicer Illustration
Tumblr's straightforward UI, coupled with its flexible themes, makes it a great place to display your work in a digital portfolio. While the reblogging and sharing features are always available, plenty of users access the site simply to present their work and follow fellow artists. While the format might seem ideal for showing off visual artwork, like painting or sculptures, Tumblr can also become an interactive writing portfolio, for example, with specific tags to help employers or fans find pieces.
Tumblr is also a great place for web comics. Users get the latest updates right on their Dashboards, rather than having to visit a site every day. Web comic artists can also use Tumblr to post contests, extra artwork and sketches, interacting with fans and even their own works of art.
While some people post a variety of multimedia, some blogs are dedicated to posting only one type of format, such as photos. In fact, photography blogs are some of the most popular on site: Humans of New York, Black Blog and Always, Paige are a few. They can focus on any number of subjects: people, landscapes, wildlife, food.
Other types of photography blogs feature visual diaries of people's lives, photo challenges or design/modeling blogs.
A Tumblr phenomenon, some users narrow their blogs to specific subjects by labeling them "porn," for example, a "food porn" blog may feature images of beautiful food. The term often means the images are beautifully shot and enticing in some way.
Not all blogs require an open monologue about your personal life or interests. Many people who go abroad, especially students, create travel blogs to document their journeys in photos and text. It's a great way to record memories and share adventures with your friends back home. These tend to be more personal, so typical posts range from homesickness to excitement about trying new foods and activities.
Tumblr also hosts professional travelers who capture beautiful photographs: Exquisite Planet and Traveling Colors are two examples.
Travel and location tags are also effective ways to scope out fun places and good eats before going on your own vacation.
Image: Tumblr, Adidas
Creating a brand presence on social media is important, because consumer interaction is crucial. While Tumblr isn't an intuitive place to market products, it can help sales and develop rapport with potential customers. Many users who see a product they think is cool will reblog it so others can see it.
Companies like Adidas, J.Crew and Target are making use of the reblog feature to tote products. Even Etsy brands that feature handcrafted products use Tumblr as free publicity. Several TV shows also have Tumblrs, such as Once Upon a Time and Psych, to interact with fan communities and post extra material from the show, much like they do on other social media sites. News organizations and radio stations, such as The Daily Beast, LIFE and NPR, maintain Tumblrs to keep followers updated and engaged.
You'll find hobby enthusiasts of all types on Tumblr. Some blog about artistic endeavors, such as knitting, sewing, cosplay, video games, 8-bit design, model-building, fashion design, tattoo design, nail art, photography and more. Don't forget cooking, decorating, working out, role-playing, playing music, dancing and writing, just to name a few.
Many Tumblr communities that don't fall into the hobby category are still worth mentioning. There are fandom blogs for particular TV shows, movies, podcasts, books and other media, as well as bandoms for musical groups and genres. Parenting, health, beard and facial grooming, makeup and comedy all represent communities on the blogging platform, and they're only a fraction of the many that exist on the site.
Essentially, if you're interested in a subject or activity, a community on Tumblr probably shares your passion.
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Image: Mashable composite. iStock, franckreporter, Tumblr