This article is part of a series by Wishpond. It will explore the business benefits of the social media platform Tumblr and how it can help your online marketing efforts. (Here's part one.)
Types of Content
There are seven different types of content your business can post. Tumblr uses a visual header whenever users are creating a new post that showcases each different type. We'll explain each one with some examples and practical business applications.
Text
Text is the most basic form of content. Contrary to its name, text posts can contain pictures and other media. Users with a knowledge of HTML can even add formatting and do a variety of other things to text posts. Unlike Twitter, there is no maximum character cap.
Here is an example of a text post with some pictures. Text posts most resemble the most traditional form of blogging.
Tumblr can be a good blogging tool. Provide information about your products, services, or any new updates for your company.
Photo
Photo posts are some of the most popular types of posts on Tumblr. Users can post up several photos at once as an album and add some explanatory text.
Here, Sharpie uses a photo album to show some liberal uses of their product. While they're not tying the photo post to any promotion or contest, it still has the potential to get people talking and attract new followers.
Quote
A quote post lets users highlight a particular quote they enjoy or find inspirational.
Quotes can be used in a business context to create engagement with your target market. Use inspirational quotes that are related to your business and like minded followers may reblog and share it with their friends.
Link
Link posts are similar to quote posts, but highlight a link. For businesses, this can be useful for drawing attention to a promotion or sale, to bring customers back to a specific landing page.
Chat
A chat is a unique type of post to Tumblr. Users can simulate a conversation between two or more people and it will show up in dialogue format. Businesses could potentially use this for product descriptions or giving information about your company, but this is very rarely used (if at all). Still, this feature is much more suited for individuals for personal use (to retell a humorous conversation, for example).
Audio
This allows users to post up a music or sound clip to their followers. This file can be uploaded directly from the computer or can be linked from an external source. If your business has anything to do with music, this type of content is key to spreading awareness.
Video
Adding video content to blogs is very useful from a business point of view. If there are any promotional or YouTube videos created by the business, it would be a good idea to share them on Tumblr as well. Although this is not necessarily limited to Tumblr, making an explanatory video is a great way to boost a promotion, so businesses should take care to post their promotional content on Tumblr as well as their other social media sites.
A fan uploading an old Brad Pitt commercial