I unwrapped Tumblr with ADPR 2200: Media Writing at Marquette University. This presentation introduces Tumblr, describes posting and engaging on Tumblr and offers 10 tips for writers.

1. Unwrapping Tumblr
with ADPR 2200: Media Writing
at Marquette University
Sept. 4, 2012
Mykl Novak • Marquette University • @myklnovak
postmarq.tumblr.com • unwrapping.tumblr.com

2. MU Class of ’92
Marquette Journal staff photo • Source: ’92 Hilltop

3. 20 years with Marquette
MU Public Relations writer/editor from 1992-96

4. Overview
I. What is Tumblr?
II. Posting on Tumblr
III. Engaging on Tumblr
IV. 10 tips for writers

5. $1,000 Jeopardy! clue (Dec. 16, 2011)

6. I: What is Tumblr?
• “The easiest way to blog.”
• It’s a place to
“follow the world’s creators.”
• Tumblr makes it effortless to share
anything you find or create.
tumblr.com/why-tumblr

7. So what’s Tumblr really?
• “...a digital incubator for all things visually stunning.”
(Christine Erickson, mashable.com)
• “...the Lost and Found Department of the entire
Internet.” (Salon.com)
• “...the most interesting party you’ve ever been at.”
(Mark Coatney)
• “...the end of your social life.”
(urbandictionary.com)

8. Easy posting

9. Easy sharing

10. Blogging hybrid
longer posts
scheduling
multimedia
pages
followers
templates
timeline
tags
retweets
replies
favorites

11. Tumblelog public view
nwkarchivist.tumblr.com

12. Undercover Tumblr

13. Dashboard (dash) view

14. Tumblr’s public dash
www.tumblr.com

15. Who’s on Tumblr?
theprcloset.tumblr.com

16. Who’s on Tumblr?
llbeanpr.tumblr.com
WITH A BEAN
SLANT
Image source: llbean.com

17. Who’s on Tumblr?
99problemsbutapitchaintone.tumblr.com

18. Who’s on Tumblr?
markcoatney.com

19. Who’s on Tumblr?

20. Who’s on Tumblr?

21. Who’s on Tumblr?

22. Who’s on Tumblr?

23. Who’s on Tumblr?

24. 100+ Media Tumblrs
unwrapping.tumblr.com/media

25. Your favorite Tumblrs?

26. Demographics
• Top 25 websites in U.S. ranked 22nd by
• #3 U.S. mobile website
• 59% female, 41% male
• Especially attracts ages 18 to 24
• College educated audience
Source: www.quantcast.com/top-sites/US

27. Tumblr vs. others
Source: comScore (June 2012)

28. Tumblr
vs.
others
Average # of
minutes spent
per visitor
over a month
Source: WSJ

29. Tumblr hyperactivity
30.9 billion
total posts on Tumblr
71.6 million
total blogs (tumblelogs)
www.tumblr.com/about/

30. Why Tumblr for Writers
• Post your own stories and other’s stories
• Mine Tumblr for story ideas
• Engage your readers (Tumblr followers)
• Connect with other writers on Tumblr
• Group blogs allow multiple authors

31. Ad/PR uses for Tumblr?

32. Marquette Tumblrs
postmarq.tumblr.com/roster

33. Curate/report news
hashtagvictorjacobo.tumblr.com

34. Write essays
bridgetgamble.tumblr.com

35. Answer questions
marquettemaddie.tumblr.com

36. Post photo essays
aaronjayledesma.tumblr.com and
romeoandjournal-it.tumblr.com

37. Go free-form/creative
wow. how college. [reblogged]
669 notes
curryfries.tumblr.com

38. Cover a beat
marquetteu.tumblr.com

39. Seek/promote testimonials
thankumarquetteu.tumblr.com

40. Other MU Tumblrs?

41. II: Posting to Tumblr

42. The
Dash
• Read posts
• Post stuff
• Interact

43. Use top-right corner
In dash...
• Hover over
a post’s top-
right corner
for date/time
• Click to view
post page

44. Blog Settings
• From dash, click blog name &
• Upload your portrait photo
• Replies – I suggest checking both...
• Allow replies from people you follow.
• Allow replies from people following you for more than 2 weeks.
• Ask – I check “Let people ask questions” but
I do not check “Allow anonymous questions”
• Set the time zone (MU is GMT -6:00)

45. 7 types of posts
Choose wisely. Once selected, you cannot switch post types.
If text should be a photo, you will need start a new post.

46. Image driven
42% of original posts
are photos
Source: mashable.com, 11/14/11

47. Photo uploads
• 10 MB limit for most images
• Animated GIF limit is 1 MB
• Use JPG, PNG, GIF or BMP
• 500 by 700 pixel default for dash
• 1280 by 1920 pixel limit for larger version

48. 1. Posting a photo
Click Photo

49. Upload photo/image
1. Select photo
2. Add caption (optional, but do it)
3. Tag it (optional, but do it)
4. Post

50. Dash
result

51. Blog
result

52. Photoset

53. 2. Text post
Click Text

55. Save as draft

56. Have multiple blogs?
• If you have multiple blogs on the same account...
• ...make sure you are posting to the right one
• “my blog” is primary; others listed by name

57. Add title (headline)

58. Compose post

59. Styling the post
italic
(Ctrl-I bullet block insert/ spell
or ⌘I) list quote edit link check
HTML
read
bold strike- number insert
unlink more
(Ctrl-B through list image
break
or ⌘B) URL

60. Upload photo
1. Place cursor at insert 2. Click & select photo

61. Upload photo result

62. “Read More” break
1. Place cursor at insert 2. Click “read more”
3. Read more break appears

63. Set URL & photo reply
Set URL
Optional

64. Tag the post
• When posting, tags on right
• No pound sign needed
• Spaces allowed in tags
• Comma or return after each
• No hyphens in tags
• Search tags from dashboard or use a URL like
www.tumblr.com/tagged/marquette

65. Save draft

66. Drafts page appears

67. Share draft for feedback
• From your Drafts page,
click the upper right
corner to access a
private draft page.
• Copy the private URL
of the resulting blog
page and send it to
someone for review.
• Reviewer cannot make
changes. After the post
is published, the private
URL stops working.

68. Where are my drafts?
Click your blog name on the dashboard

69. Where are my drafts?
Click Drafts in right column

70. From Drafts, let’s publish

71. Text
post, Image is 125 px wide;
must click to enlarge
dash
view
Note
“read more”
link

72. Text post,
blog view
Full image
appears
Note
“read more”
link

73. Text post, page view

74. 3. Quote post
“Be ignited, or
be gone.”
(Mary Oliver)

75. 4. Link post

76. 5. Chat post
Overheard at Brew Cudahy Cafe:
Barista #1: I’m really tired.
Barista #2: You work in a coffee shop.
Do something about it.

77. 6. Audio post
• One audio upload per day
• MP3s only with 10MB limit
• Toll-free number to record

78. 7.Video post
• Embed YouTube or Vimeo by URL
• Upload 5 minutes of video per day
• 100MB max per video file upload

79. Publish options
• Publish now — I mean, right now
• Add to queue — stagger your posts
• Publish on... — schedule your posts
• Save as draft — stockpile your posts
• Private — posted only to those with URL

80. Themes
www.tumblr.com/themes/

81. Pages
• For FAQ, about, résumé or resource content
• Followers cannot like or reblog pages
• Create pages under “Customize theme” for blog
• Scroll down the left column
• Click “Add a page”
• Resembles text post creation

82. III: Engaging on Tumblr
Notes
• Reblog
• Like
• Reply
• Answer

83. Reblog
• Similar to Twitter’s retweet
• Quickly shares what you love on Tumblr
• Creates a copy to your tumblelog
• Allows you to add your own comments
• Attributes to the original author
• Adds to notes on the original post
• Notifies author on dashboard (if set)

84. Reblog a post

85. Like
• Marks what you like from Tumblr
• Similar to Twitter favorites
• Does NOT create a post on your tumblelog
• Adds to Notes on the original post
• Likes may appear in a sidebar or link (if set)
• Notifies author on dashboard (if set)

86. Reply
• Replies are off by default
• Can allow replies from people you follow
• Can allow replies from those following you
for more than two weeks
• Click Reply link on dashboard posts
• For comments, use DISQUS add-on:
disqus.com/admin/tumblr/

87. Answer a question
• End a text post, headline or a caption with “?”
• Creates a question post with answer box

88. Submit stuff to others

89. dearmarquette.tumblr.com
Bowl of Real Chili in 1980: $1.40; Today: $5.74

90. Ask others a question
• Click avatar, ask link or go to /ask
• 500-character limit;10 asks/hour
• No web or email addresses
• No “sent items” folder

91. Send Fan Mail

92. Tie to Twitter/Facebook
1. Set up in Blog Settings 2. Select when posting
Integrates to Facebook’s Timeline, News Feed and Ticker.
Shares replies and likes on Timeline.

93. Following
• Follow accounts that fit your interests
• Click follow button in the upper right
• Roster: postmarq.tumblr.com/roster
• Spotlight: tumblr.com/spotlight/
• News: tumblr.com/spotlight/news/
• Media: unwrapping.tumblr.com/media

94. Seedy side of Tumblr
• Spam likes or reblogs (block as spam)
• Beware of phishing for Tumblr logins
• F-bombs, even on official Tumblr stuff
• F***yeah blogs

95. Check archive, likes

96. Track topics with tags
• Tracked tags
appear on dash
• Search for tag
• Results show a
track button
• Click to track tag

97. Curated tags (news)
www.tumblr.com/tagged/news

98. IV: 10 Tips for Writers

99. 1. Identify yourself

100. 2. Stick with a blog name

101. 3. Add visuals to stories

102. 4. The Tag Advantage
• Only 10% of
Tumblr users tag
• Surfaces content
for others
Top 10 tags on postmarq

103. 5. Consider length
tl;dr

104. 6. Post often but stagger

105. 7. Post in the p.m.

106. 8. Link your related posts
1. McCormick Hall
2. Mashuda Hall
3. Cobeen Hall
4. Abbottsford Hall
5. O’Donnell Hall
6. Carpenter Tower

107. 9. Get Google Analytics
Learn how at bit.ly/gatumblr

108. 10. “Write about what you care
about and do it often.
Build up a portfolio of work.
Eventually, if your work is good,
someone will notice, and if they
don’t, start pitching it to places
and people you respect.”
- Anthony De Rosa (soupsoup.tumblr.com)

109. Questions?

110. Thanks!
postmarq.tumblr.com • unwrapped.tumblr.com
@myklnovak