How to Start a Tumblr Blog
Welcome back to Tumblr, the blogging network where people build communities through shared passions! It’s a special place that’s less of a marketing channel, and more of an ecosystem of creativity. So brand engagement here requires a little more authenticity than other networks, along with the willingness to get silly and have some fun. And when you engage successfully on Tumblr, you create fans that can last a lifetime.
Folks on Tumblr expect more from their brands - from socially responsible practices to creative marketing. Don’t get us wrong, ads are fine. But they can be so…blah. We want you to come to Tumblr to think beyond “typical media” to entice and engage millions of people just waiting to hear about your brand, product or service.
Maintaining an active Tumblr blog for your brand is the best way to engage with users, grow awareness, and increase brand affinity on the platform. Whether creating an account or browsing one of the many Tumblr themes, getting started is super easy!
1. Create an account.
Anyone can sign up and create a Tumblr blog. Be ready to go in minutes by simply heading over to Tumblr’s homepage, selecting Get Started, and entering your email, password, and username.
The username you select becomes the blog’s URL (username.tumblr.com), so choose wisely, and remember that you can change the username later if you want to. If you change your username, your blog URL will change along with it after 24 hours. (We hold it for 24 hours just in case you change your mind, but after that, it’s up for grabs.)
Then click Sign Up!
You’ll be asked to verify your age and choose five blogs to follow. If none of the blogs align with your brand, use the search box to find blogs on different topics.
2. Pick and edit a theme.
Make your blog look how you want by using one of our Tumblr themes. Tumblr offers hundreds of free themes to users. Premium themes offer more opportunities for customization and administration abilities, including a Tumblr follower counter.
Go to the Customize page and select Edit Theme to browse your options. You can preview how a theme will look on your blog.
Once you’ve made a decision, click Use to apply the Tumblr theme to your blog. Here, you can also edit the theme’s appearance to modify colors and header image, whether your blog posts will display linearly or in a grid, and how your blog’s title, description, and avatar will appear to the public.
Want to add an “About Me” page? You can Add a Page to your blog in the Edit Theme panel of the Customize page.
3. Customize it!
There are numerous ways to make your blog memorable to the masses.
Go to the Customize section from your dashboard. Here is where you can enter the blog title and description. You can also add an avatar that aligns with your brand.
4. Find & engage your fans.
It’s easy to find unique content to share with your followers. Follow blogs relevant to your audience or search for topical keywords and tags. Feel free to get creative with your tags - our community certainly does! Once you find posts and creators that are relevant to your brand, it’s all about engagement. Remember, Tumblr isn’t a set-it-and-forget-it channel. It’s an ecosystem that thrives on community.
Interact with members of your fan community by liking or reblogging a post (clicking the heart on the bottom right of the post). Your username and avatar will appear on a list of ‘notes’ and the blogger will be notified that you like it.
One of the best ways to build a following on Tumblr is to create content that people will want to reblog – or reblog other people’s content (such as fanart) to your page. When someone enjoys your post, they can reshare it to their own blog so all of their followers can engage with your post, too!
Every time someone likes or reblogs a post on Tumblr, it gets a note. Not only are notes a cumulative count of every time a post has been interacted upon, but many users also add commentary by adding something to the text when reblogging.
