We all know that free networks work great with craft business marketing. Twitter and Facebook are now well-established in getting free exposure for handmade businesses.
Maybe, you’ve also considered emerging networks like Instagram and Pinterest. But have you thought about using Tumblr for your craft business?
Yes, TUMBLR!
Why Tumblr?
Within the universe of blogging for marketing and promotion, the Tumblr blogging platform has a few key benefits that distinguish it from more traditional blogging software like WordPress and Blogger.
These other platforms were created to publish unique content on a site for a specific audience to consume and respond to on that site. And although Tumblr can be used exclusively for publishing blog posts in a similar fashion, by its nature it is structured as a platform for sharing other people’s content first.
Tumblr is a really nice place to advertise your work, just find the right tags, take some nice photos and you’ll get in touch with your desired audience really easy. Plus, Tumblr people are generally awesome.
However, using Tumblr is tricky for handmade business owners as it might work for some but not for you. A key question to ask: is my audience using Tumblr? If the answer is yes, it might be worth setting one up.
Here’s how to harness the nature of Tumblr for marketing and to promote your handmade business.
Tumblr Marketing
Post your photos and put the link with it, and give a description of the item if you can. Don’t forget to add hashtags so people will find them!You can link the whole photo too so when it’s clicked it goes straight to your shop (There’s an option on the right) and if you click the little chain icon in the text box you can add text that links wherever you like too.
Check this blog of Muffins At Marissa to see how Tumblr works for her handmade business.
Think Content Curation
Because it’s organized around viewing other people’s content first—and because the platform makes it so easy to share posts—Tumblr is ideal for content curation. Carefully select and share the content relevant to your audience and its interests that pertains to your business or organization.This helps in building your network and even develops friendship with people who share the same interest with you.
Publishing Posts
If it’s your first time in Tumblr, getting followers is tricky. But here’s some advice from Melaniegail of MGDclothing:
“I think I have figured out how to use Tumblr, I’m starting to get hits to my website from it since I started using it as a photo sharing site rather than a blog. I post a picture of my item & put my website url in the text below it & use my best 5 tags. I can time the posts in advance, so I can spend a few hours one day setting up the posts for a week & just walk away. I also search relevant keywords & chose other peoples photos to reblog& they can be scheduled in advance. I mix those posts up with my posts, one mine & then the next someone elses& so on. I am getting some more followers now & the hits to my site from tumbler are increasing. Also other people will reblog your posts & that will increase hits as well.”
Responding
You respond by re-blogging a post that you want to respond to. You can’t tell how many people see your page, but on your activity feed it shows who likes and reblogs your posts as well as who follows you. Just make sure to give your posts lots of relevant tags and you should be seen!
By sharing others’ posts, you’re more likely to be reblogged yourself and that creates two benefits. First, the reblogged post includes a mention of the originating source post underneath, giving it exposure to the reblogger’s audience.
Engage With Followers
Another interesting feature of Tumblr is the “Ask” button that can be added to any theme. This generates an inbound message to you which can be answered in the form of a post. The answer post will include both the original question and your response. Think of it as a way to generate a continuously updated FAQ.
To sum it all, there are a few key things you need to know when using Tumblr to promote your items. Number one is to watermark your pictures. If you post something that gets popular, it is almost certain that someone will remove your caption with the link to your store. If you have your store name watermarked on your pics, then people can search and find your store.
Number two is tags. Tag your items with things like etsy, fashion, knitting, accessory, etc. These are tags that get regularly searched, so if you have something people will like, they’ll reblog it to their own blog and so on.
Those two are the main things for promoting your items. To get people following your blog, it’s always good to search around for blogs that post things that interest or inspire you (once again by searching through the tags). Reblog some of their posts, or post some inspiration pics of your own. Over time you should get a bunch of followers who have the same taste in things as you and who are hopefully interested in your items. Good luck!
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