12 Sep What You Can Learn from 5 Entertainment Brands on Tumblr
As more and more users are becoming fatigued with Facebook and Twitter, marketers are turning their attention to other channels, and Tumblr keeps making its way into the conversation. We’ve already explored how to achieve success on Tumblr, but of the brands currently using the platform, who’re really engaging their fans?
Given the emphasis on visual equity and multi-media, Tumblr is seeing strong communities built around entertainment, “fandoms,” and general pop culture news. Let’s take a look at five brands excelling at Tumblr engagement.
ABC Family’s Pretty Little Liars
The ABC Family community management team has its Tumblr strategy down pat and it’s especially strong with the hit show Pretty Little Liars. The team has clearly researched social activity during their show – which scenes viewers react to, their favorite characters, what they’re posting, etc. – populating the Tumblr blog with photos and gif-sets of beloved characters. The Tumblr also live-blogs during shows, so it’s often the first to put out content related to a particular scene.
Key Takeaway
Understand the currency of the reblog. If your audience is engaging on Tumblr, look at the type of content they’re posting. As always, ensure that you’re sharing content that your followers will want to share themselves, and don’t be afraid to reblog, too. Honor fans that are creating their own content that raises awareness of your show (in the case of PLL, there are hundreds of “shipper” blogs – tumblr blogs dedicated to various relationships on the show – and the PLL Tumblr sources content from them regularly).
Parks and Recreation
In the infamous words of Tom and Donna, “treat yo’ self” to the hilarious Parks and Rec Tumblr. Not only is it sharing content related to comical moments from the show, but it’s also created its own memes. For instance, stone-faced Ron Swanson is showcased each day with a different emotion, but hilariously, they’re the exact same face. This is great go-to content and it is also strongly tied to the character.
Key Takeaway
Know your audience. In the same way that writers/marketers for the show need to understand the characters and what makes them tick, you should understand what it is about your brand that makes your audience talk, and post content that fits in line with that strategy.
Late Night with Jimmy Fallon
The Late Night with Jimmy Fallon Tumblr team has struck a fine balance between posting promotional content for their nightly shows and sharing content that gets their followers, self-proclaimed “Fal Pals,” to engage. Jimmy has a YouTube series, “Ask Jimmy,” and the team regularly pulls questions from the Tumblr Ask Box. They also give weekly shout-outs to their most active followers.
Key Takeaway
Don’t be afraid to interact. While reblogs are important, create a strong sense of community by utilizing your followers in the content your team is producing.
The Spectacular Now
If you took a look at the Tumblr blog for The Spectacular Now without any context, you’d think it was the visual diary of a wistful teen, filled with photos of James Dean and pretty young people in love. In reality, it’s a blog for a recent movie that’s been praised for capturing the teenage spirit. While the blog features some content from the movie, the majority of the posts serve to build a visual scrapbook that evokes the mood of the movie. (Fun fact: their Tumblr blog is also the official website for the movie.)
Key Takeaway
Be visual. Given the look and feel of Tumblr, it’s a good idea to limit text-heavy posts that are too promotional. While there are certainly several social media legal issues to be wary of, your Tumblr blog can be a visual representation of your brand’s identity.
HBO’s GIRLS
In the midst of the gif-list craze (thanks, BuzzFeed), HBO’s GIRLS hopped on board with their own version of the popular blog What Should We Call Me. They post gif reactions to situations 20-something girls (i.e., their audience) can relate to. They also accept user submissions for posts, so the majority of their content is UGC.
Key Takeaway
If all else fails, go with what’s relevant. If your brand is a bit more lenient, adapt existing memes and popular formats in a way that’s relevant to your brand and audience. You can also empower your community to create content for you, incentivizing them by sharing their posts regularly.
These are a few examples of entertainment brands on Tumblr. Which brands do you think are doing a great job on the platform? Tell us in the comments!
