• by KT Heins , April 24, 2013

I reap the benefits of a job created only in the last five years. I write for social media sites that could be considered pet projects by companies. What they don't know is Tumblr, my favorite 'hobby,' has the potential to be a marketer's best friend. 

This is why I've pushed for my company to have its own Tumblr. I am dedicated to promoting us on a blog site on which Millennial instagram foodies and fashion week wannabes reign supreme. Tumblr is a marketer's dream. Certain brands are recognizing and harvesting the true potential it has to offer.

Here are four brands that are doing it right.

1. Capitol Couture

Capitol Couture became film producers' clever way of way of engaging their main audience online. The Hunger Games book series swept the tumblrverse in the last year. Tags like “thg” and “hunger games” are really popular on the site. Capitol Couture focuses on the fashion from the film. It is run from the perspective of film characters and it screens special scenes of the film to users early, keeping the number of followers high. 

Teenagers and post-grads love Tumblr because they don't have to face a barrage of advertisements. Capitol Couture reads more like an extended part of the novel. It advertises the film in a way that the target audience doesn't mind. Capitol Couture also takes advantage of a site that hosts “Hunger Games” content more than any other. The brand recognizes the age of their audience, the gender (Millennial females) and actively engages them online.

2. Ben & Jerry's

Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream has always been attractive to consumers due to colorful labels and unique titles. The Vermont-based company knows about its appeal among Millennials and teenagers. They want to share their love of ice cream in person and online. 

The blog is purely visual, only featuring photography and graphics of the product. Since Tumblr users use their blogs to reflect their interests and who they are, their love of Ben & Jerry's can be reblogged. Ben & Jerry's becomes an interest and part of a blog's personality, rather than an ice cream brand. Tumblr users subconsciously incorporate branding image into who they are because their blog is technically who they are on the internet.

3. Modcloth

Tumblr is about interaction. Modcloth stays consumer smart by using their ask box option (consumers can send questions to Modcloth's Tumblr account) for “stylist questions.” They like their followers' photos featuring mostly Modcloth products. They also link directly to their site and have their twitter stream alongside an infinite scroll.

This kind of two-way engagement is incredible. Their consumers know that Modcloth cares about how their customers look. Their posts accumulate consistent attention in the 'fashion' tag on Tumblr, producing a high click through rate to their site.

4. NPR

NPR is a world news organization that prides itself on being versatile. So it isn't surprising that they tailor news content specifically for Tumblr. Some of the stories featured could be considered kitschy and cool. (See: This Reblog.) News outlets fall into the trap of being too severe on Tumblr. Most users access Tumblr after work or during lunch, meaning that they are looking to “escape” the monotony of the day rather than read the heavy stories. NPR keeps it light and interesting, adding a personality to their news organization. 

If your company doesn't have a Tumblr page, take a reblog from one of these companies. With the right writers and content creators, you can create a dialogue with an audience that might be interested in your company in five years or in five minutes.