Chris Cameron from the Read Write Web Blog writes about how many traditional media companies are starting to use Tumblr.
Cameron starts off recapping about traditional media's first major adoption of Web 2.0 came with Facebook, as outlets syndicated their content on the popular social network by way of fan pages and official accounts. Then, Twitter went mainstream as writers, editors and the media organizations themselves signed up, sent out links, and chatted about related topics in 140 character bursts.
Now it seems traditional media outlets are flocking to another service - one that is almost a hybrid of the others, allowing for short-form posts, but with richer format.
What's the new trend among legacy media? Why it's none other than Tumblr.
For those unfamiliar with the service, Tumblr is a blogging platform that lets users curate images, videos, quotes, and other forms of media onto minimalistic personalized "tumblelogs." Much like Twitter, there is a one-way follow function that lets users view a stream of entries from others of their choice. The quick ability to comment, favorite and "reblog" others posts makes the service incredibly social.
Cameron continues mentions an article in Business Insider that several outlets of traditional print media (newspapers and magazines) are suddenly popping up all over Tumblr with their own pages. Newsweek seems to making great use of the platform by posting mainly photos, and quotes - two of the most shared forms of media on Tumblr. The New Yorker also recently joined the service, sharing mainly videos and photos, including high-resolution images of their popular artistic covers.
If anything, these new additions to the Tumblr ecosystem provide a human face through which the various outlets can communicate more freely with their readers.
So is Tumblr the next big thing for traditional media outlets? By Cameron's view, the large media outlets seem pleased with the service and the kinds of interactions it allows for. He says it would not be surprising to see Tumblr become the third common place aside Facebook and Twitter for media organizations and corporate brands to further reach their audiences.
I've been using Tumblr like a satellite blog for the past 2 months now and it's definitely grown on me. It's very easy to add a quick quote, video, or picture. Like Twitter and Facebook, it has it place to quickly post. If you been a little fearful to jump into the deep end of the blog "pool", try the Tumblr "kiddy pool" first.
Are you already using Tumblr? For those reading this on Tumblr I already know your answer, so tell me what you think of Tumblr in the comments!
Read the full post by Chris Cameron on Read Write Web.
Posted via email from Neville's Blog
