How to Tumblr

[Updated Feb 5 2011]

Some tips from my nearly 4 years on Tumblr. Enjoy.

DOs:

• Post great + extraordinary + timely stuff
• Post with a consistent theme/style/voice
• Post stuff you care about, not what’s popular
• Post lots of images, always crediting creator
• Use “Photo” as often as possible (esp. for ‘link’ posts)
• Follow a lot
• Follow diversely
• Unfollow folks when you get tired of their stuff
• Like posts on Tumblrs you dig
• Like a lot, but not too much
• Reblog content that fits your aesthetic
• Add something thoughtful when you reblog
• Have contact info someplace, even if it’s just Ask
• Pay attention to your site design for people outside the Tumblr Dash
• Give props + shoutouts + sweet emails to Tumblrs you really like
• Friend up Tumblr pals on other sites like Twitter, Last.fm, etc.
• HAVE FUN!

DON’Ts:

• Steal other people’s stuff without crediting/linking back
• Reblog stuff with 10+ levels of blockquote
• Reblog back and forth in order to have a ‘conversation’
• Post stupid shit just to get Tumblarity (it’s fleeting!) RIP Tumblarity
• Strip out all credits
• Ask people to reblog your post, they will if they want to
• Ask people to Recommend you, they will if they want to
• Like every single thing that’s posted
• Disappear for days/weeks at a time
• Over-blog (IMHO 25+ posts/day)
• Flood-blog (IMHO 15+ post/hour)
• Import feeds without good formatting
• Forget about your poor lil’ Tumblr
• Be mean!

What are your DO’s and DON’Ts?