Tumblr, created by David Karp in 2007, has grown by leaps and bounds over the past few years.  Though, when I say “leaps and bounds”, I’m really not painting an accurate picture.  It has been reported that Tumblr is growing by an average of 250 million page views…not by year or even by month…by week.

Tumblr has become known as the home of the latest GIFs and cat photos, but the platform offers so much more than that.  Some of the best political commentary can be found there, as well as stunning photography and beautiful poetry.  Tumblr’s power users tend to be young and tech savvy, much like the early days of Twitter.

Although it’s huge, Tumblr can feel like a tight community.  But, unlike the cliques you knew in high school, it’s very welcoming to newcomers that bring something fresh to everyone’s dashboard.  Some companies have caught on, and they are experiencing great success with the platform.  Others, however, tend to flounder while they desperately seek more followers.  How can you ensure that Tumblr will help build a community around your brand?

A friend of mine, Andrew, runs a highly successful site on Tumblr called Money Is Not Important. As soon as you visit the site, you’ll instantly recognize that it’s not your typical personal finance blog.  In addition to insightful articles that seek to change our mindsets on how we view money, Andrew posts great quotes from current and historical leaders, amazing works of art involving money, and inspirational images that beg to be reblogged.  All of this has led to thousands of people following the site daily.

I asked Andrew to share a few of the secrets to his success, and these were his suggestions:

Keep it short

With Twitter, everyone knows that we’re limited to 140 characters.  With Tumblr, however, there are no such restrictions.  Some companies make the mistake of making their posts too long.  While there is a “Long Read” tag on the site, most successful users have learned that your followers appreciate short posts that get straight to the point.  If someone follows you on Tumblr, every post you make shows up in their dashboard.  If you take up too much real estate on someone’s dashboard, you’re sure to be unfollowed quickly.  Keep your writing to 500 words or less.  If you feel the need to share longer posts, do it on another blogging platform and simply post the link on your Tumblr page.

Use the right graphics

Stock photography has its place, but you should avoid most of it here.  Tumblr users tend to value creativity and originality, and stock photos can give your page a stale feeling.  Instead, use original photography, or reblog someone’s photo (giving credit, of course) as the visual for your post.

Make it personal

It’s important with Twitter, and the same thing holds true with Tumblr.  Given the fact that the platform is a tight community, your would-be followers can smell a “corporate” blog from a mile away.  Let your company’s true culture show through.  Let your followers know what your company does, but also show them what it’s like to work there.  Answer questions from your followers, and let them get to know the person that runs the blog.

Although the benefits of Tumblr can be difficult to measure, it’s massive growth has brands scrambling to get a page up and running.  If you think you have what it takes to become part of the community, take the opportunity to make your brand a big fish in a relatively small pond.