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Tumblr is a fantastic platform that combines blogging, microsite hosting, and social networking. Despite many changes since its inception, it continues to be extremely popular, hosting hundreds of thousands of unique websites. How can you effectively scan Tumblr with too much content to go through? We’ll walk you through it in this post.
What exactly is Tumblr?
Tumblr was established in 2007 as a free platform for everyone to quickly and easily create a blog or minisite. There are some clear limitations: nothing illegal and nothing related to terrorism, but other than that, anything goes. That’s why, unsurprisingly, there’s been a lot of adult content on Tumblr over the years—but that’s not what the site is about.
Tumblr reports that there are over 441 million Tumblogs (as of 2018 figures), with a wide range of content. It includes millions of people who are simply blogging about their lives. Lifestyle blogs, niche blogs, alternative blogs, and gaming blogs are all types of blogs. Of course, just as on Twitter, there are commercial users who shamelessly promote their businesses and goods.
What is the best way to check Tumblr?
So, how can you scan Tumblr effectively when the sheer scale is working against you? There are many options. Hashtags are the most popular way to search Tumblr and the best way to discover new blogs and articles. Keywords work in a similar way, but they can yield a broader variety of outcomes. If you have time to burn reading and researching, keywords are more useful.
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Use the hashtag as a search term.
On Tumblr, hashtags are a huge deal. To make them available to the rest of the world, you can include them in posts or photographs. The rest of the planet will then use the top-of-the-page search bar to find what they’re searching for.
For example, type “#cutekittens” into Tumblr’s search bar to see thousands of kitten photos and blogs. In addition, you can use multiple hashtags in a single quest. To filter all three words at once, enter ‘#cutekittens #blackcats #realkittensofla’ in a single quest.
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Use a keyword to search.
Tumblr can be searched using keywords, much like every other search engine. They work similarly to hashes, but with a broader range of possible outcomes. As a result, rather than returning exact or nearly exact results, keywords would often return results that are somewhat similar.
For example, instead of using the hashtag, type in “cute kittens” into the search box to get a much larger pool of results. The benefit of depth outweighs the disadvantage of having to filter through all of the data to find what you’re looking for.
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Filter your results
Tumblr also has some filters that can help you focus your quest. Explore is accessed by selecting the small compass icon in the top menu. A set of filters are located underneath the search box. You may use the search box or press one of these to browse a smaller collection.
If you’re looking for inspiration, you can also use Trending Searches on the right, or Recommended blogs on the Tumblr dashboard for a less precise search. Tumblr’s Trending Searches are more democratic than most platforms that support sponsored material.
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Use URLs to search Tumblr.
You’ll need the URL of the microsite or blog you want to explore if you really want to drill down in Tumblr, but the rest is easy.
Consider the following scenario:
- http://www.example.com/archive – this can scan a blog’s archived articles.
- http://www.example.com/tagged/tag – would look for a specific tag on a website. Replace the /tag at the end with the hashtag you’re looking for.
- http://www.example.com/search/keyword – This URL will be searched for a keyword of your choice. Simply replace the final ‘/keyword’ with the word you’re looking for.
This last method of Tumblr quest is most effective if you already know what you’re searching for. I usually use it when I come across a post that I enjoyed but failed to read again. Instead of trawling through my internet history, I can simply return to the web and conduct a search.
Tumblr is a fantastic place to read, explore, waste time, and see more of the world. At the very least, you now have a chance of finding what you’re searching for!
