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KennethLopezJr921
Nov '22

Let me start off by saying that no, this has nothing to do with Twitter. I created my account earlier this year, long before Musk bought Twitter. It was mostly on impulse and I really didn't have any drive to use it and I literally forgot it existed until recently. I know tumblr isn't as infamous as it was back in the early to mid 2010s so I thought I would actually give it a try. But to be frank with y'all, I'm very unfamiliar with it. So I might need some help :upside_down:

https://at.tumblr.com/kenthenugget/539642y8twyd6

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    Nov '22

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    Dec '22
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RedLenai
Nov '22
1

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Well, welcome to the land of shitposting, fandoms and probably the most weird, satisfying and funny chains of engagement between a few users in here.

Posting is very comfy, since you can choose what'll be the focus of your post, be it a link, images (10 per post), text, video, etc.
There is the old version and the beta version of the Post Editor, both are good, but the beta one has other functions like, choosing text color and other things. You can attach links, images, pretty much like here, I recommend using hashtags obviously to appear in the result search when you type a specific word, as well, tagging works really good for when people want to make a section in their blog so other can see specific content tagged with it.

You can create different blogs with just one account, yes! You can have your main for whatever you like and then have blogs to either focus on something different, be it fandoms, keep your comic clean and organized (Especially if you don't want your posts to get losts between other content or reblogs)

Appearance of your blog can be totally modified, there are Themes created within the community or the ones recommended by the site, you can totally custom your blog to your liking, be it color, appearance and all. I personally prefer the default one since I'm very used to it, but there are other ones with interesting features such as Menu's, biography, galleries, etc.

Liking doesn't work like in Twitter or Instagram, it won't be seen by your followers nor will help you reach a wider audience, liking is basically a storage unit. The real way for engagement is through reblogs, and that can go very funny sometimes, be it someone answering with a gift, text or for some unknown reason but still feels very appealing, through hashtags.

Also, Tumblr has Neil Gaiman

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LunarScyphozoa
Nov '22

Lots of people are making posts for, quote, “Twitter refugees” that explain a bunch of stuff about setups and such. RedLenai explained most stuff, but tags! Basically, tag as much as you want but only stuff that’s relevant (like, don’t tag “dinosaur” in a bread recipe) but also you can monologue in there! Most people block bots so make sure to change your picture and reblog things so that people know youre a human. Also follow Neil gaiman, its mandatory (it isn’t but do it anyway)

VibrantFoxRegular
Nov '22

these r on my page but not my posts but they cover some good ground in terms of site nav, posting and some other useful things

as for themes uh...explore, experiment and read the guides theme creators leave coz they tend to cover most bases in terms of how to edit them to your liking within their terms. that or feel free to make you own (don't ask me how idk)

another tip for tags is that the first 20 i think are the ones you can search so try to keep your most relevant at the front and also consider using em to help navigation on your own blog if you decide to keep reblogs and your own stuff on the same page (i think the last post covers that one)

KennethLopezJr921
Nov '22

I kinda wish I had my my art blog as my main blog when creating a tumblr rather than having my comic blog be my main blog.....ah shit :sweat_01:

VibrantFoxRegular
Nov '22

there's still the opportunity or ability to change it in the settings (i forget which coz it's been a while)

but it has been useful for me to have different sideblogs for specific stuff like fandoms or rambles and other stuff since i feel like it both helps keeps my posts in order but also kind of keeps me organized so all stuff related to x thing can go in one blog or the other or be shared between whenever needed

KennethLopezJr921
Nov '22

apparently you can do that by changing the url but it doenst seem to be working for me. At this point I feel like it would easier to just delete my account and start over which I dont want to do.

Also, does tumblr have an algorithm similar to instagram and other social media sites? (Posts made at 10am-1pm gain the most traction)

VibrantFoxRegular
Nov '22
1

logging in to check how to do it coz it's dirt brain hours but i'm p sure it's simpler than this will edit when i have the answer

edit: officially there isn't a way to do it but this sites "long way" seems like a decent option

if i'm not mistaken i think it's what i did when i was trying to sort out main and side blogs in terms of the whole swapping urls and then redirecting ppl where were following to go to the other one and then switching posts over

tumblrs own export function may work but tbh i've never used it nor do i know how :confused:

tumblr is free from the so called algorithm or more accurately just doesn't operate on one like those other sites. posts from a decade ago could show up on your dash with the same relevance as one from ten minutes ago and it wouldn't make much difference

i have heard that stuff posted on gremlin hours (so like afternoon night time) and especially on the weekends do well but honestly with proper tags and enough reblogs things can take off on their own

but like in general you can post whenever and there isn't much difference and it's not really meant to be stressed either, just go ham :thumbsup:

RedLenai
Nov '22
KennethLopezJr921

You've only posted... like... barely anything to be honest, so you can simply change your account name, create a blog with your Series name and then start posting your series content in there. You don't need an impeccable, flawless blog, a lot of people start that way and then switch things or get organized in the long run.

Don't be afraid of making mistakes, not tagging stuff "properly" or whatever, nothing will explode (Not that I know) also you're learning so cut yourself some slack and avoid trying to nuke as a solution.

And regarding your question about the algorithm, here are a few answers to that:

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A small explanation by laptoparmageddon

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VibrantFoxRegular
Nov '22

the bare bones is always "likes are like a bookmark, reblogs are what get posts moving and tags is where the conversations/replies are happening"

on most platforms its the shares that get things goin and tumblr especially relies on the community/ecosystem all workin together to sustain itself (something i think i'd share on the side and not the main purely for language in the post but yeah)

KennethLopezJr921
Nov '22
RedLenai

So if you reblog other people's work, your work will get attention then? I think thats what Im getting from this and in that case, I really hope its not as bad as artfol.

Also I did change the names of my blogs so now my "primary" is given the secondary title and my "secondary" is my primary. I could just nuke the content on both and reupload them on the opposite accounts so that my primary is actually my "primary" but I've always been anal about deleting shit....I guess I just have to deal with it? I dont know. I can make this work I hope

RedLenai
Nov '22

If you reblog content from others, that's how they get their content seen. If you want to get your stuff seen, you gotta encourage others to reblog it. Again, there is no "algorithm", so it is basically team work. If you reblog something from another, that'll another will be benefited by being seen by those that follow you, and viceversa.

I don't understand what you mean, you can edit the name of your account, blog name, content entirely, you can delete posts if you want to clean everything up without nuking the account. I don't understand what are you struggling with.

Edit:

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KennethLopezJr921
Nov '22

I just saw the fact the your first blog is your main one and got annoyed with myself over not realizing that until it was too late. Because now that one has a star next to it that says primary and I guess that even added to my annoyance with myself. Also, I take that reblogging is the equivalent of retweeting?

LunarScyphozoa
Nov '22

It’s how you get things to be seen, when you reblog something all your followers see it and that’s the only way to make people see it pretty much

RedLenai
Nov '22
KennethLopezJr921

Then you can simply change your username, keep the posts, make a small announcement to redirect to your comic properly (You can delete posts too if you like, this ain't twitter)

And yeah, is not that complicated, it functions exactly as retweet or simply as sharing something in your profile on facebook. Still, no algorithm, don't go around thinking that because you follow/reblog/like something that'll increase your chances to appear as a recommended blog, or your post will be seen more or appear in someone's feed.

It's all pretty much what I and others have explained already, not hidden magic or formulas

thepenmonster1
Nov '22
LunarScyphozoa

After reading this thread I'm curious: How does that work with zero followers to begin with? Hoping a person you reblogged does you a solid and returns the favor?

LunarScyphozoa
Nov '22

Wizards, Clearly. Or someone stumbling upon a post you made and deciding it’s good

RedLenai
Nov '22
thepenmonster1

Basically, is like making friends in the real world.

You start first checking stuff in Tumblr, see what you like, meanwhile you post your stuff, then you eventually find something you like then follow it, you reblog it, interact with it, then you start chatting around with the other bloggers whose content you like, either provide to the OG idea, add a joke, or exchange opinions, whatever.

I don't think engaging for the sake of expecting favors works, basically those are ulterior motives and if you only focus on that, then you'll likely end up in a "nice guy" situation.

Personally, I simply didn't care about engagement, I saw posts from my favorite fandoms then began to interact with the posts, with the previously mentioned. Most of the people that follow me on Tumblr, mutuals mostly are into the Supernatural fandom, obviously, my non-SPN content is not touched by them, and I don't expect them to interact with it, I know that I'm out of touch with the webcomic community, but the same method applies too.

So of course, you can try and be as interested as possible with the hopes someone will "return the favor" or get interested in your stuff after seeing you in their notes quite frequently, and maybe a mutual interest will be generated, but... yeah, Tumblr is like friendship.

thepenmonster1
Nov '22

I will admit that the platform seems very fandom focused. If you have zero interest in doing free advertising for a company's IP is there a place for you there?

thepenmonster1
Nov '22

I'll go digging around. Maybe I'll find my tribe in some dark corner there.

We can dance around like the bee people in that No Rain music video.

RedLenai
Nov '22
thepenmonster1

Of course it is, as I previously mentioned: Tumblr works as a friendship that starts with a common interest, it's a mutual interest that needs to be born in order to build something up. Bust just because you're nicely reblogging stuff, commenting or similar doesn't guarantee people will be as equally as interested, that's why focus on it being genuine, and not a shallow relationship to obtain something in return. Aka an old version of the sub x sub.

That interest can be anything, "Art" can be a fandom, "webcomics" can be a fandom, "Original character" can be a fandom, literally anything. The thing is that you have to engage, you have to go back to your early stage of being that kiddo who just got access to the internet and wanted to interact, consume and engage with everyone and then someone would come around and be interested in you as well.

There are a lot of artists who post original content too, some have been there since I was 13.

really the two keys to posting art is 1. knowing how to use tags, and 2. having a dedicated art blog

This is from cozylittleartblog

tumblr only tracks the first 20 tags on a post, everything after that is Just For Funsies. tracked tags will show up in search, both for the whole website and on your blog.

if you're not sure what tags to use, see what other popular posters are using! i think i mentioned this in my tumblr guide post, but generally you want to tag fandom, characters, ships (if applicable), and any AUs or similar things. oh, and content warnings if those apply, too. then if you want you can try stuff like mediums and other general tags, that'd be your #art, #illustration, #fanart, #fanfic, #digital art, #(program you used), etc etc. you don't really have to use those, but if you want to keep your blog Super Extra Organized or if you're posting original content with no fandom tags to lean on then they are good options. (you can use things like #ocs, #original characters, #character design, #concept art, and genre tags for those!)

If you consider that you should gatekeep your feelings of what you like because you don't want to """""do free promotion"""" then... you won't succeed either when it comes to other people's work, other people's content be it they are new, veterans, unpopular, popular, etc.

thepenmonster1
Nov '22

I don't. I just don't approach these things the way most fans do.

A few months ago people got angry because CBS(?) tried to sell some Star Trek NFTs. To my mind the anger was akin to getting angry at a leach attaching itself to a leg. It's just what parasites do and everyone seemed to have forgotten they're swimming in a dirty pond.

I understand why there's always pushback against the fact that fandom is simply an extreme form of consumerism. Fans invest a lot of themselves into their entertainments and grant it more meaning than it actually delivers. But if treating as commodity as if it's something deeper is the price that has to be paid for using Tumblr then it's clearly not the place for me.

I'm going to use it though. I figure I'll find some more cats who are doing great work of their own and give them the appreciation they deserve. I already found one person who uses color beautifully. I'm taking notes.

VibrantFoxRegular
Nov '22
1

i'm going to briefly regurgitate an opinion i'd shared on some thread on here in that i really really need people to be kinder about fandom because not all fandoms even center around content produced by company A or brand B but sometimes are centered around the original works of some person on the internet and even if something is attached to some franchise it doesn't lessen the value of the works people are pouring their hearts into and is insanely insensitive to say so :confused:

if that's not what you mean then cool but it's reading like that so like...maybe chill???

getting back to original content tho if you want to find folks making that then you have to do the work to find them. people aren't just gonna come knocking on your door and instantly form a friendship it's more like going to the local cafe and if you're lucky building a bond with other visitors and maybe becoming a regular

I can't say what tags or blogs are guaranteed to land you in those circles much less help you garner following within them but if you do enough dedicated digging you can find stuff

like as an example even tho i follow a ton of sonic related blogs (coz i love that lil blue bastard) i also follow a lot of folks working on original content whether from here on tapas, on twitter or tumblr itself and they center around things like character design, writing, wordbuilding and the like. there's also a lot of just general character design, environment painting, photography blogs and other pages i follow but it's coz i've browsed around on the internet long enough to find em. That's like I also follow folks who are fellow fans of other original content creators like Worthikids (Big Top Burger), Joel G (ENA), or Toby Fox (Undertale/Deltarue) just to name a few

Again, I get there are folks who are hard set on this sort of purist mindset in terms of what people make and what for but like if someone enjoys something to the point they'd make stuff about it there's no reason to be anal about it. Plus these character are still technically someone's oc too they just happen to be associated with xyz company ¯(ツ)/¯

edit: also wanna add to that last thought there are literally people who i've followed in years past that made fanart for a certain franchise and are literally now working for those companies and making new characters for them. like I love and adore Evan Stanley who spent years working on an original sonic fancomic Ghosts of the Future and now literally works with Sega/Sonic Team in their lore department, has done work on the official Archie Sonic solicitations and now with the IDW Sonic comics. Plus they still have other original works one of which is this western thing with cowboys and ghosts n stuff so there's also the potential to find original stuff alongside fan content you just gotta give folks a chance :wink:

thepenmonster1
Nov '22

Sigh.

I made no demand of you and the others to relate to the culture the way I do. You're not under attack. Go grab some of that chill for yourself.

RedLenai
Nov '22
thepenmonster1

Then that's ok, but just because you don't see value, interest or anything at all, doesn't mean that other people's passions are wrong, or that they are less than you who create original content.

I don't take part of that fandom, so I won't know the details. Same applies to fans, just because they are fans doesn't mean everyone is aware, or simply don't share your same anger. People can create content, demonstrate their abilities, getting themselves to know just based on what they enjoy, some don't go as far as to know the lives of the actors, the company projects, what other products or merch they create, some don't even care about a movie or season. Some are not aware of these things for their entire lives too. Just keeping it basic and enjoying the media

If that's how you see it then ok, but there is more than plain """extreme""" consumerism, a lot of people don't care about premium items, every piece of merch or whatever. Some may have the main source as an atlas but they want to see other type of content they know don't have in it, what ifs, different scenarios, new creative ways to see a character in a specific situation, or simply an exhibition of skills.

Well, the same could be said about your hobbies, talents or passions. they could totally see what you do as a waste of time, as something meaningless too. And there is nothing wrong with granting more meaning by creating something, or investing themselves on that, anyone would say "Oh you're so talented" and then check out what else the creative can make, what other projects they have, etc. Companies are not the only ones getting advertisement.

You're free to not make fancontent at all, interacting with fandoms is only an alternative for when you want get at least a bit of engagement quickly and it mostly works when it's about something you're passionate about but if you're not passionate then just doing it because that'll be quick engagement will burn you out rather quickly, doing trendy stuff is not an exclusive thing of tumblr, it has been a suggestion either for growing an account in SM, getting commissions or similar.
There are artists who exclusively make original content, you can try to be one, making sure that your work is deep, interesting enough, maybe you'll find something according to your standard and values, and give them the appreciation that under your personal consideration you think they deserve, then by doing that you're no different from a fan from another franchise, seems that the only difference would be that under your sense of superiority as an original content creator, you for some reason are in the right while others are in the wrong.

Hope you can make a successful blog, but that your supporters don't have much fan attitude towards it, as I believe you dislike that behavior.

KennethLopezJr921
Nov '22

Kay so apparently theres an option to make a blog password protected. Does that mean anyone who would want to view blog would require a password?

NickRowler
Nov '22

I feel like I sort of use Tumblr different than most people. I rarely run into drama due to the site being very customizable, similar to Instagram you only see people and tags you follow. There is a trending tab but it tends to be focused on fandoms instead of hot button political issues.

I would strongly recommend not picking fights with people. Also disable anonymous questions because people will try to start shit with it. It’s better to just block or ignore dumb questions instead of trying to fight someone.

I also recommend blocking any new followers who look sketchy. Be it a bot or someone who’s posts look a little off. I know in the past there were issues with 4Channer using the site to stalk or harass people they found “cringe”. Tho there might not be as many since the porn ban.

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