How to Become Famous on Tumblr

Tumblr is an excellent platform for gaining popularity on the internet, especially if you know how to attract a large following. But how do you actually achieve "fame" on Tumblr? Check out the following article to learn some tips and tricks for becoming a well-known figure on Tumblr.

Choose a Catchy Username. You’ll want to pick a name that’s memorable, so avoid using numbers (like rockergurl555666.tumblr.com), as it’s hard for people to remember or feel attracted to. If possible, go for something quirky or unusual that sparks curiosity, or choose a name that relates to your Tumblr theme (e.g., if you’re running a fan blog for the TV show Teen Wolf, consider incorporating a reference to the fan community [for instance, if your favorite character is Allison, you could name your blog after her]) or, if you're into mythology, go for a name inspired by mythology—especially one that’s lesser known, as it reduces the chance of someone already taking it).

Pick a theme for your Tumblr. This is a crucial step as you’ll need to select a specific look and focus for your Tumblr, both in terms of design and content.

• If you want something unique, you can create your own custom theme, but you'll need to know some HTML. Strive to design a theme that complements the overall feel of your Tumblr. If it’s appealing and engaging, other people may want to use it. You can let others use your custom theme if that’s your choice.
• When it comes to the content of your blog, think back to your username. Are you into fan communities, art, fashion, social justice? A personal blog is fine, but it won’t attract as many followers as blogs with a focused theme.

Understand the difference between reblogging and reposting. Reposting is often seen as stealing because you're posting someone else’s content, while reblogging still shows the source and links directly to the original poster’s blog.

• Reposting is generally frowned upon, so it’s best to stick to sharing your own content. Especially when you start becoming popular on Tumblr, reposted content is likely to come to the attention of the original creator.
• Avoid reposting images from weheartit as most of the content there is stolen from original creators. Doing this won’t make you more popular either.

Learn how to tag your posts. Tagging is an excellent way to gain likes and shares, as it makes your content visible to others who follow those tags. If your posts catch their interest, they’ll like and share them, and if you have more similar content, they might follow your blog.

• You can add multiple tags, and they work like this: if you post similar content regularly, you can create a unique tag for that type of post (for example, if you post a lot about Star Trek: The Original Series, you can create a dedicated tag for those posts). As holidays approach, tags like Halloween and Christmas will be used more frequently.
• Be cautious with your tags. If you’re into a specific “ship” (romantic relationship between characters) and there’s an opposing “ship” (pairing one of your characters with someone else), avoid posting hateful content about the other ship and tagging them. This won’t help you make friends or gain followers.

Learn how to follow others. Following means subscribing to someone else's Tumblr. You can follow someone mutually, meaning both of you follow each other, or you can follow someone without them following you back. (Some popular blogs include brohaydo.tumblr.com, stupid-galaxies.tumblr.com)

• People with a large following usually won’t immediately follow you back when you follow them. This is perfectly normal. If you engage with them, interact, and have conversations, there’s a better chance they might follow you back.
• Follow blogs that share similar content to yours or those within your niche. This increases your chances of joining that community and getting noticed by the prominent figures in that space.

Pay attention to your analytics. Take note of which posts are receiving the most likes and engagement, and try to post more of that type of content to increase your chances of gaining more visibility and followers.

Find Your Niche. While some personal Tumblrs can gain fame, most of these are individuals who were already famous, such as writers, actors, or comic artists. Some fanfic authors (those writing fan-created stories) also become popular based on the works they write, maintaining personal blogs with a large following (even if they only share and post about fan communities).

• Think about your own interests: you could post about things like dancing, photography, art, social justice, or fandoms (books, movies, TV shows). Tumblr content is extremely diverse, so you need to pick what you’re passionate about if you want to gain recognition.
• Some examples of highly popular Tumblrs include: medievalpoc.tumblr.com, venushowell.tumblr.com, omgthatdress.tumblr.com, oldloves.tumblr.com, compendiously.tumblr.com, twitterthecomic.tumblr.com. You’ll notice these Tumblrs often focus on one specific theme and create original content for their blog (so that others can share their posts).

Observe Famous Tumblrs. Take note of members in your niche and figure out who has the most followers and whose posts get shared the most. Check what their Tumblr’s theme is. How do they engage with their followers?

• Browse through their posts. Do they focus on social justice, TV events, or poetry? Do they share personal stories? Are they funny (humor can be key to gaining popularity)? Are their posts long and detailed, or are they short and to the point? This will depend on your niche to know what types of posts get the most attention.
• Do they post a lot of GIFs? What’s the quality of the images? Do they share TV moments with famous quotes?
• Notice if they mix images with other content. Check the quality and aesthetics of their visuals. Do they post many pictures of themselves, or do they rarely post photos?
• Pay attention to the posts on your own blog that get the most likes and shares. You can create similar content to ensure you continue attracting followers.

Engage with Famous Tumblr Users. If you want to connect with someone famous in your niche, don’t just ask them to promote you to their followers—ask questions and build a rapport with them. Many popular Tumblr users post surveys with questions like their favorite fictional character, their first kiss, or the foods they eat most often. These can be great ways to get to know them and let them learn more about you.

• Check out their FAQ page first to understand what kind of interactions are appropriate. They might not like others asking for promotion (and don’t let them feel like that’s the only reason you’re reaching out to them), and certain types of questions may be off-limits.
• Once you’ve built a connection, you can ask if they’d be willing to check out your blog and promote it to their followers. This is particularly effective if you have unique ideas (such as writing fanfiction, creating poetry, or trying out a new fashion style). If you’re polite and genuine, they’ll likely be happy to help.

Promote Yourself. It’s tricky to do this effectively, as it can help you gain followers and recognition, but it can also annoy people if not done carefully. Typically, promotion involves having someone else share your Tumblr on their blog, and you can engage in reciprocal promotion, etc. What you really want is for a well-known person in your niche to promote your blog.

• Promotion for promotion (p4p) means you promote someone else’s blog on your blog, and vice versa. The interesting part of this method is that both of your followers only see one blog, not a long list of promotions. However, if the person promoting you doesn’t have many followers, this strategy may not lead to great success.
• Double promotion works similarly to regular promotion, but it involves two people in the exchange. If you follow both people, you could get both of them to promote your blog, offering a good opportunity to attract new followers.
• Solo promotion means only you get promoted. This happens if you’re friends with a famous Tumblr user, and they share your blog on their page, encouraging others to visit.

Post Original Content. One of the key factors in becoming famous on Tumblr is that your blog should feature content you’ve created yourself. It may sound obvious, but it’s the truth. Your posts are the marketing tools for your Tumblr, so they need to be unique—something no other blog has. This could be your own words, or artwork that people will want to share. You must come up with your own ideas for posts, and they can be anything as long as they align with your chosen theme.

• You can write your own posts. This could involve writing about TV shows, books, or literary analysis. Be sure to include your personal opinions. This might sound intimidating, but even if people don’t agree with your views, they’ll still follow your posts. Who knows, someone might discover it and find it interesting. (Just avoid sensitive topics like racism or sexuality unless you're prepared to handle the conversation respectfully, and always end with a phrase like "This is just my opinion.")
• Learn how to create GIFs instead of just sharing other people’s work, especially if you're part of a fandom. People will appreciate and share your creations. In fact, others might even ask how you make them if you become skilled.
• Post your own artwork, whether it’s drawings, photography, or creative writing (fanfiction counts!). This approach not only helps showcase your work but also ensures that your Tumblr is filled with “original” content.

Be Consistent with Your Blog. Consistency is another key to becoming well-known on Tumblr. Even back in the days when famous people didn’t have blogs, they still needed to maintain regular updates, meaning the blog kept posting new content even if the owner wasn’t actively present.

• Ensure you respond to people. The more people interact with you, the higher your chances of becoming famous and attracting more followers.

Be Patient. There’s no quick way to become famous overnight, unless it’s by sheer accident (like a post going viral in a way that spreads rapidly, akin to wildfire or a lightning strike). Build relationships with others and you’ll notice a steady increase in your followers.

• Remember, many of the most famous Tumblr users have been on the platform for years. They’ve spent a lot of time accumulating followers and getting to know the platform.

• Try to stay active or schedule your posts. This way, your Tumblr will remain updated.
• Post/share to express yourself! You don’t have to post only what’s “perfect” or on-topic.
• You can admire other Tumblr users and draw inspiration from them to get started, but don’t outright copy someone else. Be true to yourself if you want to stand out on Tumblr!
• Avoid excessive self-promotion because followers might get tired of that.
• Don’t rush. Most of the famous Tumblr users have been around for many years!
• Don’t expect fame in just one day or even one month. For many, it takes a lot of time to gain recognition on Tumblr—you’ll need to commit to it if you truly want to be noticed.
• Find a blog with a similar theme to yours, follow them and their followers. They might follow you back and like your posts.
• You can always make friends on Tumblr! People are usually happy to get messages from others and don’t mind promoting your blog. This could help you gain more followers!

• As you begin to gain fame, you’re sure to receive teasing or envy-filled messages (no matter how polite you are). The best way to handle these kinds of messages is with humor. Publicly share their message with a funny GIF and a quirky comment. If they are abusive, report them.
• Sometimes, the things you do to gain fame can consume all of your time, energy, and principles––ask yourself if it’s really worth all that effort.