Tumblr for Libraries & Archives: Tagging

Tags are an invaluable resource on Tumblr. They help users find your posts. They also assist you in organizing your content.

Depending on the Tumblr theme you select, the tags you choose for a post may or may not display on your blog. For those themes that show tags, the tags may appear along the bottom, top, or side of your post. See "Filed under" in picture below for one example:

It's important to choose tags wisely so that your content reaches as many users as possible. A few tips for making tag selections:

• Use broad tags to connect to wider audiences
• Choosing simple, straightforward tags related to larger concepts exposes your content to more Tumblr users
• Is your post historical in nature? Tag it with history. Is it science-related? Use the science tag.

• Consider how your users are searching for posts
• It's tempting to add highly technical terms as tags to a post. But remember: although you may know what these terms mean, your users probably do not. You want to make their searching experience uncomplicated.

• Avoid adding too many tags to a post
• Although Tumblr makes a post searchable by the first 20 tags you add to it, avoid adding a tag for every bit of information in a post. You may think by adding tags for everything you are making your content easier to find. In reality, you are giving your Tumblr pages a cluttered look. 

• Use your tags to communicate with other Tumblr users
• To connect with fellow institutions, use tags such as: libraries, archives, tumblarians, librarians
• To show appreciation for your followers, use tags such as: follower appreciation, our followers are the best, our followers are awesome