THE POWER OF THE PLATFORM: VISUAL STORYTELLING ON SOCIAL NETWORKS 103 “We are posting images of our e-mail stationery and other items from our design partners. We typically post images with very short captions,” Sharon says, explaining that most Tumblr users prefer images that speak for themselves. Sharon also points out that there’s more to Tumblr than just posting images: “Like the other social media sites, Tumblr requires that you build relationships with other Tumblr users. You do this by tagging your posts so they show up in searches, following other Tumblr users, and reblog- ging relevant content. We use Tumblr as one of our social media tools in conjunction with Twitter and Facebook. I love Tumblr for the integration 121 with Instagram and because it’s visual.” Even if your business isn’t image or product based, Tumblr enables you to share images that relate to your demographic. Lindsay Lopez, profes- sional Pilates instructor and owner of FORM Pilates—a boutique Pilates studio in New York City—uses Tumblr to offer advice and inspiration. Lindsay understands that her readers are into keeping fit and looking great, so she posts recipes, inspirational pictures, and quotes. “So far, it’s driven more people to my site, and I find that more people read it because it’s so simple and visual as opposed to being a page full of text.” Lindsay first stumbled across Tumblr after a fellow blogger sug- gested it as an alternative to a WordPress blog. Lindsay started early in 2013, and she is completely hooked: “What I love about Tumblr is that it 122 is aesthetic. It’s very visual, and it is easy to make a post look fabulous.” As with any other social media platform, the keys to Tumblr success are post, promote, and participate in the community. Tumblr fills a niche by bringing together the best features of blogging and visual-based social media to create a unique platform. The Tumblr crowd could be a perfect fit for many businesses. Vanessa Gabriel recommends companies try the platform and measure results to see if it works for them: “Tumblr is a great resource to promote your prod- ucts and merchandise to thousands of people, increasing the sales and user base. I truly believe Tumblr is an untapped marketing gold mine that has 123 yet to truly be capitalized by many companies. It’s been awesome for us!”