As someone who was skeptical about Yahoo’s $1.1 billion purchase of Tumblr back in May of last year, I was pleasantly surprised to see that my skepticism was all for naught. For the most part, Yahoo had left Tumblr untouched, apart from a slight increase in ads. They did nothing to take away from my experience, though; if anything, the intriguing content from various businesses only enriched the experience in question.
Will Tumblr Lock Digital Horns with YouTube?
It looks like matters are about to change, though, as Tumblr is reportedly being prepped to tackle one of the strongest social entities on the Internet. Business Insider posted an article, stating that Tumblr may be adjusted, by Yahoo, to become a direct competitor to the Google-owned video streaming network: YouTube. There’s also been talk about Tumblr securing YouTube talent so that it may bolster its own website in terms of not only name recognition but overall content.
What surprises me more than the idea of Yahoo wanting to compete with YouTube is that the former company has plans to even use Tumblr for this purpose. For those who have spent ample time on Tumblr, it’s easy to see that its content is worlds apart from YouTube. Yes, videos can still be shared through blog posts but the truth of the matter is that a good majority of the content is either photo or text-based. From what I have seen, those who log onto Tumblr long for detailed experiences while YouTube is, more or less, about immediacy due to the easier digestion of videos. I’m sure that any online marketing firm with social media knowledge would agree.
Despite the differences in content, Tumblr – not unlike YouTube – has been made popular because of its user base. Without the posts they have created, Tumblr would not have reached the level of popularity is enjoys at the moment. The same level of thinking can be applied to YouTube and the audience it amassed since its launch in 2005. It’s because of users that Tumblr has seen a rise and, if its quality goes down, Tumblr’s users could spell its end. In a way, these two websites are more likely than what those on the outside may give them credit for.
If what Business Insider is saying turns out to be true, Tumblr has to make adjustments in order to accommodate the influx of video content.
For example, its web-based video player has often been criticized by Tumblr users. The most common complains are focused on its slow nature, in regards to buffering, even for videos under one minute in length. It should also be noted that Tumblr users who follow numerous individuals may stand the chance of missing out on content, since it moves along so quickly. One could argue that simply logging onto a user’s page can remedy this but a social media user’s first instinct is to go by what’s shown on his or her news feed. There has to be a better way to ensure that specific user-generated content is immediately visible without taking away any of Tumblr’s appeal to begin with.
What is your take on Yahoo’s efforts to make Tumblr its answer to YouTube? Do you believe that this has potential? Please leave your thoughts below!
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See also: Starbucks Cup in Tumblr’s Logo on the National Coffee Day
