Tumblr just announced that they'll be releasing a new way for users to monetize their blogs starting this Thursday. Their post on the staff's blog reads, "Tumblr is a place where brilliant, creative, funny, impossible people shape culture. Some of you have even turned your passions into jobs: book deals, music careers, paid gigs with the Creatrs Program. Now, (soon!) that opportunity will be available to any eligible Tumblr—poet, musician, fan artist, and misfit weirdo memelord alike."
Backstory
Money making on Tumblr has always been an uphill battle for its users.
Hundreds of bloggers have been abruptly terminated for promoting various products. A young teen named Jess was once the owner of pizza.tumblr.com, a humor blog with over 1 million followers. That was until her blog was deleted without warning for promoting weight loss ads. Jess and several other once-popular bloggers have since abandoned Tumblr because of their terminations and the site's strict rules.
Another issue bloggers have dealtwith is competing with popular users on YouTube, Twitter, and other social media platforms.Many people consider the website past its prime, so 100,000 followers on Tumblr isn't as lucrative as 100,000 followers on Instagram. Advertisers aren't as likely to reach out to popular bloggers if they have an alternative that can provide them more bang for their buck.
This dilemma has left popular bloggers struggling and desperate to earn revenue.
Reception
Users are both excited and skeptical about the new announcement. Since the official post didn't provide many details, people are wondering how the ads will work. Bloggers who have used Tumblr to make money before are delighted by the News because this means they can now profit off their large platforms without having to worry about the staff deleting their blogs.
If the launch is successful, this could bring in some new Tumblr users who are looking toearn some money online. This could also bring back old Tumblr users who once loved the website and what it did for them. I guess we'll all see what happens on Thursday.