For several years, new and seasoned affiliate marketers have taken advantage of Squidoo’s Google authority to further their marketing efforts. Most that have unlocked the site’s secrets have found success, attracting hundreds (or even thousands) of dollars of residual income.

But when Squidoo got slapped by Google on March 2013, the site has not been the same since then. Though it has immediately executed big changes that include implementing stricter quality filters and unlocking lenses that promote mostly affiliate products, the site hasn’t really got up on its feet. Because of that, many members, including myself, opted to consider other free sites to continue profiting from affiliate marketing.

This meant that many marketers are learning how to create a blog on Tumblr.

Tumblr is a micro-blogging platform that attracts millions of visitors every month. That and its high page rank are just two of the reasons why you should be using Tumblr.

Have a look at this screenshot from Alexa’s traffic ranking. They rank Tumblr currently as the 28th most visited site on the internet, even above Pinterest which is 43rd.

For tips on Pinterest Marketing please see my post Pinterest Marketing – For Network and Internet Marketers!

So now lets look at how to create a blog on Tumblr that can drive traffic to your sites, sell your products and build your brand..

Here’s a step-by-step quick start guide for how to create a blog on tumblr

1. Do your keyword research properly.

There are many paid tools that give you excellent results, but if you know how to use Google’s Keyword Tool to your advantage, you can always stick with this free tool. Choose high-searched keywords with low competition.

2. Create a Tumblr blog using your targeted keyword as its name.

Just like Blogger, one Tumblr account is enough to create multiple blogs. So choose a valid e-mail to register with Tumblr and start creating a blog targeting your keyword. If you work in several niches you can create blogs on many different areas and control them all through the one Tumblr account.

3. Customize your blog.

Once you’ve set up the basics, pick your theme. If you’re knowledgeable of HTML, tweak some of the codes of your theme to change your blog according to the font or color that you think is more appropriate. There are many free themes that look good and will work great. I paid $19 dollars and got a premium theme mainly because I’m a sucker for visuals and just saw it and liked it. Also, you can add links on your page to social networks, set direct email contact options and put your link to your other websites in your bio. Here’s my theme with the customization options open and a sample post so you can see how easy it is to use.

4. Regularly post to your Tumblr blog.

I update my blog daily with content that provides value and which links to my website thus driving traffic there, which results in opt-ins and sales. Tumblr can be another way to make your brand stronger and make you more visible online. Some marketers I have seen are directly profiting from the Amazon Associates Program and they upload products to their Tumblr blog. The successful ones choose unique products with amazing pictures and with a high consumer rating and these also get re-blogged more often. My own personal view is that for the best long term gains you should only really post non spammy great value content so people get to know, like and trust you in the same way you should on a Facebook page.

For advice on the type of content to post on Facebook to build your brand for free see my post How to Be Crowned the King Or Queen of Facebook Marketing.

5. Tag your posts properly.

Did you know that Tumblr tags can show up on Google’s first pages? Look at this simple experiment I did by typing in “cute backpacks” without the quotation marks.

Even without you applying any SEO techniques, your blog can eventually show up on Google’s top or first pages, as long as your targeted keyword doesn’t have much competition. Don’t expect instant results because it will take at least 2 or 3 months for your blog to journey from the bottom to the top. Not bad though for a free site without you doing that much, right?

Please note: Tumblr has a strict rule against affiliate marketing. So never create a blog for the primary purpose of promoting affiliate products by turning it into an online store.

How to Create a Blog On Tumblr

As with all successful marketing I recommend you use Tumblr and focus on the content and value you bring to the community and your targeted readers.  Many successful marketers blend in with the community, and do what they do. Then, from time to time, they drop affiliate links. Some just use Tumblr without the intention to sell, and just to provide great value and build their brand which leads to sales later down the line. Also, it’s important to update your blog regularly because Google loves fresh content. So now you know how to create a Blog on Tumblr, why not do it today!