Sitting in front of my computer for the last half-hour got me thinking about Tumblr and Pinterest. I have accounts on both, and I was trying to decide which one I like better (productive, right?) Anyways, it made me wonder why I go to one over the other on the day-to-day and what draws me to each one.
Let’s start with Pinterest:
The main draw for me is the fact that Pinterest is a lot more organized than Tumblr, when I search on Pinterest I usually have a goal—I’m hungry and looking for a recipe, I need a quick idea for a DIY gift, or I want to fit in a quick workout routine. I like that you can “pin” and “re-pin” things that speak to you and if you like someone else’s style you can choose to follow that user’s entire profile or just one specific pin board.
What I don’t like is that a lot of the same images are circulated on Pinterest. I can only browse for so long, because after awhile the content just repeats itself.
Whereas on Tumblr, I can get lost for hours.
Why? Personally, I think there is a lot more variety on Tumblr, and you never know what you’ll stumble upon. It’s a simple dashboard that isn’t organized by any particular theme, but it’s easy to explore. The layout is so streamlined it’s hard to stop scrolling. I also think that people are more apt to post content that is really personal because it is a little more anonymous than Pinterest.
When you sign up for Pinterest, you use your real name whether you connect it to your Facebook and Twitter or not. On Tumblr, however, you have the option to create a persona, or a sort of anonymous blog, and you truly have the freedom to share what you want.
I think that Pinterest is a great marketing tool because it is easy to find a company or brand and see their style boards or products. But, the intent of pinterest, in my opinion, is to sell or market. Whereas on Tumblr, people are just trying to share their thoughts or work without the pressure of getting you to buy anything.
What do you think about these sites? What do you like/dislike about them? Comment!