Today it was announced that tumblr, the new kid in the blog hosting world, will be sending 20+ bloggers to New York Fashion Week. How did this happen, what does it mean for tumblr and what should it mean for you?

While initially the blogging establishment viewed tumblr as a teenager-centric nouveau LiveJournal, some communities have really taken to the quick, easy and shareable format that tumblr does best. Blogs centered around memes abound as do photo and quote blogs. One industry that’s really taken on tumblr as their own is the fashion industry and it makes sense why: Fashion is a visual medium. Combine that with the ease that tumblr brings to cultivating a collection and how many ways they provide for someone to give credit and it makes the perfect place for fashion blogs to thrive. Jessica Quirk, who quite simply blogs What I Wore has even scored a book deal.

By sponsoring these bloggers, putting up money for travel, hotel, per diems, tumblr is investing in their own future as well. They’re making it clear that they take their bloggers seriously as a community and as journalists. It’s a bold statement to make and it’ll be interesting to see what tumblr has in store for the rest of the year.

Surely more fashion blogs, both professional and amateur will be springing up on tumblr after this move. Seeing tumblr take such a leap with the fashion community definitely has an overall social media lesson to give though. Though a particular format, such as tumblr, might not be a must for every type of business, it’s important to do some research around your community when investing in social media. Knowing where your audience is and what your competitors are using should be one of your first considerations. For fashion, tumblr is becoming a must. For musicians, getting on Bandcamp or starting a following on Eventful are niche-centric sites. Feed The Bull is where people in financials hang out and Care2 is focused on environmental issues. And that’s only a handful of niche sites. It’s nice to think that “If you build it, they will come,” but they need to know you’re there first. Getting out on niche sites is a great way to find your audience.