Via Billboard.com:

1.  Do Know Your Audience
“It’s like a built-in collective of indie fans who have congregated on a particular website,” says Brooklyn musician Amy Klein, currently of Hilly Eye, Amy Klein and the Blue Star Band, and formerly of Titus Andronicus. “If you’re a band that’s looking for that target audience to distribute music to, there you go.”

2. Do Respond To Messages
Most Tumblr sites contain a feature that allows one to pose an open question to readers, or to respond to others. “It might be someone who’d want to interview you,” says Klein. “Be friendly and polite to the people who take an interest in what you’re doing.”

“Recently a fan asked if he could buy me a pizza through Tumblr,” says Rachel Browne of the Brooklyn-based indie band Field Mouse. “I said yes.”

3. Don’t Be Shy. Get Personal!
“Tumblr is like a diary,” says Elizabeth Harper of synthpop act Class Actress. “It reminds me of Richard Harper from ‘Boardwalk Empire’ looking through his little scrapbook. George Lewis from Twin Shadow, a good friend, has a great Tumblr. He’s always taking pictures (of everyday things like cars) and making videos. It’s very personal, which I like a lot. It’s straight from George.”

“The more unusual, the better,” adds Roxanne Clifford of UK indie-pop act Veronica Falls. “It seems that people want to get an insight into a side of the band that isn’t obtainable through Facebook.”

4.  Don’t Be Afraid To Go DIY
Tumblr can be a great platform for mobilizing your fanbase, regardless of how far-fetched your idea might seem. If studio fees seem daunting, Klein suggests asking followers for small donations in exchange for free copies of the music. “I thought it was crazy, but fans are really interested in having a personal investment and connection in the art they consume. “

5. Don’t Treat Tumblr Like Twitter!
“We’re not supposed to be relying on that instant gratification,” says Harper. “I like Tumblr because it’s a bit slower.” To avoid flooding your followers’ feeds, Tumblr allows users to submit posts to be published at a later date and time.  But regardless of when your posts are going live, try to avoid more than two or three per day.

Read the rest here.