Tumblr now has buy, pledge, and get involved buttons

In the last six months Tumblr has overtaken Instagram as the fastest-growing social media platform, and now it seems that the site wants to overtake the competition when it comes to bringing in money and doing good. The first step in that direction the testing of a feature that will allow users who post links from a selection of sites like Etsy, Artsy, Kickstarter and Do Something to buy, browse, pledge or do something. At this point the feature is only available on desktop.

These buttons are only available to these four sites, but in the long run when Tumblr extends the feature across many sites — as appears to be its goal — it will be in prime position to take on the growing field of social commerce.

The buttons allow viewers the option of buying or pledging or getting involved in a much more convenient way by linking back to the original page and not requiring opening another browser tab. A user can also set reminders to take an action at a later time by sending the address they have registered with Tumblr so that they can be contacted in the future. For now the feature is only available on the items that a user buys.

Read more: Tumblr beats Instagram as fastest growing social platform, Facebook lags behind

This is not a surprise move by Tumblr as Yahoo’s CEO Marissa Mayer made it clear when Yahoo acquired Tumblr last year that the intention was to make the site generate more revenue. This is already being done with app install ads, which were introduced last week with their own action buttons.

Tumblr is also following in the well-trodden footsteps of other social platforms by bringing in advertising revenue. In an official blog post, Tumblr describes the feature as a “clever new button” that comes up simply when you post “something you love” to the platform.

A Tumblr spokesperson described the buttons as “yet another step to support creative communities on and beyond Tumblr.”