While those page views came from more than a few sources, StumbleUpon was definitely, by far, the number one source for that particular post. So what is StumbleUpon?
StumbleUpon is a free website which allows people to quickly and efficiently browse the Internet in a single browser window.
It determines what topics you are most interested in and presents you with more pages in those categories. It does this by registering your likes, dislikes and indifference to each page that you 'stumble', i.e. view. You can also add pages that you like and think others might find useful.
So how do you get your site or blog post in front of all of those Stumbling readers? If you want to add your website or blog post to StumbleUpon, there is definitely a right and wrong way to go about it.
Tips for Using StumbleUpon for Your Blog or Website
1 // Don't Link Drop and Run
If you want to submit a page from your own blog or website be prepared to spend a little time Stumbling other sites and return the love by adding pages from sites other than your own. Karma is real. StumbleUpon penalizes users for too much self-promotion.
Like that sneaky neighbor who let's their dog do his business in your front yard and then runs off without clearing up....don't dump your so-so blog post and leave. Which brings me to my second tip...
2 // Consider Your Page Submission Carefully
If you truly want to see a lot of traffic, do yourself (and everyone else) a favor and only submit pages from your blog that are helpful, interesting or have lasting power.
You may loooove that post you did on your dog (I write them too), but odds are, unless your dog has some serious potential to be a viral star overnight, you're much better off sharing the post you did about photography tips or other value adding topic.
3 // The Better the Content the More Stumbles
The more valuable other people find your page, the more likely they are to give it a 'thumbs up'. The more thumbs up your page receives, the more people who will see it.
Like most social media sites, StumbleUpon uses algorithms that prioritize the pages that users consider 'good' while whittling out the pages that are considered 'bad' (the dreaded thumbs down). Whether it's from my own site or someone else's, I only add pages that I truly think will be of value to others.
For example, I found this post on Protecting Your Digital Files by Alina Thomas Photography really insightful and handy, so I added the page to StumbleUpon for others to find in the photography category.
4 // Choose Your Category Wisely
Arguably the most important tip when submitting your blog page to StumbleUpon is choosing the correct category. When you are on the Page Submission page (ha, that sounds confusing!), be sure to go through the list of categories and pick the most appropriate one for the page you are submitting.
This could be the difference between tens of thousands of hits or just a few hits. Let's say you submit your aforementioned photography tips page (ex: Using Your GoPro for Pool & SCUBA), to the technology category you likely won't get near as many 'thumbs up' votes as you would if you had chosen the photography category.
Technology can be a very broad range of topics, whereas photography is a bit more specific. Try to choose as specific of a category as possible.
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I love StumbleUpon because it allows me to catch up on news and trends in a very short amount of time. With limited free time, Internet surfing isn't high on my priority list these days. If you use it for more than just self promotion you'll see it pay back in dividends.
Want to try it out? You can start by adding this post for other's to read and start Stumbling!
Do you have any tips for using StumbleUpon? Share them below.
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