Why I Use StumbleUpon (and why you should too...)

Do you stumble?

You should.

If you have a blog, a website, a business, or do any online marketing, stumbleupon is a fantastic way to not only drive traffic to you, but also show you amazing content related to your interests.

My user name is lostinidaho (yeah, original.  I know) and I use stumbleupon to not only promote my blog, but to also see what else is out there.  I have learned web design tips (see that slide show near the top?  It's a jquery slider I discovered whilst stumbling...), as well as found other bloggers and humorous sites.

It is a neat little research tool, and can become highly addictive.

From an optimization standpoint, stumbleupon also helps you build links back to your site, which is SEO gold.  Granted, you ideally want links from multiple sources, but SU is a great source to use.  Every time someone stumbles one of your pages (or you stumble yourself) you get linked.

Links add up.

And you get added to the SU directory in whatever category your pages get tagged in.  Talk about Sexuality?  There's a tag for that.  Hockey?  There's a tag for that.

When people stumble their interests, they can stumble into you.  If they like what they see, they 'like' you.  Like facebook, the more likes the better, and the higher up in the rankings you go.  All of this results in more traffic, fresh faces, and ultimately (if you produce good content) a higher popularity of your site.

As far as social media goes, I would consider stumbleupon one of the top four sites to use for increasing traffic (along with facebook, twitter (if applicable to your site) and youtube).  This handy dandy chart will show you some top social media sites along with their strengths and weaknesses.  Find out what works best for you, and use the corresponding sites.

*from cmo.com*  Click for full-size

As a blogger, if it has 3 or more green fields, I try to use it.  If you learn what to use and when, you'll be able to boost your site into internet immortality.

At least, that's the plan...


Edit:  My day in a sentence asked what kind of results I have seen thanks to stumbleupon.  Well, the proof is in the pudding.  Here is a screenshot of my all-time referral sites.  Yes, google is king, but stumbling works (moreso than twitter...)

Now click that happy 'S' below and stumble this post!  Make sure to follow me as well, so I can find you easily and stumble your posts as well!