How to Use StumbleUpon and Make it Work for You

| October 28, 2010 | 52 Comments
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Are you a stumbler?  I am and until a few days ago, I didn’t have a clue how StumbleUpon worked.  To be honest, I never used it that much.  I usually stay away from things I don’t understand.  But I started using it more when I noticed that I was getting some traffic from StumbleUpon.  Needless to say then I didn’t know how it worked and didn’t care to know how it worked.

Let’s fast forward to right now.  I did a little more research and found out that StumbleUpon is a great place for not only sharing your own articles, but a great place to share other people’s articles and sites that you like as well.  You can also get targeted traffic from people who have similar interests to yours.

I’ve been following SweetOnVeg on StumbleUpon and didn’t realize that she was such an active stumbler until I viewed her favorites.  I checked out her favorites and I made sure to rate those sites and articles that I liked as well as added a review.

Little did I know that I would connect with Jeanette’s Healthy Living just by taking time to visit her blog and commenting on one of her articles?  I also let her know that I found her via StumbleUpon.

I connected with Jeanette further by joining her Facebook Page and subscribing to her blog.  In return, she visited my blog and left a comment letting me know that she’s glad to have found someone who has similar interests to hers.   That’s just one example, but there were a few others that I connected with too.

You’re probably thinking that it would take too much time to network on StumbleUpon.  Well, it really doesn’t take that much time.  But of course you can’t expect anyone to find you if all you ever do is stumble your own articles.   It does take a little work.

The goals of this article are:

  1. To tell you what StumbleUpon is
  2. How you can get the most from StumbleUpon
  3. How you can get targeted traffic using StumbleUpon

What is StumbleUpon?

StumbleUpon is a discovery engine that finds the best of the web for each unique user.  You can discover and rate Web pages, photos, and videos that are personalized to your interests and tastes using peer-sourcing and social networking principles. (Wikipedia)

To date there are 11,939,880 members on StumbleUpon.

Make StumbleUpon work for you

Once you have created an account with StumbleUpon, it would be wise for you to:

  • Join Groups that are of interest to you.
  • Follow like-minded stumblers; don’t worry about them following you back. When they see you have a few things in common, they will probably follow you back.
  • Visit their sites and leave a comment, if you feel led to
  • Stumble, vote and review their articles and sites.
  • Stumble often.

Get Targeted Traffic

I use to think that all I had to do was stumble my own articles and somehow people would magically appear on my site.  But at the rate I was going, I would be waiting forever.

  • Build a community of like-minded followers.
  • Whenever you stumble an article, be sure to include the appropriate tags.
  • Write quality content and share with your followers.  Don’t bombard them with only your articles, but do share them from time to time.  You don’t want to appear too spammy.
  • Just have fun.

Conclusion:

If you are shying away from StumbleUpon because you don’t understand how it works or think it is waste of time, then don’t fear.  After reading this article and viewing the videos you should have a better understanding about how everything works.

I am new to StumbleUpon and learning the ropes, but if you don’t mind that, then come and join me on StumbleUpon.  We can stumble together!

Image credit:  Bernard Goldbach

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Category: Blogging

About Evelyn Parham: Hi, I'm Evelyn and I write about healthy living, vegan and blogging topics. I obtained a Master's of Science in biology from Tennessee Technological University. I enjoy reading, writing, singing and dancing. View author profile.

Comments (52)

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  1. Cristian Stan says:
    October 2, 2012 at 3:46 AM

    I agree, Stumbleupon is very good, but there are other social bookmarking sites that might help too, like Digg, for example.
    Cristian Stan recently posted..Best Steam MopMy Profile

    Reply
  2. Peter says:
    July 20, 2012 at 9:56 AM

    Evelyn.. I just added you to my account. You are the first to come into my circles..really its confusing a lot and I now got a little hope to carry on with it. Thanks a lot for all your help!.

    Reply
  3. Jupitor Chakma
    Twitter:
    says:
    July 1, 2012 at 11:08 AM

    Great post Evelyn.
    Learned a lot about StumbleUpon.
    Jupitor Chakma recently posted..Meditation That Aids Cancer CureMy Profile

    Reply
  4. Jennifer Minar-Jaynes says:
    September 25, 2011 at 10:32 AM

    I LOVE SU!

    In the few months that I’ve been on it, it’s brought me thousands of new, targeted visitors.

    I haven’t spent enough time w/ the community side of it yet, but plan to once I have more time.

    I’m also interested in learning more about the other social bookmarking sites, since now SU ranks in my top 5 for referral traffic for both of my blogs.

    Thanks for the post! Keep up the great work. =)

    Best,
    Jennifer

    Reply
  5. Varaneka says:
    July 11, 2011 at 12:29 PM

    Thank you! I’m hearing more about this wonderful resource. That’s a sign!

    Reply
  6. How To Be Beloved by StumbleUpon | PoeWar says:
    March 11, 2011 at 11:12 AM

    [...] How to Use StumbleUpon and Make it Work for You by Evelyn Parham (@Evelyn_Parham) [...]

    Reply
  7. 38 Brilliant Bloggs Talk About StumbleUpon — BlogWorld & New Media Expo Blog says:
    March 10, 2011 at 9:03 PM

    [...] How to Use StumbleUpon and Make it Work for You by Evelyn Parham (@Evelyn_Parham) [...]

    Reply
  8. tassiewanderer says:
    February 17, 2011 at 8:01 PM

    Thanks Evelyn. This is good info, I’ve been stumbling around stumbleon and wondered what I was doing. Now I know more…

    Reply
  9. 7 Signs Your Blog Is Going Somewhere, and Follow Friday says:
    January 1, 2011 at 2:37 AM

    [...] How to Use StumbleUpon and Make It Work for You, by Evelyn Parham. Good for those of you curious about StumbleUpon. [...]

    Reply
  10. Robert says:
    November 8, 2010 at 8:13 AM

    Hello Evelyn
    I ran across you site this morning I have been on su for awhile ,but did not understand it at all.
    Thanks for this article I will start exploring it more now that how to start using su correctly Thanks to you.

    Reply
  11. Steves Sunday Selection 7 November 2010 | Lifestyle Design Blog and Personal Development Tips says:
    November 7, 2010 at 12:26 PM

    [...] up Evelyn gives us an article about the importance of Stumbleupon and ways to make it work for [...]

    Reply
  12. Adrienne says:
    November 4, 2010 at 3:33 PM

    Hi Evelyn,

    Thanks so much for this post! I’ve been wondering about SU but haven’t taken the time to look into it yet. Sounds like it could be worth the time. I’m all about building community, connecting with others, and sharing useful knowlege and meaningul experiences…so, the more ways I can do that, the better. :)

    P.s. I found you from a RT on Twitter. ;)

    Reply
  13. Sandra Lee says:
    November 4, 2010 at 3:10 PM

    Hi Evelyn,

    I really appreciate this article because SU has always been a mystery to me. However, I have seen some good traffic from SU at times and do believe it has potential. I will have to come back to view the videos, but I’ve learned a lot from your tips already. Thanks so much!
    Sandra Lee recently posted..The Heart of RealityMy Profile

    Reply
  14. Sam says:
    November 4, 2010 at 7:56 AM

    I recall receiving some traffic from Stumbleupon in the past but the visitors stayed on the website for 1-2 seconds which made me realize such traffic is not for all types of websites. Probably entertainment/jokes/celebrity websites will do better with SU type of traffic.
    Sam

    Reply
  15. alec says:
    November 4, 2010 at 5:25 AM

    Nice post. Like all social media networks, StumbleUpon requires a significant initial time investment, but it’s worth it for the 11 million plus subscribers!

    Reply
  16. Zengirl
    Twitter:
    says:
    November 2, 2010 at 8:16 PM

    Evelyn,

    I am still clueless about stumbleupon, so this was quite an educational. Thanks, someday when I have more time, I would like to do more social media.

    Preeti
    Zengirl recently posted..101 Changes- Change 9 – Drink to your Health- Benefits of Drinking TeaMy Profile

    Reply
  17. Steve says:
    November 1, 2010 at 4:31 PM

    Stumbleupon is something I use, but it is one of the tasks I have relegated to my VA for now.

    Until reading this post I had basically assumed that for SU there were magic internet fairies did some special things with posts, that sent them through a special internet conveyor belt powered by magical gerbils.

    Okay… I knew more than that..but still I have been out of the loop building traffic thru SU, but I do know I get a decent amount of visits from it. I certainly enjoyed your post as I am looking forward to getting a little “hands on” and seeing if I can increase this in a bit.

    Thanks for some great info!
    Steve recently posted..How to Run a Minimalist Online BusinessMy Profile

    Reply
  18. chioma says:
    November 1, 2010 at 6:49 AM

    Hi Evelyn,
    Thanks for sharing this. I have read about StumbleUpon before but never gave it a serious thought, now am going to give it a serious thought.

    Regards.

    Reply
  19. David says:
    October 31, 2010 at 1:34 PM

    Thanks for pointing this website out to me. I will be sure to use this the next time I make a blog post. I think I would be interested in getting involved with the community too after reading your post.

    Thanks for sharing!
    David recently posted..How to Make Your Blog More PersonalMy Profile

    Reply
  20. Henway says:
    October 29, 2010 at 5:18 PM

    I just discovered SU a few months ago, and never realized what a huge traffic generator it can be for your blog… There was 1 day where I literally had 10,000 visitors or so in a span of 4 hours. From that point on, I now include SU in my marketing efforts :)
    Henway recently posted..Should I try GoDaddyMy Profile

    Reply
  21. Jez says:
    October 29, 2010 at 5:35 AM

    I think your post is nice, it demonstrates how it should be used… to build a network / establish relationships and have fun!

    A lot of people thing they can use StumbleUpon to drive traffic to junk affiliate pages and make money with it, but it just doesnt work, but its great if you have decent content to promote.
    Jez recently posted..Article Demon ReviewMy Profile

    Reply
  22. Patricia
    Twitter:
    says:
    October 28, 2010 at 9:46 PM

    Hi Evelyn

    I’ll be back to watch the video and thanks for sharing. I was told about stumleupon early on when I started blogging.

    Used it a few times but didn’t really understand about it and what the advantages would be. Didn’t just want tons of traffic that wasn’t targetted so haven’t really been active for awhile.

    You have prompted me to explore this one again so thanks. Will bookmark and give it another go.

    Patricia Perth Australia
    Patricia recently posted..Lavender Products-cheap but not so cheerfulMy Profile

    Reply
    • Evelyn Parham
      Twitter:
      says:
      October 28, 2010 at 11:01 PM

      Hi Patricia,

      Yeah, that’s what you want, “targeted traffic.” It is good to connect with people who have/stumble sites and information that you are of interest to you. I think it helps to also build a friendship outside of SU.

      Thanks for stopping by!

      Evelyn

      Reply
  23. Suresh Khanal
    Twitter:
    says:
    October 28, 2010 at 9:10 PM

    I used StumbleUpon aggressively a few months ago till SU changed it way to share likes with friends. One way – I should say trick (?) – is to visit many stubler profiles. You can just stumble through stumblers. Many users notice the new visitor to their profile and follow them. Its up to you whom to follow back and make your network more worthy and meaningful for your purpose.
    Suresh Khanal recently posted..Kittens Content and KombatMy Profile

    Reply
  24. Hunter says:
    October 28, 2010 at 8:57 PM

    I think StumbleUpon can bring you more traffic than Twitter, with less effort. Thanks for sharing your tips.
    Hunter recently posted..SEO Link Building with CommentLuvMy Profile

    Reply
  25. Vernessa Taylor says:
    October 28, 2010 at 2:56 PM

    Hi Evelyn – I’ve been using StumbleUpon about a year now and like that I get regular traffic from it. When I first started, I pretty much only stumbled my own articles but now I regularly promote articles I like. One thing that helped me? I added the browser helpers/toolbars for Firefox and Chrome. Now, I can just press the “I Like It” button and write a quick review.

    In fact, earlier today (before I came across this post), I was reading one of your articles and stumbled it! Here’s the blurb I used ==> “Evelyn encourages us to ‘Watch Your Emotions’ in her latest series.”

    Talk about about serendipity!
    Vernessa Taylor recently posted..5 Creative Ways to Use RSS Feeds To Spice Up Your WritingMy Profile

    Reply
    • Evelyn Parham
      Twitter:
      says:
      October 28, 2010 at 3:16 PM

      Hi Vernessa,
      That’s so cool to know about the regular traffic.

      The toolbars help a lot. It’s quick and easy and you don’t have to make a trip to the site. Saves time!

      Wow..thank you so much for stumbling my article. ;)

      Thanks for stopping by and sharing!

      Take care,

      Evelyn

      Reply
  26. Ryan Biddulph says:
    October 28, 2010 at 2:32 PM

    Super helpful article Evelyn.

    I am new to Stumbleupon myself and will use your tips going forward. Thanks for sharing!

    Ryan
    Ryan Biddulph recently posted..How to Develop Maniacal DriveMy Profile

    Reply
  27. Will says:
    October 28, 2010 at 1:18 PM

    Hi Evelyn,

    Nice review & videos – thanks, I keep meaning to use SU more but unfortunately haven’t had much time for the internet at all this last month. Hopefully that situation, and my use of SU, will both change soon!!

    Best wishes from Hamburg
    Will
    P.S. Thanks for introducing me to a couple of interesting new stumblers/bloggers in this article
    Will recently posted..Noaspa News – October 2010My Profile

    Reply
    • Evelyn Parham
      Twitter:
      says:
      October 28, 2010 at 1:33 PM

      Hey Will,

      Thanks!

      I know how it is. That’s quite alright, because I’m trying to learn how everything works.
      I’m glad to see you though!

      I enjoy your Daily Twitter Papers.

      Thanks for stopping by and have a wonderful day!

      Evelyn

      Reply
  28. Susan
    Twitter:
    says:
    October 28, 2010 at 12:35 PM

    Hey Evelyn, thanks for the reminder about StumbleUpon. I automatically add my posts but rarely spend any time on the site working to build community or adding other people’s material. When I do, I get a handful or 2 of people coming from SU but nothing to write home about. Please keep us updated as to your success with SU.
    Susan recently posted..Home Workouts For WomenMy Profile

    Reply
    • Evelyn Parham
      Twitter:
      says:
      October 28, 2010 at 12:45 PM

      Hi Susan,
      Welcome and thanks for stopping by!

      I was doing that too. Because of what you have mentioned, I think that is why most people don’t too much effort into networking on SU.

      But I think what helps the most is finding people that you have similar interests with and go from there. It takes time, but I think it is something that can work.

      Thanks for chiming in! ;)

      Take care,

      Evelyn

      Reply

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