Tutorial: Using StumbleUpon for Traffic

Yesterday I showed you how to set up an account at StumbleUpon. Today I’ll show you how to start Stumbling and how Stumbling can increase your traffic.

Note: You can click on any of the pictures for more detail.

Stumbling

Now you can start Stumbling (which is what it’s called when you are sent to random sites all over the web via the Stumble! button on your toolbar. Get it? Instead of surfing on your own, you’re Stumbling with StumbleUpon).

Every time you Stumble (i.e., click on the Stumble! button), an algorithm will determine whether a site is in line with your preferences and interests and you’ll only see those sites. In addition, the sites you see will be based on recommendations from other users and friends with the same preferences. For example, if many users who also chose Technology as a preference have given an article the thumbs up, then the algorithm assumes that article is great and will show it to you because you also said you are interested in Technology.

As you are Stumbling, you have the option to give your opinion on the site or article. To do that, you click on the thumbs up (you like it) or thumbs down (you’re not crazy about it) icon on the StumbleUpon toolbar. Any time you Stumble a post, you are adding (or recommending) it to the StumbleUpon database. Left Thumb Blogger has information on when to give the thumbs up or down.

If you’re the first person to Stumble a site, you’ll be presented with this window:

It’s important that you take the time fill out this window–especially if it’s a page on your own site. You can read more about why this is important at StumbleUpon Do’s and Dont’s.

Does Stumbling Drive Traffic to a Site?

To test out whether StumbleUpon actually drives traffic to your site as so many suggest, I Stumbled 3 pages of Blogging Basics 101 on Wednesday. When I checked Google Analytics on Thursday morning, I had received 234 visits via StumbleUpon. That was in less than 24 hours.

Driving traffic to your site via StumbleUpon (or any social media site, for that matter) initially sounds like a charm. However, you need to beware of this traffic: it’s what’s known as drive-by traffic. In other words, these readers aren’t necessarily the readers who are going to subscribe to your site and keep coming back. They’re temporary. I consider this to be a form of advertising. You tempt drive-by readers with a great article and they may subscribe. If you have enough great articles Stumbled and they keep seeing you as a go-to place for information or great articles, they’ll subscribe over time. I see social media traffic as supplemental to your base traffic (those who are loyal subscribers). Just because the drive-by readers are temporary doesn’t necessarily mean you don’t want them at all. Just know what you’re getting.

More articles on StumbleUpon Traffic:

• The Raw Power of StumbleUpon
• 2,208 Reasons Why StumbleUpon Is Your Friend

Recap

StumbleUpon can be great fun for a slow day and it can also be a way to drive traffic to your blog or web site. The key, as with everything, is being an active member of the community.

To recap:
1. Create a profile at StumbleUpon.com.
2. Install the StumbleUpon toolbar.
3. Set your preferences.
4. Connect with friends.
5. Stumble!

More articles on Stumbling:

• Do You Stumble Too Much? by Left Thumb Blogger explains that “over stumbling a domain can have a diminishing effect”.
• Stumbling | Indianapolis Museum of Art Blog by Noelle Pulliam specifically discusses how museums can use StumbleUpon, but the ideas are good for any industry.
• Stumbling is Not Falling…5 Tips on How to Use StumbleUpon More Effectively by Janelle discusses how StumbleUpon is great for brainstorming and combating writer’s block.
• StumbleUpon Do’s and Dont’s | TopBusinessReviews.com provides
  excellent discussion about how to make the best use of StumbleUpon to encourage traffic to your site. Key thing: don’t be lazy. Update your profile picture, fill out reviews, tag and categorize appropriately.