Looking for a new way to market your website? You may want to consider creating an account on StumbleUpon. Founded in 2001, this popular website can be used for everything from procrastinating on homework to educating oneself on a variety of topics. In the last few years, business owners have discovered just how helpful the site can be in driving traffic.

Driving Traffic with StumbleUpon:

Looking for a new way to market your website? You may want to consider creating an account on StumbleUpon. Founded in 2001, this popular website can be used for everything from procrastinating on homework to educating oneself on a variety of topics. In the last few years, business owners have discovered just how helpful the site can be in driving traffic. According to analytics firm Statcounter, StumbleUpon recently surpassed Facebook to become the top source of social media traffic in the United States. It is a powerful tool that has wormed its way into the content marketing vernacular.
StumbleUpon takes the form of a search engine, except that, unlike traditional search engines, StumbleUpon provides users with completely random results. The site is purposefully set up this way so that users can discover new websites that they might not ordinarily come across. StumbleUpon alone will not ensure success in content marketing, but it does help to round out a company's social marketing strategy.
Long Shelf Life
One of the main benefits of using StumbleUpon is its ability to drive traffic over a long period of time. While StumbleUpon may not always provide the immediate traffic boost of a well-timed tweet or Facebook status, it does offer valuable leads over time. Months and even years after you've posted a link, other users will continue "stumbling" to your website. This consistent trickling in of StumbleUpon users can provide content with an exceptionally long shelf life.
Engaged Audience
Increased traffic is never a bad thing, but without an enthusiastic audience, all the traffic in the world won't get your business off the ground. StumbleUpon boasts a highly engaged audience, averaging over a billion hits (also known as stumbles) every month. What's more, the site's 20 million users are truly interested in exploring a variety of websites and learning about new opportunities. This translates into a huge pool of readers eager to hear what you have to say.

Small businesses can also take advantage of targeted areas on StumbleUpon. While users do have the option to stumble across any and every topic imaginable, many choose to focus their searches in narrower niche areas. Examples of StumbleUpon categories include accounting, music, homeschooling, P2P, agriculture and vintage cars, to name a few. The users who choose to search within these niches are highly engaged, and thus, more likely to spend extra time at your website.

The Importance of Compelling Content
As great as StumbleUpon can be for small business owners, there is one distinct disadvantage: if your content lacks a compelling message, users may only give it a passing glance before stumbling on to the next page. It takes truly well-written content to convince an audience to spend any length of time at your website. If your page is poorly written, stuffed with keywords or simply boring, you will not end up getting very much traffic from StumbleUpon users. On the other hand, if your content is interesting and informative, users just might decide to pass it on to friends. This word-of-mouth can do wonders for your online presence.

Build a Following
In addition to following certain niche areas, StumbleUpon users also enjoy following other users with interesting website recommendations. To build a following, simply create an account and begin suggesting links that you believe will help other users access valuable information. You can throw the link to your own website in as well, although it is best to avoid spamming users with excessive personal links. If you work at building up an online community centered around your niche, you'll quickly be rewarded with impressive gains in website traffic. Remember, StumbleUpon is a tool, so your success depends on how you decide to use that tool.