StumbleUpon is a two tier discovery engine that collates web addresses.
In the main, members use the StumbleUpon facilities to discover
new online content according to pre-set personal preferences.
For bloggers, using the StumbleUpon facilities to create shortlinks to your own online
content adds your post (web address) to the StumbleUpon directory and drives traffic to your blog/website.
Sign up to StumbleUpon
The StumbleUpon
registration process is very simple. You
will need a valid email address, a unique username, a password and you will
also be asked for your gender and your date of birth. This is so that content can be
streamlined to your preferences. You can also opt to log in using your Facebook account.
After
you have entered this information you will be directed to a list of interests,
or categories. Pick as many or as few as
you like but the more you select, the more varied the content you will be
shown.
(check which toolbar/add-on/extension you need for your browser)
Select the toolbar for the browser that you use – there are toolbars available for all the main browsers; Internet Explorer, Google Chrome, Firefox, etc. They may differ slightly in appearance but their functionalities are the same.
Hitting
this button will find you random new content.
Click this if you like the content
displayed and want to publicly recommend it on your profile. Also hit this to recommend your own
content. If it is the first time a web
page has been Stumbled then you will need to complete a short form detailing
whether the content is “safe for work”, the topics it should be filed under and
there is space for an optional review.
Click this if you dislike
the content displayed so that your StumbleUpon preferences update to show less
of this type of content although it won’t completely remove the category from
your preferences.
Share the displayed content with your
social network and your online community.
Share on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, email and more.
“All Interests” will
provide you with web content from all of your category selections or you can
filter down to a single category to get more precise recommendations.
See reviews and recommendations of
the displayed page, Stumblers who like it and more. This is a great way to “meet” other Stumblers.
This is how many web
pages you have recommended or given a “thumbs up” to.
Quick
navigation to the StumbleUpon home page
HINTS AND TIPS
- Use the StumbleUpon toolbar to share your own content
REMEMBER: When sharing your own content on your social media platforms, use the StumbleUpon toolbar. Each time your StumbleUpon shortlink is clicked on, it is another "stumble" or recommendation. The more times a web page is Stumbled (recommended or give a “thumbs up”) the greater the chance that it will be recommended to other Stumblers, therefore widening your audience.
ADDITIONAL: There is a StumbleUpon site which allows you to shorten your weblinks, push these links to StumbleUpon immediately and schedule social media updates. The su.pr facility will not be updated any more and will eventually become obsolete (you can only push to Twitter and that's a bit temperamental you can't push to Facebook any more) but it's worth using whilst it's still live.
ADDITIONAL: There is a StumbleUpon site which allows you to shorten your weblinks, push these links to StumbleUpon immediately and schedule social media updates. The su.pr facility will not be updated any more and will eventually become obsolete (you can only push to Twitter and that's a bit temperamental you can't push to Facebook any more) but it's worth using whilst it's still live.
- Stumble other pages (give them the “thumbs up”), not just your own content
REMEMBER: You can “stumble” any webpage – not just one that has been thrown up from the StumbleUpon directory. This can be a link you have seen on Twitter, a picture you have seen on Facebook or your own content. Ensure that you don't just Stumble your own content as this is considered spamming and poor etiquette.
- Set the StumbleUpon toolbar to open each time you are browsing the internet OR have a shortcut in your browser toolbar
REMEMBER: By nature, internet readers are followers rather than leaders. If they see content recommended by others, it is more likely that they will recommend it themselves to their own network or hit the “thumbs up” button so that it appears on their profile as an official Stumble.
- Have a StumbleUpon button or share option on your blog
REMEMBER: Now you've signed up, give it a try by Stumbling this post by using the button at the top or bottom of this post. And here is my StumbleUpon profile too. You can follow other Stumblers and see the content they are sharing on the SU website in a visual context similar to Pinterest.
