Kimberly Curry | @KimIsBlessed_93 Most businesses are pretty active on the main social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and sometimes Pinterest.  But, what about StumbleUpon; the social media platform that can put your website in from of millions of people.

StumbleUpon is a mix between Pandora Online Radio and Pinterest. The main functions of StumbleUpon are "dislike," "stumble," and "like." Users can go through and "like" or "dislike" websites and "stumble" upon new ones. In a nutshell, it is a website discovery tool that can be great for your business.

Using StumbleUpon strategically for business is the best way for your current and future followers to StumbleUpon your business.

 The keys to being successful with StumbleUpon are to:

1.  Stay Active
2. Get a StumbleUpon Badge
3. Strategy
4. Stay Connected

Stay Active

Staying active on StumbleUpon is not harder than any other platform. It consists of Stumbling only your best work to build and maintain a good reputation. Also Stumbling other sources with great content can show that you have good taste and are a great resource. The more likes you get on your Stumble page the more your page will be shared. One viewer liking your page can turn into millions and possibly go viral. StumbleUpon has a very strict promotional policy. To use this platform solely for promotions you would need to sign up for their paid discovery programs. But that shouldn't be necessary if you are staying active.

Badges

StumbleUpon badges are also a great way to get more viewers in front of your website. The HTML code is free to use and add to the home page of your site. This will also allow users to add your website to their profiles. If people are adding your website to their profiles, and they are active users, this could increase the chances of your homepage being seen by many other potential followers.

Strategy

There is always a strategy to everything, including using StumbleUpon. According to Sprout Social it is really important to completely fill out your profile. Use keywords when filling out your bio and optimize your content to fit the topic. When people are searching for a related topic they have a great chance of Stumbling-Upon your website. This will help build the right group of organic followers.

Stay Connected

Last but definitely not least, you must stay connected. Just like with any other social site it is of no use if you don’t connect with your followers and continue to post content. StumbleUpon does not have a direct follow back option so you will have to personally search for people to follow and keep up-to-date with your followers. You can use your followers as guides of what to post and what they are interested in and they can do the same with you. One last thing, it is possible to share content directly with your followers. It never hurts to send relevant content to a follower with a short message.

Analyze your social media needs before you sign up for StumbleUpon. Make sure it is useful for your business and you are willing to spend the time using it successfully!