New Success Online

Do You Submit Your Own Content on StumbleUpon?

Have you ever been flamed on StumbleUpon for submitting your own content?

 Or how about receiving death threats like Marty Weintraub for posting on a seach marketing blog about how much he loves StumbleUpon?

 

While this is an extreme example, the fact remains that social media purists really frown on bloggers who submit their own stuff or other content that they deem as inappropriate.

 

What's wrong with submitting your own content?

Isn't everyone on social media sites marketing something?

 

As Jack Humphrey of the Friday Traffic Report observed:

 

"Nevermind that everyone who uses StumbleUpon is marketing something. If not their own website, they are marketing their own profile. They are marketing by their interaction. To make friends and be “approved of” by the micro-society of StumblUpon they most identify with. To have the deepest, top profile. Whatever, everyone is marketing on StumbleUpon."

  

StumbleUpon as a Social Marketing Tactic 

If you are using StumbleUpon as a social marketing tactic, I think you have to be proactive and submit your own content.

However, increasing your traffic and readership involves much more than merely adding some posts and hoping they attract a bit of attention.

The situation is exacerbated these days by the number of internet marketers who are submitting spammy content that really has no value and is intended only to promote affiliate programs.

What makes this worse is that many of these marketers have learned these tactics by enrolling in expensive training programs that purport to teach individuals how to make money using social marketing tactics.

Perhaps the only benefit from this type of strategy is that the submission may end up with a high ranking in the SERPs for certain low-competitive keywords. 

 

StumbleUpon is Really About Social Networking

As a social networking site, StumbleUpon offers users the opportunity to interact with and share content with groups of like-minded people.

The key here is interaction and participation.

In other words, building a network and adding friends.

 

With regards to submitting content:

• submit quality content other than your own that you think will be of interest

• do not over submit your own content

• submit only your best posts

 

As Darren noted on Problogger in a recent post "On Using Social Media to Grow Your Blog's Readership", not only is it important to make friends, but also NOT to be self-centered:

 

"If your primary activities on social media sites is self centered then you’ll limit your own fruit from it. I know a number of top Digg users and in each case they are some of the most generous and ‘other serving’ people you’ll ever meet. They go out of their way to help others achieve their dreams. In doing so of course they themselves benefit - but it’s others first."

 

Maki shared similar views on DoshDosh in two absolutely stellar posts:

 

• "Five Ways to Grow Your StumbleUpon Network: An Ode to Altruistic Stumbling"

• "StumbleUpon Networking: How to Easily Share Content and Build Relationship"

 

If you are submitting your own content to StumbleUpon on a regular basis, keep in mind that this may not be an effective social marketing tactic and may ultimately lead to you getting flamed.

However, if you choose to take the time to learn how to use this social networking site effectively and responsibly, you will not only experience better results, but your content will be received in a much better light.

 

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