Savvy Enterepreneur: Using StumbleUpon to Drive Traffic

I’ve recently become convinced that StumbleUpon can really help drive traffic to your website if you use it somewhat regularly. I’ve been spending some time playing around and reading tips on the best way to utilize it and being the generous geek that I am I thought I’d share a few tips for those of you totally new to it all.

StumbleUpon is often described as a bookmarking site, but in my opinion it works much better as a discovery vehicle and a traffic source. It is a social network, so this means you need to interact and yes follow, not just promote. However it takes much less diligence than Facebook and Twitter to start seeing results.

Getting Started

First things first, set up an account, fill in your profile and interests and start following people - your friends, people you interact with on Twitter and Facebook, bloggers you read, etc. I also highly recommend downloading the toolbar for your browser it will make things much easier.

Once you’ve got your profile all set and are following a few people, start stumbling. This means letting StumbleUpon suggest websites, images, and video based on your interests and what the people you follow like. This is the discovery part. You will undoubtedly find some new things that interest your, articles worth reading, and just generally entertaining stuff.  The more you use it and rate things, the more you’ll find things that actually interest you.

A web page only gets into the system if a user likes it. The more a page gets liked the more it gets shown to other users. If a page gets disliked or no response it will eventually drop out of the system.

Distinguishing Yourself

If you are a helpful user you make the system better and people will take a look at what you recommend. It’s really that simple. So every time you find something on the web you appreciate, like it via your stumble bar. It’s also helpful to write a quick review and/or add tags. This will not only help you find the things you liked again, but will help other users get what they’re looking for.

Make sure to define your interests, not only will this help you find the types of things you’re looking for it will also help you establish yourself as a source for information around that topic.

Also join groups, search out new users and interact. It is a community and the more you give the more you get back.

Generating Traffic

First a word of caution, just liking your own pages can get you removed from the site and it’s simply not being a helpful user. However you certainly can like your pages, especially new blog posts, give them a quick review and get them into the system.

If you submit something new you’ll get a window that pops up congratulating you on a new discovery, take the time to fill in the tags and review, it will help your content get seen by those who are truly interested in it.

The thing about StumbleUpon is that while you can suddenly get 1,000s of new eyes on your website, most of the traffic jumps off just as quickly. So you must still have great content, striking images, or useful videos. Content that has the potential to go viral is great to submit and also helps pull users further into your website.

So take some time each week to use StumbleUpon to find new things, explore the community and submit one or two of your own pages. You will get little boosts in traffic and if your content is useful and engaging they will come back and they will share.

Now go stumble and by all means follow me!

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I encourage comments directly to this post, but also feel free to email me directly with questions, reactions, struggles, etc. genevieve [at] lightboxsf [dot] com

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If you're an Etsy seller in the San Francisco Bay Area, contact Jen from Mama's Magic Studio about joining SFEtsy!

Inspired by Handmade - Pack it up, pack it in

This weekend I'm on a short trip to see family in Southern Idaho.
Although this trip is short...a summer trip to Idaho is something I've grown fond of. Born in Blackfoot, ID but raised in The Bay (and having a summer cabin in Montana)...road trips and airplane travel is part of my summer vacation each year....traveling is where I learned how to crochet...it's where I learned how to cross-stitch, I drew in my journals and it's where I found the most pleasure listening to Operation IV and Rancid as loud as I could (without my Dad hearing my music).

Packing up my things I thought of our Etsy team and how many of our members have such great items that are perfect for a road trip or a couple of hours on a plane with nothing else to do but waste a bit of time.

So this week, I'm in inspired by things you can bring with you while you travel. Functional pieces...things that I could use each year on my voyage to Montana and Idaho. Some of these items are from team members and some are just from our local community. I think you'll be inspired to get on the road to new adventures with these great finds!





1. bring a hat...buy something small that you can stuff into a small corner of your bag... this Cashmere Wool blend Handmade Cycling Cap by alloneword is a great travel companion! it will keep some of the sun out of your eyes while also keeping your head warm. The nights up in Montana can get really cool and I could also see myself using this on a morning hike around the lake.

2. a pillow is a must have! But not a huge pillow...come on...no need to pack yourself a large pillow... if you're on a plane, having a pillow to rest your head on while you take a little snooze is a luxury... have one that is totally AWESOME like this Day of the Dead pillow from MiVidaCreations just makes you look like that totally awesome traveler that you are.

3. Keep a log! I like to make Sketch Diaries of my trips. It's a way of being in the moment for me and also a way to remember how many great memories I have without being tied down with a camera in hand. punkrawkpurl makes some great little moleskin journals that are perfect for taking with you on a vacation! She's at the Hecho Local Event this Sunday...so save on some shipping and visit her if you have time.

4. pack an extra bag! I now what you're thinking...an extra bag? More stuff?! But seriously...putting a small tote into your suitcase will give you some flexibility on the road. What if you wanted to stop by that fruit stand you saw a mile back? All you'd have to do is have a tote like this one from jenspillydesigns and you're good to go! Not to mention, if you're anything like me...I always end up with too many things on the trip back to fit into my suitcase.

5. Pack the First Aid kit! Okay...so maybe you dont' need one of these if you're flying...but how great would it be to have one of these handy when on a road trip? I love that this particular one by ReCultivation is vintage. Seriously, I'm one of those people who gets headaches from too much sun and also burns easily...having some aspirin, aloe and sunscreen by me on a road trip is a must! (can you tell I'm Irish? ha!)

6. A gift for the hostess. Packing a small gift for the hostess will make your vacation all that much sweeter! I like giving handmade soaps or scrubs to my hostesses. This one is just lovely to look at and doesn't break the bank! Plus, this soap by ettaandbillie is Rosemary Lemon... Mmmmmm... it'll make the clothes you pack it by smell that much sweeter!

7. Kill the boredom! I was pretty excited to see that Even Howard (nadene) had some great little DIY Kits on her Etsy. Yay! Her things are so beautiful and now I can work on killin' the time with something creative to keep my hands and mind busy.

8. Rock ON with ya bad self! Don't forget your iPod for some tunes along the way... when we drive out through Nevada, it's really VERY important to bring something to break up the trip and the radio stations are pretty much not happenin'. I love the iPod cases that EvelynX makes... she even has some that are made to order! Maybe you can get it personalized also so everyone knows how prepared you are for some rockin' out!! :)

What types of activities did your family do while you went on road trips as a kid? What traditions do you now have with your kids? I'm curious how many of us learned some of our go-to crafts while we sat behind our parents at the wheel.

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If you're an Etsy seller in the San Francisco Bay Area, contact Jen from Mama's Magic Studio about joining SFEtsy!

SEO for Crafters - Part 3

This is the final post in the SEO for Crafters series and we’re going to end on authority. Fitting, right?

A website’s authority comes from traffic, time and inbound links. The longer your site is live and has people visiting it the more authority you gain. Additionally if other websites and blogs link to your site you also gain authority, especially if those websites are highly ranked.

There’s not much you can do about the time part of the equation other than get your website published. However you do have some control over traffic and inbound links so I’ll share a few strategies you can use to help the process along.

This isn’t an overnight process so you must be patient with the results. Think of building your website’s authority the same way you think about building your business. A little at a time, slow and steady.

Traffic

Traffic is the number of unique visitors you get to your website over a given period of time. The best way to generate traffic is by sharing your website link whenever appropriate. Put it in the signature of your email, make sure it’s on your business cards, add a link to all your social media profiles, and share it with any online groups you’re apart of. You also get traffic by ranking well in organic searches. That’s where all the keyword information from the last few weeks comes in.

Think of traffic to your website like traffic to a retail store. Anything you can do to get people in the door to look around is good. Mostly that means letting people know where you are, which means your web address.

Inbound Links

Traffic also comes from other websites linking to you, inbound links. While you will get a few inbound links naturally over time if you provide good content, you can also strategize to build the right kinds faster. This means creating relationships. Think of inbound links as references or referrals. Most people don’t refer businesses or people they don’t know. You need to be known by the right people.

The relevancy of the link also matters for authority. The idea is to get highly respected websites with a similar target market to link to you. This generally happens if you’ve provided information that’s useful to their audience, you’ve said something favorable about them or their product, or they have some sort of relationship with you and want to help promote you.

Building Relationships

Building relationships online is really no different from building them in real life. It takes mutual interest and a shared experience.

The best way to go about this is to first identify a list of bloggers and businesses you want to build a relationship with. They should be experts in your field, share a similar target market, or have a complimentary business. Find out where you can interact with them, Facebook, Twitter, their blog, or some online forum.

Once you have this list, begin to get to know them if you don’t already. Follow them on Twitter, “like” them on Facebook, and subscribe to their blog. Pay attention to the type of information they share, what they talk about, and try to discern how you might be able to help.

Then follow some or all of these steps to build the foundation for a relationship:

• Retweet their posts on Twitter
• Share their Facebook posts
• Make insightful comments on their blog
• Link to an article of theirs that you particularly like
• Join online communities that they’re a part of
• Go to conventions where you might meet them or similar people
• Email them with a question, praise or piece of useful information
  

Once you have a solid foundation, if link sharing hasn’t already happened, then you can propose collaborating on a series of articles or project, swapping links, or even just in kind mentions of a post or product. If you’ve done your build up well they will graciously accept.

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I encourage comments directly to this post, but also feel free to email me directly with questions, reactions, struggles, etc. genevieve@lightboxsf.com

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If you're an Etsy seller in the San Francisco Bay Area, contact Jen from Mama's Magic Studio about joining SFEtsy!