Are you maximizing StumbleUpon traffic for your blog? StumbleUpon is an excellent traffic source since it features a very large user base community with topics spanning from books to making online income.

StumbleUpon traffic can be funneled to your blog no matter what niche or topic your blog is covering.

Actually, StumbleUpon like other social media sites should not only be used as a traffic source for your blog, but also leveraged from your blog to build a friends list. Having a big StumbleUpon friends list can be highly beneficial with helping your content go viral on the site.

Here are some steps you’ll want to take to ensure you are maximizing your StumbleUpon traffic.

1. Build a BIG friends list: The larger your friends list the easier it will be to get your content stumbled which helps it go viral. Make sure you leverage your blog to get your readers to become friends and also become active on StumbleUpon sending friend requests to others in your niche.

Another great way to build a friends list is to become active in several groups and send members of the group requests to become friends. Don’t spam, but if you are communicating with members of a group chances are you will have new friends.

2. Use Tags: When you submit your blog posts to StumbleUpon, make sure you use multiple relevant tags. Tags allow your content to be labeled so that others can examine it.

When tagging try to think “out of the box” and find broad tags that will appeal to different people. For instance, if you have a post on repairing credit, you might tag credit, debt, credit cards, finance, financing.

You can also view the popular tag section on StumbleUpon to view which tags in your topic are the hottest.

3. Submit to the proper category: You might think submitting your posts to the largest category versus the most relevant would make your content appear more. But this is simply not the case. The more relevant the category the more positive votes you will achieve. This will help your content be seen more frequently.

4. Send a shout out to your friends: If you think your friends will enjoy your stumbled post, then use the share function on StumbleUpon. The share function allows you to share your content with your friends. With the share function, you can share it with specific friends or all your friends.

Don’t use the share function every time you post. If you do then you will be labeled a spammer. But if you have written a really good blog post that your friends may like, then share it! I only share posts every once in a while to prevent from being labeled a spammer.

5. Leverage Groups: There is a very active group community at StumbleUpon. By participating in groups and responding to questions, you will establish many solid relationships. These relationships can help your content to be shared with the group.

If you have been active in a group and see a topic you have written about being discussed, ask the moderator to post your link. Many times if you have provided value to the group the moderator will help you out.

Using the above tips will help you get the maximum benefit from StumbleUpon. The day one of your posts goes viral you will have a huge burst of gratification. Your RSS subscriber will also shoot up.