Multiple reports indicate that 2011 will be the year of Facebook, but it seems StumbleUpon is a social referral tool marketers won't want to ignore. Data from StatCounter indicates that StumbleUpon generates the most social media referrals on the web.
As we enter 2011, StumbleUpon represents nearly half (43 percent) of social media referrals online. Though Facebook is a close second at 38 percent, the less-talked about social discovery site dominates online referrals.
Meanwhile, other leading social sites, including Twitter, Reddit and Digg account for less than 12 percent of social referrals each so far this year.
For marketers, this may suggest that StumbleUpon is one to watch in the social market this year. The site promotes brand discovery; content is categorized according to industries and topics, and the pages recommended can come from any number of sources. Content is suggested to users based on what they like and what fellow users deem interesting across the web.
The best strategy to make the most of the site's social referrals is to create compelling content and share it via as many channels as possible, increasing the chances that consumers will "StumbleUpon" it.
This news seems to confirm earlier reports that quality content will be a top marketing priority in 2011. As Brafton has reported, 78 percent of marketers believe content is key to the success of their organizations.
