In a recent edition of Oprah Magazine, this is what they had to say about Stumble Upon; “Stumble Upon is the greatest thing ever invented. The site makes the Internet—and extension, the world, seem both bigger and smaller, indefinite in its possibilities yet totally accessible.” This means that that people are finding it easier to find content they want to read based on votes being offered from Stumble Upon users. Purchasing these votes will help your content become higher in page rankings as well as creating an authority out of your website.

You've likely already heard that Twitter and Facebook, the social networking heavyweights, can help you to connect with clients, but did you know that StumbleUpon can help you get not only free web traffic but also leave you with faster results by getting laser-focused on your niche market?

Here's how: When you sign up for a free StumbleUpon account, you're asked to select your interests from a selection of topics. If you're a parenting coach, for instance, you can choose topics like "parenting," "kids," "pregnancy/birth," and other family-related topics, and quickly connect with others who have similar interests. Which is great for effective business growth strategies, because you're connecting directly with people that you already know have kids and are therefore prime candidates for your parenting coach products and services.

So, how can StumbleUpon ease the sales process?

1) You can start to build relationships with people in your target market. By connecting with people who have similar interests, you can share in those interests and begin building genuine relationships with your ideal clients. By the time you reach the sales cycle, such as by inviting them to join you in a sales consultation, the people you're consulting with have seen you around and have already began to know, like, and trust you (the 3 factors that everyone knows are crucial to a successful sales process).

2) You will be able to drive highly targeted web traffic to your website. Once you begin building relationships with those in your niche by recommending valuable resources, you can start adding in some content that can be found on your own website/blog…and therefore invite people in your niche to visit your website. Because of the popularity of StumbleUpon, you can get quick exposure to hundreds or thousands of prospective clients, and as a result drive tons of targeted web traffic (you know, those people who have a genuine interest in your topic of expertise…and are therefore more likely to buy than just random searchers) to your website. Then just be sure that your website displays your product/service offerings so those visiting can see how you can help them. You might also offer a free consultation so you can begin engaging your prospective clients in the sales process!

3) You can connect directly with both prospective clients and referral partners. Your free StumbleUpon account comes with a profile that you can personalize, and you can become "friends" with other people who share similar interests as you, similar to the idea of "following" other Twitter accounts. You can also directly message those that become your StumbleUpon friends, which can be a great way to reach out to people that you may be interested in working with, either as clients or as referral partners (other professionals who may be interested in promoting your business in return for you promoting theirs). But of course, remember to ease into the sale; sending someone a message asking them to buy from you before you have built a relationship can cause them to distrust and/or dislike you…dramatically undermining your efforts at using StumbleUpon to grow your business.

Last but not least, know that once you begin building relationships with other StumbleUpon users, it becomes your responsibility to (gradually) turn a follower into a customer. The more you use the service, the more traffic you can generate directly to your website…where visitors will be able to purchase the products and services you have to offer.