Who Uses Squidoo?

Ever wonder who's on Squidoo?  Where they're from?  How they got there?  How much money they've made?

Lensmaster --Chazz wondered, too, so he made a lens about it, a page of polls that reveal these and other statistics about the users of Squidoo. 

As you participate in these anonymous polls designed for anyone who writes on Squidoo (you don't have to be cephalopodic, but it helps), you'll also enjoy the very relevant humor and practical self-help devices in between.  You'll participate in an example of excellent lenscrafting, too. 

If you've ever been curious about the demographics of Squidoo, or if you just want your tentacles tickled, don't miss Squidoo Users Poll and Stats. 

"Liking" Our Neighbors on Squidoo

One of my goals for the week is to reach the 10,000 mark on "lenses rated."  I'm at 9749 right now.

That's a lot of lenses, but when I compare my numbers to those of Tipi (35,466) or Jaguar Julie (24,826) or KimGiancaterino (15,842) or OhMe (12,919), my number seems like small potatoes and my efforts over the years pale in comparison to lensmasters like these (and certainly there are others) who give so much back to the Squidoo community. I really appreciate their setting the bar nice and high!

There are lots of ways to be a good neighbor on Squidoo, and visiting and rating lenses with a simple click on the "like" button is akin to serving cake to your fellow lensmasters.  Leaving a thoughtful, kind comment while you're at it is the icing on the cake and only takes a few seconds more. Not surprisingly, there's a trophy for that, too!

What's your number?  Have you earned your Epic SquidLiking trophy yet?  Is it a goal?  If it wasn't before, I hope now that it is.  It's good to be a good neighbor.    

A Delicious Lens Intro

Just had to share the intro on this yummy lens by new lensmaster theSEOmama. 

Go read it then tell me your mouth isn't watering and your stomach isn't frantically transmitting "Bake these NOW!" messages to your brain.  Or is it the other way around?  

Oh, who cares.  Just go read this delicious lens intro and mark it as a great example of how not to lose readers in the first 30 seconds of their visit to your lens.  Then, while the oven is preheating, compose a fabulous intro for your next new lens.

Interview's Up!

Kimberly has been interviewing "successful Squids" on the SquidBlog for the last couple of weeks.  My interview is up today!  {blush}

I hope folks can take something productive away from it, something they can apply in their own Squid lives.

If you read it, I hope you'll leave a comment to let me know what you found that was helpful.  Thanks!

Sales Lenses vs Product Review Lenses: What's the Difference and Why Should You Care?

I really like today's SquidBlog post, written by Robin about Brenda's recommendation of Katinka's lens about her favorite office chair.  But enough name dropping.  Let me get to the point.

Robin points out that to create a good, well-written "sales" lens, don't think sales.  Think product recommendation.

What do you as a consumer want to learn from a product review or recommendation?  You probably want to know a lot about the product, including details and specs, but you probably also want to know how a real person feels about that product.  I know that I am far more comfortable shopping based on personal recommendations than from "facts" that oftentimes sound as if they've been translated from a foreign language by a computer.

I agree with Brenda and Robin.  Katinka did a fabulous job presenting the product in her lens, covering both the technical aspects and the psychological or emotional aspects in a way that not only makes for a quality lens but is very likely to convert readers to customers.  Read the blog post, then visit the lens if you're interested in learning how to write a product recommendation or review lens that people will actually want to read.

Social Squidoo: More than Just a Fan Club

Lensmaster ideadesigns became my 900th fan on Squidoo the other day and left a comment to let me know.  I was honored and truly appreciated the kind comment. 

Do you join fan clubs on Squidoo?  I hope you do.  And I hope you leave comments on lots of lenses, too.  Sincere comments.  Did you know that now you can leave comments on profile pages?  I love that new feature, great for a general comment to the lensmaster as opposed to a lens-specific comment.  Comments are wonderful tools for building social relationships on Squidoo.

Have you looked at your profile page lately?  If you haven't, take a look at the new design.  It includes your bio and lens list on the left with a comment area below and a "trophy cabinet" on the upper right followed by a few profile stats  - including the number of lenses you've rated and how many you've favorited. Do you look at those numbers on other people's profiles?  I do.  It's a great way to gauge how active that lensmaster is within the Squidoo community.

The importance of the social element of Squidoo is something that some lensmasters overlook.  In fact, the profile page provides a great opportunity to make a good impression, so its contents (specifically the bio) should be well thought out and written in a way that complements and promotes your online brand and reputation. Try to give your readers a glimpse of the real you, the person behind the lenses.  Don't lose out on the opportunity to start a great relationship with each visitor who takes the time to read your profile page.

Relationships are important in social networking, so open up to others, leave a few comments and join a few new fan clubs every day on Squidoo.  The investment in time could be a great investment in the future of your online business, even well beyond Squidoo.

Joint Ventures on Squidoo

They say birds of a feather flock together, but what about Squidoo lensmasters? Since RocketMom's inception and success, many other groups have been created where lensmasters are sharing ideas, projects, and even lensmaking challenges. From Squidoo specialty groups to community blogging forums to weekly podcasts, small groups of like-minded lensmasters are popping up everywhere!

Have you collaborated with other lensmasters for a project on or off of Squidoo? Read on this lens about our small group of six and the "mini empire" we've been building, vote in our poll, then leave a comment (here or there) describing your successes (or failures) in joint ventures with others from Squidoo. I'd love to read your input!

Squidoo MeetUp Day

The first Worldwide Squidoo Meetup Day is Thursday, June 10, 2010. It's not too late to sign up!

If there isn't a meetup scheduled near you or you can't make it to an in-person event, how about attending a virtual meetup! The Squidoo chat room will be open for an online meetup Thursday evening, U.S. time. Check the Squidoo's Chat Schedule lens for details.

If you do make it to an official, or even unofficial meetup with other Squidoo lensmasters, take pictures! Make a lens! Post the link here in the comments so everyone can see!

But if not, let's make the online meetup the biggest ever. See you there!

Missing a Squidoo Friend

I wasn't close online friends with Sherry Holder Hunt, but when I found out yesterday that she had died, it hit me hard.

Sherry was one of those people you just loved hearing from. Whenever our paths crossed, usually leaving comments on lenses, her contagious sweet spirit made me smile.

Sherry was an artist, a very talented one, and an encourager. She was also a wife, a mom, a daughter, a friend.

She left a comment on her facebook fan page on April 9th; by the end of the day she was in Heaven. Life is so short and nothing can be taken for granted, especially life itself.

Tributes to Sherry can be left on her facebook page, on this special tribute blog post, or on this thread at SquidU.

Sherry, you touched my life and you will be missed.

Everything You Want to Know About Squidoo Payday

It's Squidoo payday again today. Yee-hah!

Today lensmasters got paid for money earned from ad clicks and commissions on sales made during the month of February, which means that payday is about a month and a half behind earnings. The reason for the delay is to enable Amazon, eBay, and the other sources of our income to pay Squidoo and then to give Squidoo a chance to distribute earnings to the various lensmasters and lenses. That has to be an absolutely huge job no matter how automated it is.

Payday is never promised before the 15th of any given month, although Squidoo almost always beats that by a few days. Anticipation of payday usually rears its head on the SquidU forum by around the 10th of each month with anxious newbie lensmasters hoping to see their first-ever earnings and some veterans waiting for money to pay the rent.

If you're new to Squidoo, or even if you've been around a while, you may have questions about Squidoo payday. If you're wondering just how income is calculated or even where the money comes from, one of the very best sources to find out is Squidoo Payday Questions & Answers, a lens by veteran lensmaster Christene. Christene is always on the job with updates to her lens within minutes (it seems) of payday figures being posted.

If you have questions about tiers, payouts, or how to find the earnings on your own lensmaster dashboard, check out Christene's lens. Then leave her a comment to thank her for her faithful efforts in keeping everyone updated in such a timely manner.

Then go make another lens - for free - in anticipation of a bigger payday next month, and the month after and the month after that.

Congratulations New Giants and Thank You, Carol!

Today is new Giant Squid day on Squidoo once again. Congratulations to all the new Giants and Giant 100's! I remember very well when it was my turn, so I know exactly how excited you are!

I am honored and humbled to be the subject of a tribute lens by my friend, new Giant Squid lensmaster strayspay. Carol, you've given me more kudos than I deserve. Thank you so much!

Somebody On Squidoo

I love people who ask questions, and I especially love when they apply the answers and advice they're given. And when they pour their hearts and souls into what they do, too, by golly what's not to love?

I know a new lensmaster like that. She's curious, she's teachable, she's a great writer, and now (I think she'll agree) she's hooked on Squidoo!

She's lensmaster strayspay, aka Carol, and she's our current featured "Squidoo Somebody." I hope you'll take a few minutes to read more about Carol, then visit her lenses and say hello.

P.S. If you'd like to learn more about how to Squidoo and what Squidoo can do for you and your business, consider signing up for our LIVE online "Learn to Squidoo" class, scheduled for September 24, 2009. Learn more HERE or reserve your seat now!

Nancy Hellams Queen of Squidoo Day

If there's one person on all of Squidoo who loves her hometown, it's Nancy Hellams, aka lensmaster Ohme, and local friends and folks have definitely noticed.

Nancy has created over 30 Squidoo lenses about her hometown of Pendleton, South Carolina, labeling herself a SAPP, or self-appointed Pendleton promoter. She writes about local history and landmarks as well as provides a directory on Squidoo of Pendleton's local businesses and goings-on. If there's something you want to know about Pendleton, just visit one of Ohme's many lenses.

To show their appreciation for her dedication, the mayor and town council of Pendleton recently honored Nancy, proclaiming September 8, 2009, "Nancy Hellams, Queen of Squidoo Day," surprising her with roses, a crown, a banner and a scepter as well as the official proclamation.

Nancy's sister, lensmaster Joan4, documented the event in her lens about "Queen OhMe." Congratulations to her majesty, Queen Nancy!

Squidoo Plus All Things Zazzle Equals a Great Podcast

This past Monday I had the pleasure, along with fellow lensmaster stargazer00 (Dianne), to be a guest on the Giant Squid Open Mike podcast at Blog Talk Radio to discuss "All Things Zazzle." Co-host Joan Adams had read my blog post about How to Make Money With Zazzle Links on Your Lenses and invited the two of us to discuss that topic.

What a blast and what a positive response we've had to the show! Zazzle has been very popular on Squidoo for some time, but it seems that this interview has resulted in more activity from active "SquiZazzlers" and, I am happy to say, has encouraged more Squidoo-ers to open their own Zazzle stores. Giant Squid Open Mike co-host Kate Loving Shenk is among those new Zazzlers and I think I can safely say that she is hooked. (Here's her new Zazzle gallery lens.)

If you'd like to learn more about Zazzle and how to use it on Squidoo, listen to the replay of the podcast from August 31, 2009. I hope you enjoy it as much as we enjoyed presenting it. (You can see Dandy's eyes in my Zazzle gallery, here.)

Listen to Giant Squid Openmike on Blog Talk Radio

Where is the Journal of the Traveling Squid?

Have you heard about the Journal of the Traveling Squid? It's a project created by lensmaster JaguarJulie connecting Squidoo lensmasters worldwide.

A journal and a Giant Squidoo t-shirt are making the rounds of the world, from the hands of one Giant to another. Each leaves his or her own mark on the project by writing a page in the journal, signing the t-shirt, and taking a picture which is then posted in a special photo album on Flickr.

The project has been so successful that there is now a second journal and t-shirt in the mix, this one traveling the United States (the first volume is still traveling the UK). Volume 2 is currently in the capable hands of Squidoo HQ folks Gil, Kimberly, Seth, and Corey. I'm happy to report that the next lensmaster in line happens to be me, the humble Susan52 herself. Woo-hoo!

The project is being chronicled by JaguarJulie on this lens. You must check out all the amazing pictures and read the journal posts. Then bookmark the lens and visit regularly for updates.

Where will the Journal of the Traveling Squid end up? Read the lens to find out!

How to Use SquidZippers to Promote Your Business

Today's new post on the SquidU Review features lensmaster Kim Giancaterino and the brilliant way she uses Squidoo's front-door template, SquidZippers to promote her local, real-life business.

Kim's a notary public who has made numerous SquidZipper lenses to help clients find her and to help find new clients.

If you have an in-person business that needs promoting, don't miss this interview. I believe you'll be inspired to give SquidZippers a try.

How Important Is Keyword Research on Squidoo?

That's the question asked this week by lensmaster GrowWear on her blog, Squidoo Lens Reviews.

Let me share my answer with you:

Keyword research isn't important at all - unless you want people to find your lens! Posting on SquidU, sharing a lens with your squid-buddies, even Tweeting a lens only goes so far. The goal is to get traffic from the web, from public, from people you never knew you needed to meet. These are the ones who don't necessarily leave star ratings but who (hopefully, if you have a good lens) click out on your links and even make a purchase now and then. Can't earn money for yourself or for charity without those clickouts, and you won't get clickouts if you don't get traffic which found you because of, that's right, great keywords.

Viral Marketing on Squidoo

In recent years, word of mouth marketing has been replaced by, or certainly supplemented by, online viral marketing. Viral marketing uses social media sites to spread the word about products, people, or events by way of an interesting story, picture, or video that people can't seem to stop talking/blogging/emailing/twittering about. Some of these topics are outlandish and short-lived, but the most successful are about things that anyone can relate to. Many of the most successful internet viral marketing campaigns are accidental.

Lensmaster Treasures-by-Brenda borrowed one such viral video for her lens, United Breaks Guitars, featuring one entertainer who is earning a whole lot of new fans, even though he didn't plan it that way. His topic? Bad customer service (something that everyone has experienced) by an airline (an entity that most everyone loves to hate).

Looking for inspiration for a lens? Check Twitter for trending topics, visit YouTube to find popular videos, google "funny viral videos" for an idea. Search for related music, links, and CafePress or Zazzle items to include on your lens. Become the expert and make your new lens the go-to place for everything related to that particular viral marketing topic. Feed the frenzy and find success using viral marketing on Squidoo.

A Journey of 2500 Lenses

I happened to notice on my Squidoo lensmaster profile page this morning that I have rated 2500 lenses. Exactly.

That's a lot of lenses.

I'm positive, though, that I'm not even close to setting a record. In fact, I just checked and birthday girl JaguarJulie has rated 4307, which is just part of what makes her one of the most popular and well-loved people on Squidoo. (Happy Birthday, Julie!)

Don't rate lenses in order to be popular, though. That can be a nice side effect, but instead visit and rate lenses to give back to the Squidoo community. As you visit lenses, take note of what you like about them then file that information away as ideas to incorporate into your lenses in the future. Believe me, you'll get much more out of it than you put in.

Remember, a journey of 2500 lenses starts with a single star. Have you visited and rated a lens today? Take that first step now.

A Special Shining Star on Squidoo

I've said it before and I'm going to say it again: I love lensmasters on Squidoo.

We have givers, helpers, teachers, leaders, and mentors far too numerous to name. They all shine like stars, but some stand out like the sun in a clear, blue summer sky. One who does is lensmaster Kim Giancaterino.

This week Kim published her 250th lens. To celebrate, she decided to use her SquidAngel powers to squid-bless 100 lenses chosen from those belonging to her nearly 1000 fans. She features all of those, plus a few bonus choices, on the lens she calls A Day of 100 Squid Angel Blessings.

Congratulations, Kim, for reaching that amazing 250 mark, and thanks for bringing sunshine into my day more times than I can count.