Squidoo Update - February 28, 2013

My week started off on an exciting note.  I woke up on Monday to a notice that my Abraham Lincoln Birthplace lens was chosen for the highlight reel for the Presidential Imminent Quest.  

Which means I got a new trophy!  And I got a shiny new purple star for that lens as well!  It was a good Squidoo day!

So far I have only written two new lens this week.  The first is a resource list for promoting your blog posts.  The lens is Food and Craft Blog Link Parties.  The other lens is a plastic canvas how to guide.  I still have a few things to add to that one though.  I am hoping to have it finished up this week. 

As for the rest of my week, I have two lenses I want to get up before the weekend is over.  One is a St. Patrick's Day Craft for the So Crafty Quest and the other is for the Electronics Imminent Quest.  I have no idea what I am going to write about for that one though.

Hope your week has been productive! 

The New Imminent Quest - President's Day

Wow! I got a lens for this week's Imminent Quest done before the Saturday deadline! I am impressed with myself LOL. I wasn't going to participate this week because I am not really into history and couldn't think of a topic. But then I remembered that we had visited the Lincoln Birthplace National Park in Kentucky and decided that would make a great lens for the new quest.

There's not a lot of monetization for this one, so I imagine it is going to have to rely mainly on clickouts to gain ranking. I made use of a module that I had never used before so that was exciting.  I put the Google Maps module on there so that people could get directions.

This makes lens #57 for me.  I am slowly but surely getting there. I just realized that if I do nothing else but participate in the Imminent Quests all year, I will have 52 more lenses in my portfolio.

Happy Squidooing!

One Less in My WIP List!

 

I finally buckled down and finished up one of the work in progress lenses I had started awhile ago.  This one is about Running a Successful Blog Giveaway.

I have been running Blog Giveaway Directory for several years now and I have seen a lot of mistakes made that are turning off potential entrants.  So I thought I would make a page to share all the tips and tricks I have come across for making sure your latest blog giveaway is a success.

This is Squidoo lens #56 for me and leaves 7 WIP lenses.  Since some of those lenses were transferred over from another account, I probably still have 10 to go before I get the 50 lenses trophy.  I am going to wait until I get that trophy before I apply for the Giant Squid 50 level. 

Happy Squidooing!  I hope you all have a productive week and get lots of lenses written.

Squidoo Imminent Quest - Things That Are Red

This week's Imminent Quest on Squidoo was to write a page about things that are red.  After tossing around a few ideas, I decided to go with a nutrition topic.Since I am a dietitian by profession, I really should write more about nutrition related topics.  Unfortunately, I seem to get sidetracked by writing about all my fun little hobbies.

This week I wrote about Healthy Red Fruits and Vegetables that people should include more often in their diet.  I included a brief overview of the nutritional benefits of each one and included some healthy recipes that highlight the ingredient.

Not much else has been new for me on Squidoo, other than the fact that I just hit level 66.  Only 5000 points to go to hit 67!

Happy Squidooing!

2013 Squidoo Community Valentine's Day Challenge

I had a productive morning already.  I noticed a Squidoo quest that was ending shortly where you needed to make a lens about something you love.  So this morning, I wrote a lens about our family's favorite summertime activity - letterboxing.

I have to say Squidoo is definitely on the ball today.  I had my trophy for the challenge and my points within a couple of hours of submitting.  Adding a new trophy to my collection is always fun!

I also got another surprise today.  My collecting elongated coins lens was featured in a post on collections  from Squidoo HQ this morning.  So exciting to be recognized!

Later today, I hope to get started on the week 2 challenge for the Imminent Quest. This week we have to write about something that is red.  I already have my idea.  Just need to do the keyword research and get writing.

Happy Squidooing!

Squidoo Quest - Imminent! Think Spring!

The first Imminent quest is ending tonight.  To qualify, you had to write a spring themed lens of some sort.  I got my entry finished in just the nick of time.  The lens I created for this quest is on creating a Spring Break Bucket List.

I think I am going to enjoy the Imminent quests.  They will get me writing something other than sales lenses.  Not that there is anything wrong with sales lenses, but I want my portfolio to be more than that.  I also like the fact that each weekly quest helps you earn more entries into the grand prize drawing.  I have my eye on that $5000 photography package!

I still have 8 WIP lenses that are calling my name, so I had better get back to work.

Happy Squidooing!

Share Your Collections Quest ~ New Squidoo Lens

I don't participate in every Squidoo Quest that comes along, but one of the latest ones looked fun so I decided to participate.  The quest asked you to create a lens based on something you collect.  One of my hobbies is Collecting Elongated Coins, or pressed pennies as they are also known.  So I had a lot of fun putting this lens together.  It was a lot of writing and images though!  This is lens #52 for me.

In other Squidoo news, last night I was awarded another trophy and I hit level 65.  Is everyone else as obsessed with those trophies as I am?  For hitting level 65, I was awarded a lens rank boost.  I promptly used it on a lens that is getting close to tier 2.

Well I am off to work on one of those 9 lenses that are WIP's.  By the time I clear them all out, I should be close to earning my 50 lens trophy and will be able to apply for the Giant Squid 50 level. 

Happy Squidooing!

My Third Purple Star!

Yesterday, I was awarded my third purple star for my recent How to Camp Safely in the Winter lens.  Actually the honor really belongs to my husband.  He did all the writing.  I just assembled the lens and added  Amazon products.  So kudos to him!!  It is always exciting to get a purple star.  I look forward to collaborating more with my husband on lenses in the future.  He is a veritable wealth of camping information.

I got another new lens finished this morning AG Doll Winter Accessories.  Yes, it's another American Girl Doll lens.  If you could see my daughters' doll collection, you would know why I write about it so much!

I have been on a roll lately with all the lens creation.  Hopefully it pays off in a few months with increased paychecks from Squidoo and Amazon.

Happy Squidooing!

Continuing in my American Girl Doll Niche

Surprise! Surprise!  My latest lens is another one on American Girl dolls.  Well it's always good to write about what you know, right?  With two of my daughters currently obsessed with American Girl, I know a lot about it!  I am focusing on Portable AG Doll Room options in this new lens.  Once again, I started out trying the Squick method and ended up adding a lot more.  I think I am just overly wordy!

This makes lens number 48 for me.  Just a couple more and then I need to start going through all my lenses, making sure they are up to scratch,  so I can apply to the Giant Squid 50 level.  I have 3 in-progress lenses that I need to finish building first.  I keep getting distracted though with different ideas and quests.  Like the Valentines Craft Quest.  I will probably build a lens to submit to that challenge sometime this week.

So that's what I have been up to today!  Now I am off to write a couple of blog reviews that are due this week.

Happy Squidooing!

A New Sales Lens - AG Doll Boots

Hot off the presses is another new Squidoo lens - AG Doll Boots.  This brings me up to 47 lenses.  I am getting close to being able to apply for the next Giant Squid membership level which requires 50 lenses.

I started out thinking this latest lens would be a quickie, using the Squick Money: 15-Minute Squidoo System method, but then I got into the keyword research and discovered a lot more potential.  I figured I might as well get the lens completely built now rather than just putting up a quick starter lens.  I am pretty pleased with how it turned out.  One more lens to add to my American Girl doll niche.

Tips for Tagging Lenses on Squidoo

I recently read several good articles about tagging lenses on Squidoo.  Prior to reading these, I had it in my head that I should be using my longtail keywords as tags.  How wrong I was!

A good rule of thumb is specific for keywords and broad for categories.  So in the case of my newest lens, Safe Winter Camping,  I used "camping", "outdoor recreation", "winter sports", etc for tags.  Very broad topics.  Tags are used internally by Squidoo to help choose what lenses show up in the related section on the sidebar.

For more reading on the topic, be sure to check out these great articles by fellow lensmasters.

• How to Pick Your Primary Tag
• How One Lensmaster Increased Her Traffic 5% By Properly Using Tags

I highly suggest installing the Workshop Addon from SquidUtils as it is a great help with picking good tags.  The color coded system tells you at a glance whether or not the tag you picked is a good choice.

Have any tips and tricks to share about choosing good tags for your lenses?  Share them below.  Happy Squidooing!

Quick Lens Creation

So as I was surfing around looking for lenses to bless today, I came across a new Squidoo ebook - Squick Money: 15-Minute Squidoo System, written by Squidoo veteran Britt Malka. I have not yet bought the book as I have already spent the money I budgeted for educational materials for the month. I may very well purchase it next month though.

I was intrigued enough though that I went looking for reviews for it. I found a couple and they both linked to sample lenses. Both lenses followed the same format and used the same modules. Basically this is a method where you use the same template to churn out quick sales lenses. You are testing the waters, so to speak, with these quick lenses. Then if they show promise, you can go back and beef them up with more content. If they don't pan out, then you are only out 15 minutes of your time.

If you are a giant squid, you can set up a template to have all these modules ready for you when you start a lens. I hadn't made use of the templates before, but I decided to go ahead and do one for this.

The lens I made using this quick method is Hidden Book Safe.  It took me about 30 minutes, but considering I typically take 3-4 hours making a lens, that is a great improvement.  There's not a lot of content, by my standards.  However, I am looking at it as a test.  If it ranks in Google and starts picking up traffic, then I will definitely go back and add more content to it.  If not, then it will sit.  This method actually is probably great to use to create starter lenses to sell.  I know there are a lot of people who make good money doing that.

I am looking forward to seeing how the lens does.  I will write a full review on the Squick Kindle book next month after I purchase it.

New Lens and Some Goals for the New Year

 

 It's been awhile, but I just published a new lens. Writing is always more enjoyable when it is on a topic you enjoy. Just published today, my newest lens is Collectible Holiday Nutcrackers. I have a holiday nutcracker collection of my own so it was a lot of fun putting together this lens.  That's my newest addition to my collection there in the photo.

Although I haven't been creating a ton of new lenses lately, I have been adding content to my assorted blogs.   I have been using the Jaaxy Keyword Research service for a little over a month now and what a difference it has made in my earnings.  My Amazon earnings for this month so far are $74, which is nothing by most people's standards.  However when you consider I had been making $5 a month from Amazon all last year, it is pretty amazing.  Jaaxy has totally changed the way I am approaching Squidoo and blogging.  Although I earn pretty good money online through the advertising packages I offer at Blog Giveaway Directory, I want to work more on increasing my passive income this year.  So when my advertising orders are done for the day, I have been focusing on churning out quality content.  And my sales are increasing accordingly.

So a couple of goals I have set for myself for the coming year...

• Finish 2 Squidoo lenses per week
• Make the Giant Squid 100 level by the end of the year.
• Increase my monthly Squidoo income to $500 a month by the end of the year
• Increase my Amazon income to $500 a month by the end of the year
• Focus on keywords and monetizing on my various blogs to increase their earning potential.

I think by focusing on the right keywords (with help from Jaaxy) and putting a lot of quality content out there, this is totally do-able.  As a side note, my husband is now on board with writing for my Squidoo account.  So hopefully he will be able to do a lens a week for me as well.  He is going to be focusing on camping, hiking, and other outdoor fun.

Well that's all for now.  What are your Squidoo goals for the coming year?

Update on Goals

In my last post, I gave a list of 4 Squidoo goals that I want to reach.  I am happy to report that I reached two of them this past week.

Here were the goals I set for myself

• I want to make the next Giant Squid Level. I can apply when I have made 50 lenses.
• I want to be a Squid Angel. I have sent in my application.
• I want to get lens of the day.
• I would love to get my first $100 paycheck from Squidoo. I am averaging between $40 and $50 a month. I am going to be focusing more on longtail keywords and sales lenses with my next 25.

I was notified last week that I was accepted into the Squid Angel program.  It has been so much fun spreading the squid blessings around to deserving lenses!

Yesterday was payday at Squidoo and I am happy to report that I received a $106 paycheck.  Woo-hoo! Having my American Girl Doll Crafts lens in tier one was what bumped me up.  Tier one payout for this month was $84.

In other Squidoo news:

Have you seen all the uproar over the changes Squidoo rolled out over the weekend?  Wow were people ticked off.  Not that I blame them!  Their timing stunk.  Fortunately the changes didn't really affect a lot of my lenses, just those where I had used the item box builder code from Squidtools.  So I am slowly but surely getting those updated.

I created one new lens since my last update.  I thought I would get some Valentines Day lenses out there to see how they do.  Plastic Canvas for Valentines Day

Happy Squidooing!

I Finally Did It! 25 Squidoo Lenses!

Another new lens on Knit Nativity Patterns and a bright and shiny new trophy for writing 25 lenses.  What a nice feeling to finally hit that goal!

So tomorrow I edit and freshen up all of my lenses in anticipation of filling out the Giant Squid application.  Can't wait to hear whether or not I get accepted.  Wish me luck!

Happy Squidooing!

Jen

Just One More To Go!

With the publishing of my newest lens this morning, Healthier Donations for Food Pantries, I am down to needing to write just one more lens to be able to apply for Giant Squid status.  I am so excited!  I hope to be done with that one today or tomorrow so I can start work on updating all my other lenses and making sure they are all in good shape before I submit my application.

As a side note, Squidoo payday was yesterday.  It's nice to earn on things I wrote years ago.

Happy Squidooing!
Jen

Crocheted Nativity Lens

Well I can check lens #23 off my list.  Just 2 more to go now!  My latest lens was inspired by a handmade Nativity set my great-grandmother made me when I was little.  Horribly messy child that I was, I lost all the pieces. Oh how I regret that now!  I would give anything to have it back.  So my latest lens features a selection of crochet nativity patterns.

Happy Squidooing!

Jen

And That's a Wrap! Epic Celebrate Elf Quest Completed!

Phew!  Just finished up my last lens for the epic Celebrate Elf Quest over at Squidoo.  It's a nice feeling to be done.  My last one is once again about something I know well - Top Holiday Gifts for American Girl Doll Collectors.   Doing research for the lens, I had fun looking through the great selection of doll furniture and accessories on Amazon.  I found several pieces I want to add to my Christmas wish list!

So that puts me up 22 lenses for my Giant Squid tally.  Just 3 more to go!

My Lensography and a New Trophy

As I was reading through the Giant Squid application in anticipation of finishing up the few lenses, I discovered I need an About Me lens.  So without further ado, here is my Get to Know Scraps2Treasures lens.  And for my efforts, I was rewarded with a new trophy.   Yeah!  4 More to Go until I can apply to be a Giant Squid!

A New Stocking Stuffer Lens

My latest lens is Stocking Stuffers for Gardeners.  I really enjoyed putting it together as many of the items are ones that I own or have on my wish list. 4 down, 1 to go in the Celebrate Quest!  Woo-Hoo!  The end is in sight.  I hope to finish the last lens tonight as I have already started it.

After I hit publish on the stocking stuffers lens, I got a little bit of a surprise.  I definitively know now that I am at 20 lenses that count towards applying for Giant Squid status.  I should definitely hit 25 before the end of the year unless something comes up to distract me from my goal.  Quite exciting!

Well that's all for now.  Happy Squidooing!