I hope that the headline of today’s post doesn’t mislead anyone — to be clear, I am a huge proponent of Squidoo. I can’t stress enough that I am not slinging mud at Squidoo.com — on the contrary, it is one site that I visit and work on every day.

No, my gripe is with those that would have you believe that you can set up a lens in five minutes flat, using questionable methods — and enjoy overnight success with it.

Folks, promoting this kind of crap stinks worse than a three-day old Red Snapper left in an SUV in the deserts of Arizona. Perhaps that’s a bit harsh, but so be it.

Squidoo is a tool that should be in your marketing arsenal – and it is a tool that can drive traffic, grow your mailing list, and create revenue. But, if you are pursuing Squidoo like a prospector chasing the gold rush, you are going to end up disappointed.

Now that we all have our feet planted on terra-firma, let’s go over some of the strategies that actually do work.

• Decide What to Write About: And the easiest way to do that is to start with yourself. What are your interests? What are you a proponent or critic of? What causes are you passionate about? These are questions that can help you begin brainstorming a list of possible topics.
• There’s No Substitute for Research: Selecting a topic that you have genuine interest in will help keep you focused while you conduct research into your topic. For example, if you have no interest in the Three-Toed Sloth, chances are you won’t be motivated to research the information that would enable you to create a well-designed lens on the topic.
  
• Get Into the Right Mindset: While some would have you believe otherwise, Squidoo isn’t a “set it and forget it” marketing tool. Once you set up your lens, you should commit to updating it periodically in order to keep the content fresh and interesting. What is “periodically,” you ask? Well, I’ll leave that up to you. I have some lenses that I am constantly updating as I obtain more information in the niche; other lenses may go a few weeks before I get around to updating them. The point is that you shouldn’t just slap up a half-hearted attempt at a lens, and leave it there to languish; it would just be a waste of your time.
• Consider it a Long-Term Investment: I like to think of Squidoo like a 401K account (in the days before bank bailouts and Bernie Madoff, mind you). When you begin creating lenses on Squidoo, you’ll quickly see the benefit in becoming a member of the community. First, it is one of the most helpful, supportive and creative groups of people you’ll ever find on the web. Second, you’ll discover that as you create more lenses within your niche, the collective power of those lenses grows exponentially. Again, it won’t happen overnight — but, with time, patience and a bit of creativity, you can develop a solid promotional vehicle that continues to build value. When you stop to think that your only real investment in Squidoo is your time, this is one promotional investment you should give careful consideration.
• Focus on Content First, Monetization Second: If you follow this method, your lenses will rank higher, generate more traffic, and you will build your reputation as an expert. There is nothing wrong with earning money from your Squidoo lens; however, if your lens reads like an extended in-your-face sales letter, it could likely be banned from the site.

Over the next few days, I’ll be sharing some other tips help you reduce your learning curve, and begin leveraging the power of Squidoo. Enjoy the weekend, and I’ll see you back here next week!

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