Showing posts with label community. Show all posts
Showing posts with label community. Show all posts

Thursday, July 05, 2012

A Lot of Quests and Challenges = Overload!!!



I don't think I have mentioned this before, but Squidoo will send out SquidQuests that allow you to increase your level and trophies...I think it is just a way of helping people get more involved in the community and makes the whole experience a little more fun, but there might be another reason I have yet to discover.  Anyway, these are done at random and there are two quests that I really would like to complete within the next week that each can give me 200 points if I complete the task well.  I also have my second RocketSquids challenge that we are to write a lens in which we ask a question.  With fourth of July today, closing on our home, packing and moving I just couldn't imagine writing so many lenses at the same time.  Thus, as I just wrote my Dragons Myth or Real Creatures lens that would fit this not too long ago, I decided to submit it for this week's RocketSquids challenge.  I fully understand that the point of joining this group is to create new lenses, but I did not want to miss this challenge or create a completely new lens right now with everything going on, especially as I already had one that I could submit.  The question is, will it be accepted?  I tried asking if there is a rule against it and the general answer seemed to be that it is frowned upon, but permitted.  I did revise my lens and republish it from the things I learned from my last RocketSquids challenge, which I think counts.  Just something I wanted to jot down quick for the night - to be continued...

UPDATE:  The article was not only accepted, but mentioned and number three on the list of articles submitted!  I didn't realize I had gotten featured until people started leaving me comments.  I still wonder how they decide to put that list in order on RocketSquids - maybe it is the order that they are received because I put that one in pretty early.  Here it is in all it's glory. lol:

Monday, June 18, 2012

Making Money - Tiers in Squidoo

                                                                                                         

I did a lot of searching on Squidoo and everyone seemed to explain the tier system in a way that was hard for me to really understand.  Finally, I found a lens that outlined it in a simplified way: Tiers On Squidoo.  Come to find out a teenage boy was the lensmaster of this article!  I was blown away, he is such a great writer - better than some adults, and I took a look at some of his other lenses.  It gave me hope and made me feel like I can reach my goals if this kid can write all these cool lenses, then there is nothing stopping me.  Anyway, tier 4 are the lenses ranking above 85,000, like mentioned last time, and you are only earning pennies (if anything) on these lenses.  Tier 3 is a lens rank of 85,00 to 10,001 and your earnings are right around 30 cents for these lenses.  I like how he adds that, "it really doesn't seem like much, but if you have a lot of lenses it adds up."  Tier 2, 10,000 to 2,001 and Tier 1, 2,000 and higher, seem practically impossible to reach, but if you do you are making anywhere between $7 to $50 per lens.  He also goes on to talk about how sales are an important part of making money on your lenses (not included in the previous projected in earnings) and the lens rank obviously affects that, as more people are seeing your article.   I believe I mentioned this before, but your lens is counted at the beginning of the month, then you get paid about two months later, so I'm thinking that means you have to make sure your ranking is the highest right at the end of the month to get that ranking to stay up through the 1st.  My highest ranking article, thus far, has been Five Feel-Good Movie Favorites with a ranking in the mid 40,000 area.  Your lens rank changes every day though, so there isn't any way of knowing if you will still have such a high ranking tomorrow, so I wonder if there is something I am missing?  I started trying to find out how others felt about this and found a well written lens about how they should change the tiers, so more people get some of the profit.  The article didn't say anything negative about Squidoo, in fact they have over hundreds of lenses, but pointed out that it is hard to make good money on there considering how many people are now members, and so on.  I agree, I think they should add more tiers to the system, so people have a greater chance of making a profit.  We, the writers, are the reason that people do go on Squidoo after all.  It will be interesting to see how everything goes and whether or not I make any money from this venture, but I do enjoy it and feel like the community that has been built is really great.  I will stick with it and you can keep up with my journey here!

CORRECTION:  Perhaps I overlooked it in previous lenses, but I learned from reading this lens: How To Improve Your Lens Rank that the rank, as well as what you get paid for the lens, is based on the average rank it had for the month.  I would venture to say that the month in which you create the lens would be the lowest pay out then, as it seems that all my lenses have started in Tier 4 and stayed there for at least a few days.  I agree with this writer when she says that probably the best way of increases rank is by having good content - hopefully others agree that I have good work and enjoy the way I present the information.  Until next time - have a good one!

Friday, June 08, 2012

Improvement

I still need to catch everyone up on my other lenses, but I had a break through with my articles that I was excited to share.  So what I found out is that in order to start getting paid for your lenses on Squidoo, you need a lens ranking of 85,000 or lower.  Basically this is how noticeable your lens is amongst all the others, so you want a low number.  Up until now, which I've only been a member for less than a month and have 4 lenses right now, I've had a ranking in the mid 200,000 area.  Considering how many people must be involved on Squidoo, at first I was kind of happy with that.  Then, yesterday I started to get a little discouraged.  I did some searching and I found this article "http://www.squidoo.com/creating-linkage-15-places-to-link-your-blog."  This is a great article for anyone trying to get more traffic to their blog.  I only tried a few of the tips and in one day my ranking went up by 100,000!  I'm not making money yet, but this really put the wind back in my sails and I am ready to push on.  One key I have also realized in increasing your views on Squidoo is to get involved with the community; like other lenses, comment, take polls, take quizzes, ask questions, and people will start to notice you.  I just love how this is one site where you get rewarded for being kind to others and helping one another.  I am now feeling a little more positive about everything.  It is hard to write articles that you think are amazing, that others would also enjoy and find helpful, and then realize that no one is really looking at your work, so I now know I need to get the word out.  I also got a few likes and comments on my lenses yesterday, so I am feeling really good!