Just a baby Squid

Are you building lenses to tell the world about something? All about Bruce Lee or how to make the best Baked Macaroni and Cheese? Maybe you want everyone to know about a charity or cause. So you are building lenses to speak out on what ever is running around in your brain.
I like that idea. If that is what you are here for. I mean, you don't have to worry about what modules draw the most traffic and what phrases convert the most clicks. Best of all, Squidoo is powerful in the search engines so someone who wants to know about what you are telling might be able to find your lens. I believe that must have been the original intent of Squidoo. The information for the people by the people.

Then come the marketers. Oh what a bunch. Sell it. If you are doing something it needs to be progress towards selling something. It would seem that Squidoo keeps a good grip on the scam marketing that runs rampant over the internet, at least to me.
Let me first say thank you to Squidoo for allowing folks to market though Squidoo. I believe you have shared your platform with so many who needed a way to get a product or idea out into the world who didn't have the capital to do so.

So tell or Sell it. Why are you here.

I say both because if you provide the right information on a topic and you just so happen to have a link to sell products related to that topic you get the "I'll pick it up while I am here" convenience sale. Is that the whole NICHE thing that everyone is talking about?

I think there are 24,768 lenses about "niche" on Squidoo. (I made that up.) The Google search for NICHE provides 5.8 million results. In .33 seconds? Really? That's just showing off! Like I need to know how long it took to find the results.

Sorry. Got off it for a sec.

My question is simple. Are there as many or more lenses telling you how to or selling you a guide on how to actually sell than there are lenses that just SELL something?

Did you know that if you use Squidoo Search by lense rank and type in the word "HELP", the list is almost perfect in the actual lens rank of Squidoo. Only 2 lenses in the top ten do not rank for help. #1 and #4.

#1 www.squidoo.com/best_baked_mac_and_cheese

#4 www.squidoo.com/Panini-sandwich-recipes

Those are two lenses dedicated to HELPING you make a dish to eat. I wonder how many helpings each recipe makes?

Both lenses are from Giant Squids, and both seem great, so congrats to both.

That search through 70 result was only at #101 in lens rank.

Anybody need some help?

SEARCH SEARCH and RE-SEARCH

I have learned this, the hard way; When you have that one brilliant idea, that diamond in the rough, that concept that hits you like a night train, that idea that is going to make you money... YOU ARE NOT ALONE! We the people think alike, or at least some part of us does. There are great ideas out there untouched, but if you think yours is one of those, look it up! I am not selling some guide to how to be a JEDI Squid Master, in fact, I am selling nothing, I am just thinking out loud. So look it up. Search the living daylights out of Squidoo to make sure 743 other people haven't already done it. For more than a few reason. Not the least of which being wasted time. If it's been done and it's telling, everyone has heard it. I hope you have more or different content to add to the topic. If it's selling, then you are burning time and energy on a saturated market. Don't get me wrong, if there is but 1 or 2 buggers out there with a "How to use a mop Bucket as a Solar Energy Collector" lens and you have that info as well, you might be in good shape. Maybe you make your lens better, more flowing and fluid to the reader and easier on the eyes. Maybe you have the things one would need to make it work listed for sale in a better order with a more clear description. You got a shot. Now if there are 314 variations of the Bucket for Solar Power concept on Squidoo, you more than likely are wasting your time. You are late to the party. Those lenses have roots. Your Johnny come Lately lens is probably going to look like a copy and be the runt when it comes to traffic.

DO YOUR RESEARCH - EVERY IDEA - EVERY TIME!

Not food for thought, food for change.

Wanna be the best at a Myspace game? How about the best at the Facebook Farming Game or any other Social Site game that will be replaced by a different game next week. How about a guide to Mens Fashion or (I am laughing here) a Guide to Girl friendly hotels in Pattaya?
There are guides to Squidoo by the thousands. Every one selling you what they say worked for them. Not all are for sale, there are a bunch of free guides to Squidoo stuff. 10 of the top 35 lenses on Squidoo search by rank are How to guides.

We need a guide on guides. Who do you trust? If all these guides tells you that their way is the BEST way to make the best lens possible, SOMEBODY is LYING. Right?

I am confused. I am going to hire a guide to help me find a simple guide to simple guides.

If you have ever played free cards at a bar or restaurant you would find it easy to understand what I am about to say. See, when you are at a table during a free card tournament you must expect different play than in a casino where the players are betting REAL money. (Most times) When you have ZERO money invested, it is real easy to bet big on a losing hand. If you lose, you really haven't lost. Squidoo is a free service. So if you want to make a website about something that is important to you, MAKE IT. Even if it is not important but you want to share it, MAKE IT.

Here is my idea. Start a lens. Go up to modules. Click add 1 on all the modules on the first page. Go EDIT all those modules to see what in the universe they DO. Note the ones that seem cool or eye catching. Note the ones that suck. Note the ones that you have no flipping idea what the do/mean/prove/are even for. Go to the answer desk and ASK about those. Get Answers. Note the Cool ones and Note the Sucky ones. Repeat until you have looked at ALL the modules available to you via Squidoo.
Delete that lens
Start over using all the cool stuff you just found to make a jam up awsome lens.
Repeat THAT 100 times
Wait for Seth to holla atcha.
Congratulations you are a now a GIANT SQUID!!!!!
(oh ya and along the way, keep an eye on the Royalty thing it's probably busting at the seams)