Journey of Little Croatian Squid

I can tell you exact date when I first time heard about Squidoo. Better said, first time saw one of Squidoo lenses. How come? It was the same day I joined!

I was browsing and searching through Google on July 17 2008 for some info. One of links Google search gave me was to Janet's Are you a Stay at Home Mom (or Dad) Interested in Earning a Monthly Income? Have to say - this lady is very convincing! She got me puzzled... And thinking: "OK. This sounds simple, easy way to make some extra money! I could make it as well!"

I was only few clicks away to join! So, I started clicking those links! Few minutes later I was Squidoo lensmaster! Yay!

OK. But what now?

So I looked around... Found out that Squidoo was created by Seth Godin, a writer, marketer, etc... in short: Human idea generator!

I took a small tour around some of his lenses (and yes, he builds lenses as well!) to find out what was he thinking when got this rolling! Go see yourself: Why Build a Lens?

NEWBIE TIP No.1

Don't think!
Go for it!
Click: join Squidoo
Trust me,
it's gonna be just fine! :)

It was pretty easy to join Squidoo! Not so easy to make my first lens..... My brain went: "Hmmm. How exactly this goes?"

First dilemma I had was: What should I write about?

As I read before.... Everyone's an expert on something! Share your knowledge and passion with the world. My first though was: "What can I share? What I am expert about? Is there something I could write, something someone else will benefit from?"

So, I decided - my first lens would be about my work! I can share something I know about - negotiation strategies! I already had a prepared article that was published in one Croatian monthly magazine about economics. All I had to do is translate it to English!

Second dilemma was: "One lens or split it into couple lenses?"

As I read that it would be smart to make a niche lenses from your topic... How to split it? What goes where? So I decided to split my article and make 5 lenses out of it.

NEWBIE TIP No.2

Just make it!
Ask questions later!

On July 20 2008 (3 days after landing on Squidoo) I decided it would be good idea to introduce myself to community and ask for someone more experienced in making lenses to take a look at mine and give me some feedback. So I made my first post over at SquidU.

I'm not shy person by nature so I asked what ever troubled me! Questions I asked were as basic as:

Hello! I'm new to all of this and I'm not really sure that I'm going the right way. So, could someone with more experience take a tour over my lens and give me an advice on what to improve, add or even remove!

I would like to know do you think that they are well written (especially since English isn't my mother tongue), do they lack on informations or not, do you think I could put something more inside, are they well linked one to another?

I just finished linking my 4 lenses on negotiations. In one of them I used a list made by someone else, but I have put a link to the original post to the end of the list. I also send a massage to this person that I'm going to use it and left a link to lens. Is this going to be a problem? I don't want to be charged of plagiarism. I just liked the way he listed it, that I though it would be a chance to promote his blog.

Do you think that it is a smart move or not to put a link to google books reviews?

When you start making lens, you are asked to tag your lens... I have put some stupid looking tags (had no idea what goes and what doesn't)! Now I would like to change them! Is it possible and how?

Could you suggest which group to join? I have made a lens that reviews book 'Extraordinary use of ordinary things' with comments plexo that offers suggestions how to cleverly use common household items. Also, I have put it into category 'DIY and Hobby'. Is this OK?

NEWBIE TIP No.3

Go to SquidU!
Investigate, read,
ASK,
listen, do!

As English isn't my mother tongue, at one point I asked over at Squidoo: Do you think is smart move to make bilingual posts? Since English isn't my mother tongue, I consider putting Croatian translations on my lenses. Underneath English article, Croatian with links more relevant for Croats. Think it will have readers?

Answer to this question (and it was: No, don't think it will bring you much traffic!') brought another question: I don't even know how many of Croats are here on Squidoo. Can that be checked?

So, is there any other Croats on Squidoo? Active Squidoo lensmasters? This question I asked also on my Croatian blog on July 23rd 2008. And I got one answer from someone that is on Squidoo! A Croat! Yay! He wrote that he has 83 lenses!

And than disappointment: he didn't leave link or introduced himself with anything I could track!!! :( I couldn't follow him to Squidoo!!!) Damn! And I was so happy to see his answer! I thought: Great there is someone but me! Someone who can give me hand as I started! Someone to chat with and share about Squidoo!

Mystery!

One more thing I learned is that many people in Croatia haven't ever heard of Squidoo! So, now I do two things: I promote squidoo.com on my Croatian blog and promote Croatia on my Squidoo lenses!

NEWBIE TIP No.4

Visit other lenses!
If you like it...
rate it, 'roll it, comment!
Leave your mark!
Let people know you exist!

Here is my post from August 18th 2008, day I decided I wanted to become Giant Squid:

50 lens seems a lot! I started less than month ago and published 18 lenses since. I'm working on 12 more. At first I thought - No way I could make 50 lenses by September, 30th! Now I'm thinking - Maybe it's possible!
Every new lens I make gives me 3-4 ideas what to do next! Not to mention that I have seen so many great articles in this month since I joined Squidoo and they are also great source of ideas!
So, when I come to 50 of them, I'll apply for Giant Squid... Hope it will be in this turn! :-))

NEWBIE TIP No.4

More is better!
Make another!
And another!
No limit!!!
Got it?

It was not hard for me to become Giant when it's question about lensmaking. As I said before, I had so many ideas! Problem was time! As a full time working mother of one year old baby girl, trouble was finding time to make lenses and polish them!

And what's even worse, during last month before Giant Squid Program deadline, my baby started to attend day care center and as a result of being among other kids, she was subjected to infections. I know it's normal and something that could be excepted, but... we ended in hospital with ear infection! Her ear was licking and doctor insisted for her to remain in hospital - almost 10 days! It was awful! I had to travel 50 kilometers each day to hospital and than back home since they didn't allow me to stay with her during night! She hated it! And I simply know she cried a lot! No matter what nurses said!

So, I was in hospital during all day and hurried home to finish up WIP lenses! It was exhausting! But I was so close! Not about to give up!

NEWBIE TIP No.5

No giving up!
You're not a quitter!

There is two people I have to give special thanks for this period: one of them is my husband. He is the most patient husband on Earth! I really don't think anyone else would tolerated that much time his wife spent behind computer!

Second one is one lady I found on Squidoo, lady who I consider my friend and my biggest support here! She was here, sending me positive words of encouragement through mails and in her comments at SquidU! How not to be grateful for someone saying things like:

I have a couple of lenses with "tips" that might help you (but I think you're doing really great already!)

Hi there! It's me, The_Homeopath. I just wanted to let you know that #2 on your plexo has, uh, a misspelling in it. :-) On 365 TV-free activities, the second link in your plexo says "paper shits" instead of "paper ships".

I told you your stuff was awesome. You've come such a long way in such a short time, I'm so proud!!!!

I'm sure you'll make it - don't worry. That shiny new badge will look good on you!

Woo Hoo!!!! Hello new GIANT SQUID!!!!!!!

My reasons.... I had to compile a list to answer this question!

1st reason
I really found Squidoo to be very helpful community and I wanted to become permanent member of that community! As you'll see if you click to almost all of links to lensmasters I listed here as ones who helped me - they are either Giants or will be Giants in near future! Also, all of them have visited, rated and favorited many of lenses they saw around Squidoo! They have community spirit! And a great community this is!

2nd reason
Giant badge stands for quality! And since I always tried my best and gave 100 percent of myself into everything I did, I wanted everyone to see on first glance that what I did here was noticed and evaluated as worthwhile.

3rd reason
I wanted to become first Giant from Croatia! Since there isn't many of Croats on Squidoo, I wanted to make it and show that language isn't a problem when you want to accomplish something!

4th reason
I knew I could make it if I wanted! So I did!

NEWBIE TIP No.6

Squidoo is
the right place
to make friends!!!

After 2 months and 14 days from the day I joined Squidoo, this little squid had exactly 50 lenses! Not a lens more than required for being accepted as a Giant! As I mentioned before, this was not by intention - I really wanted to do my best to be excepted!

This morning I noticed purple badge on my profile page! So, I made it after all! I felt relief! I was afraid all the time that I won't make it since I published my last two lenses last day and because I had to go in hospital with my baby girl and hadn't really time to polish lenses! But I made it! Yeah!

Now the sleeping with Giants part... Couple weeks after I got my badge, Giant T-shirt came with post! Oversized!!! :D Had to wear it anyhow so I use it ever since as sleeping gown!

NEWBIE TIP No.7

Blog about your lenses!
Promotion + backlinks!

It's good I have put my reaction on my Squidtop blog same day this happened (September 5th 2008) so I can transfer it here:

Today I became a bit confused when Naiza left me a comment on my How to Reuse Toilet-Paper Rolls lens congratulating on LOTD?!? I thought she was mistaken until I scrolled down the dashboard and there it was! My first LOTD! What a rush! LOL

Since that moment I received a great deal of comments, 5* ratings and even an angel blessing. This LOTD deal really boosts traffic!

As a result of one of my lenses being featured as LoTD, my traffic went over 1.000 visits per week! Yay!

MOST IMPORTANT TIP EVER

Great lenses get promoted by other people!
So, don't make shabby lenses!!!
Make outstanding lenses!

As I was chasing deadline to become Giant Squid, I became even more aware just how many good people can be found at Squidoo. I was so happy to found many of them. They helped me, encouraged me all the way and made me want to continue.

That got me thinking: Is there something I could do to pay it forward? Something useful, helpful to assist? But, what can I do? I'm just one little Squid in a big Squidoo sea! I have no power! There I was wrong as I will see pretty much soon enough. Next thing that I wondered about is: Who could benefit from my help? Who need it anyway?

Guess who??? Newbies!

They are the ones asking most questions! They are the ones all confused and overwhelmed with Squidoo! Well, I remembered I was as well when I landed here!

Now as I found out whom I can offer my help, next question was: How to offer help? As I was nobody at Squidoo, just finally starting to find my own way around, how can I help?

NEWBIE TIP No.8

Allow others to help you!
Join Fresh Squids

After starting a group, next thing to consider was: Is there something more I could do? To promote them further?

And guess what!? People love contests! So Fresh Squids have a monthly Fresh Squid contest! Contest is here for another purpose also: to help these new lensmasters learn how to promote their own lenses! The best of Fresh Squids according to votes from these Contests also get featured on: Fresh Squid Contest Winners. And they get some nifty badges! :)

Further promotion of Fresh Squids is through Fresh Squid News Blog and monthly Graduation Class lenses.

Being a groupmaster of Fresh Squids had it's taught moments. Not because of people but because of who I'm in my 'real life'. It's been a challenging time for me - baby girl sick almost all the time with short periods of being healthy (day care center again), trying not to make my employer mad at me for staying with her at home too often so I went to work couple hours a day when my husband would come back from his work. Still trying to make new lenses and polish old ones. Learning more about html...

But what ever I gave to my Fresh Squids, it's been rewarded better than I could ever dreamed! I gained many, many new friends! People whom I tried to encourage and assist became ones that helped me back!

NEWBIE TIP No.9

Give!
And You Shall
Receive!

This name was given to me by another great Squidoo lensmaster - one of those I admire very much for her dedication to do unselfish things around here! She came up with unique blog idea - she made a blog to Thank people on Squidoo!

I was honored to receive request from her for interview! Hey! My first interview ever! Yay!

She was also one of best companions to Fresh Squids, following their progress and even rewarding our little group with place in her Great Squidoo Groups Lensography.

NEWBIE TIP No.10

Go back and read this once more: MOST IMPORTANT TIP EVER

Well, I'm pretty much speechless last couple days... Still trying to grasp what it means!?! Really, me? An angel? Wow!... Really? Are you sure?

It's been a week or so from the day I received invitation from Kimberly to become an angel. My mind went: Well, yea! Who wouldn't want to be an angel??? Girl, what silly question is that? I was probably the one who sent her back the quickest answer! And got a pretty fast answer that I'm in! I'm new angel! Yay!

It took me few days for this information to sink in... Now that it has became real, I found myself worried: This is such a huge responsibility!!! Will I be able to meet expectations from Squidoo HQ and other lensmasters? There are so many worthy lenses! How to find them all? Am I going to have enough time? So many questions and concerns!

As I write this, my mind goes: What are you talking about?? You'll be just fine! Just do what you normally do - go and visit other people lenses! Comment, rate, roll! Business as usual! :) You only have one more thing to add to your usual activities: you can give thumb up or thumb down!

Well, that thumb up and thumb down thing concerns me....

Why it concerns me? Well, everyone who knows me even a little, knows I'm not a kind of person who would like to give someone thumbs down! Even though, if that's what it takes to sink low quality lenses and make the best ones rise to the top, there is no option around it!

So I completed a list containing what get's thumbs up and what thumbs down and what will be just overlooked by me...

THUMBS UP FOR LENS!

Good, helpful content - use your own words!
Balance between selling and sharing
Without default titles
Attractive design
Intro pic and text included
Asking people to participate
Profile jazzed up!

THUMBS DOWN FOR LENS!

Face it - your lens is crap!
You spam with your lens!
Or have numerous lenses - all unfinished!

There is a 3rd option!
If I see your lens is unfinished but you're on good path to make it right, I may leave a comment, suggestion or even a mail and try to push you into right direction!
And if you're new, you'll receive an invitation to join Fresh Squids