We are losing the value of our Squidoo Marketing community

[John Dilbeck]

I've been noticing this for the last few months, but I didn't say anything during the lead-up to the holidays.

This community has lost sight of what makes it valuable.

At one point, we discussed issues, talked about marketing and building businesses, and helped each other do a better job of marketing using Squidoo and other sites.

Now, the community has devolved into a link farm. More and more, the only activity is people popping in, linking to a lens and then leaving.

It's getting worse, because now we're seeing multiple links to the same lenses via Twitter, Google+ and others.

This has to change.

What are we going to do as a community? 

Sincerely,

John Dilbeck,

Owner and founder of this Squidoo Marketing community. 

[Susan Kennedy]

Yes, I'm a new member and glad to be here, and maybe I shouldn't have started with this discussion to read first, but it definitely caught my eye. When this group was first suggested to me, it was because of my wanting more information. Not a new place to drop links. I think my formula is pretty successful as it is. I am also a former RocketMom where lots of help, advice, support was shared. I see that some people have found this to be a place where placing a link does get traffic, but don't we have hundreds (even thousands) of other ways? Will it continue to be a successful place if it is more links than discussions?

[Sherry Venegas]

Twitter is a format that is, most of the time, used for dropping and leaving and lots of Squidoo members use it. We all have our style or the way we like to do things, but some Squidooers honestly think Twitter has some value.

I found some value at List a Lens a Day and that was the people and their response. Responses were not everyday and not everyone, but I put value in that. Whoever suggested the group I am almost certain that was their intent.

I do not see an ugly mug behind a post. I see a fellow lensmaster. The links were flying like wild before Christmas and I think John was right to bring that fact up. That said, I think we can self manage to keep the practice of Lens a Day, a useful tool for those that prefer it.

[Pat]

JD, Sometimes I feel like a nut...I kept losing my emails in the crowd of my inbox, so I created a filter just for messages from this group and I admit, I forgot that I did that. So I wasn't seeing any emails from the group. aaaggh! Ok, now I have a lot of emails from the group to catch up with.

I have been participating in some of the FaceBook groups, but as far as getting help with questions, sometimes those groups move so fast that things get lost down the line. I think here is a much better place to help each other, because issues are sorted and don't disappear so quickly.

Clearly from all the messages people have an investment in this group. Thanks for posting your concerns.

Pat

[Clotilde M]

These is a discussion topic I would like to see discussed. How to conduct a word of mouth advertising campaign. I've been looking into it, and have seen it recommended, but the information I've gathered seems to indicate that it is hard to get it started. Yet, all major brands use it in one way or another and I think we ought to do it also, even if it is in a minor scale. So, when time affords a chance, I'd like the subject to be discussed, maybe all of us would get some benefit out of it.

[Jill Hart]

That is very sad news to me.  I love joining communities where experienced Squids are talking about things that make their work click. I learn so much even hanging around on the fringe.  Just today, I learned about the side bar lenses being programmable! (you can pick which 6 lenses get featured on the side bar)

We could help each other with this feature.  Instead of just trying to use this platform as a link farm,  we could look at the lenses produced by each other and add some of them to the side bar (provided they are relevant). We would generate some cross traffic on Squidoo. This would require that we look at the lenses we have all created so we wouldn't have to be just linking on here.  Seek out the work of others. In blessing them, you will find  yourself enriched greatly.

This is just an idea. I will start implementing it myself today.

[Sandy aka Momsbusy247]

Seems like a very smart idea to me.  I already link to some of my favorite people but, this area would be a good place to help each other.