Why Squidoo?

I have spent a great deal of time on Squidoo making lenses and participating in the community there (even though I have just touched the surface). There are numbers of reasons to be developing this part of my online experience, besides trying to make money, which I have not yet mastered (my grand total as of this post is $.39). Since I'm fairly new that doesn't serve as a true benchmark of what is possible for someone like me, but you can see this is not my primary motivation at this time.

There are other draws for a seasoned blogger like me.

One of the most important I am finding is the opportunity to blog about anything I want. Most of blogging requires a certain amount of focus on one main interest, topic, or niche. Not like in the old days where there were fewer bloggers and the novelty allowed single bloggers to write about whatever struck their fancy and still find readers. So Squidoo's format which is singular blogposts divided into a string of modules for ease of design and reader interest makes it easy to simply write and research as much as one desires, or start out relatively small.

There is also the fact that in some niches it can be difficult to find friendly peers to link to your blog. Google, more and more, relies on such peer linking to decide which blogs are worthy. Squidoo is a new platform and community from which to branch out on the web.

Then, too, I think Squidoo is just plain fun. Don't underestimate the power of something that is entertaining. I think the lenese are not only fun to make, they are fun to read. And the new format that Squidoo has introduced of friendly Monsters giving you points for stuff you do on the site is a lot like having your own interactive 'Monsters, Inc'. Which makes it all a little addictive.

It doesn't replace my regular blogging, but is a nice add-in to the mix of online networking, branding and interaction.

Plus... I think Seth Godin is a genius.