I Squidoo, Do You?

Blast Off With RocketSquids

2012-01-29T08:38:00.000-06:00

Heard of RocketMoms on Squidoo? Then you know how successful lensmasters can be when they learn together and support each other.

Now, meet RocketSquids, the latest innovation by Squidoo, especially designed for new-ish lensmasters, those with at least a couple of lenses but fewer than 25.

If you fall into that Squid-demographic and want to learn from some of the best lensmasters on Squidoo how to do what they do, then join us!

Here's more information from MomWithAHook, one of the RocketSquids mentors.

What's New On Squidoo?

2012-01-22T15:48:00.000-06:00

Hard to believe we're headed into the fourth week of the new year. My year's been busy and seems to be flying by. How about yours?

I've been spending a lot of my time hanging around on Squidoo, visiting lots of lenses and checking in regularly with SquidooHQ. I especially appreciate the weekly SquidooHQ Friday Round Up, a great place to check in every week to make sure I haven't missed something new. If you don't visit daily, at least check in on Fridays to keep up with all the great news, tips, and information that's been provided during the week.

Full disclosure and not meant to be a shameless plug, I've also been doing some writing for SquidooHQ, so you might run across some of my articles, too, while you're there playing catch up.

So, what's new with you on Squidoo? I'd love to know, so hope you'll take a moment out of your busy year to leave a comment!

Wordless Wednesday: LOTD

2011-12-28T14:20:00.000-06:00

Looking Ahead: Goal-Setting for the New Year

2011-12-25T16:26:00.002-06:00

Oh, my, another year has come and (almost) gone. It's time to evaluate the goals you set this time last year and try again to come up with a new set of goals for 2012.

Actually, there's more to it than that. While goal setting is important, reviewing progress and adjusting plans at various points throughout the year is even more important.

To be honest, I'm not very good at long-term goal setting. "Life" changes things sometimes in the blink of an eye (I know that all too well), so I don't like to set myself up for failure right from the start. Obviously I, too, need to not only set yearly goals and make plans, I need to concentrate on short-term goals and set aside time to adjust as necessary on a regular basis.

There are many goal-setting tools available and I'm sure I have at least two or three "how to set goals" e-books on my hard drive that I've purchased or downloaded for free with the greatest of intentions. But I'll admit that I am easily overwhelmed when it comes to tackling the job of reading the books and putting plans behind the goals and action behind the plans. So, this year what I intend to do (good intentions as usual, but I think this will work for me) is to simply write monthly goals in the front of a stenographer's notebook (the size suits me), record plans for the month, and then write a daily to-do list each night or early morning. I've been doing the daily lists for the past few weeks and that method is working well for me.

Have you started planning and setting goals for 2012? How do you do it? I'd love if you'd share your methods and favorite resources here. Perhaps the way you plan will ring true with someone who reads your comment, someone like me who struggles in this area. So please, leave a comment below. Your suggestions could really help someone have a truly productive new year!

A Delicious Lens Intro

2011-12-02T20:48:00.000-06:00

Just had to share the intro on this yummy lens by new lensmaster theSEOmama.

Go read it then tell me your mouth isn't watering and your stomach isn't frantically transmitting "Bake these NOW!" messages to your brain. Or is it the other way around?

Oh, who cares. Just go read this delicious lens intro and mark it as a great example of how not to lose readers in the first 30 seconds of their visit to your lens. Then, while the oven is preheating, compose a fabulous intro for your next new lens.

How Not to be Overly Commercial on Your Lenses: My Recommended Read of the Day

2011-12-01T13:48:00.001-06:00

When you make lenses promoting a product or your business, you really need a balance of not too little, not too much, but just the right amount of commercial or promotional material.

Tom Maybrier explains this in more detail today in his SquidooHQ lensmaking tip, Creating Great Content for your Business or Product. It's an excellent post that answers a lot of questions that you might have about how commercial is too commercial when you're making product review or business lenses.

Newbies on Squidoo often make the mistake of including too many bolded business links in their lenses and not enough original content. Even veterans can fall into that bad practice. My recommended read of the day is a great explanation of how to avoid this and what to do instead to make your commercial lens turn out balanced just right.

After you've read it, I hope you'll leave Tom a comment then come back here and let me know what you learned.

Cyber Monday Shopping Recommendations

2011-11-26T11:49:00.000-06:00

Just saw this post from Kimberly on SquidooHQ in which she mentions Cyber Monday. That triggered an idea.

To help people who happen to land on my profile page find some good holiday shopping lenses, I edited my profile to feature links to a few of my popular product reviews. These are lenses that don't necessarily show up on page one of the list of all my lenses. They're pages that feature popular gift items that people might be looking for on Cyber Monday and, really, from now until Christmas.

While in general I recommend a good, brief, personal bio - and that's all - on the profile page, this might be a time to make an exception. We'll see how it works out.

What do you think? Good idea? Bad? Let me know in a comment below.

Serve Your Readers Fresh Squidoo Lenses

2011-11-06T08:34:00.000-06:00

The ad section of the Sunday paper this week is a whopper! You probably still have Halloween candy left, but no doubt about it, it's Christmas shopping season.

So, how are your Christmas-related lenses? Are they fresh?

More and more, Google is looking for fresh content to feature in search results. Truly, it doesn't take much time to update a product review lens or a Christmas menu lens or any other holiday lens, and it will be well worth the effort you take to do so when you're rewarded with both better lensrank and more traffic from the search engines.

I've brushed off this oldie, How Do I Keep My Lens Fresh?, to give you some suggestions for freshening up those holiday lenses. Have other ideas to offer for how to update a holiday lens? Feel free to talk about them in a comment below.

Watch Out! Cainiac Loose on Squidoo!

2011-10-28T14:50:00.003-05:00

It's no secret to people who know me that I'm a bit of a political junkie with a definite lean to the right. Politics is a topic I really enjoy debating on my Squidoo lenses. One of those politically-oriented lenses even made Lens of the Day back during the 2008 election cycle.

Lately my political lenses have focused on one candidate, one I don't just write about but one I truly support. Last night, my husband and I were honored to get to hear him speak in person! My pictures didn't turn out worth a hoot, but thankfully I was able to grab this video from one of our local news station websites:

Did you see me in the crowd? Nah, I didn't either. But I know I was there. No apologies. Just call me a Cainiac.

If you want to learn more about my current favorite candidate and why I've jumped on the Cain Train, you'll find information in my Herman Cain lenses, here.

Is there a political candidate that you support? Have you made a lens about him or her, or about your pet political issue? Feel free to drop a lens link in a comment below.

Another Month Bites The Dust

2011-09-30T12:23:00.001-05:00

Can't believe that tomorrow is October already. I'm really not sure what happened to September except that it flew by faster than a colorful autumn leaf in a windstorm.

I hope your Halloween lenses are doing well. Have you noticed any difference in visits since the advent of the new Squidoo Happy Halloween magazine? If you have, I'd love to know.

The stores, of course, are full of Halloween things, but I expect to see some red and green crowding out the orange well before the month is over. Have you started gearing up your lens list with new or updated goodies for Christmas/gift shoppers? Planning anything special to market to holiday shoppers this year?

I'd love if we could collect some marketing ideas here in the comments section. If you have a brilliant or even a basic idea for marketing holiday lenses on Squidoo, would you share it with us in a comment below? I'd appreciate it and I believe others would, too. I'll be sharing a few of my own ideas in the coming days and weeks.

Thanks, and an early "Ho, ho, ho!" to you, too!

Housework Really Is Fun When It's the Lens of the Day

2011-09-29T08:51:00.000-05:00

Housework really is fun, especially when my lens about it is selected Lens of the Day!

What a nice surprise this morning to wake up to lots and lots of comments to approve, a sure sign that something special is going on on Squidoo. Today, my lens Housework - How to Make it Fast and Keep it Fun, is Lens of the Day.

I've had a couple other LOTD's, but the excitement never lessens and, in fact, today I'm feeling especially blessed by the honor. What wonderful comments the lens has received already!

Thank you, Squidoo, and thanks lensmasters for visiting my Lens of the Day. Here's wishing happy housekeeping for all of us!

Why I Appreciate Cows

2011-07-06T15:17:00.000-05:00

It continues to amaze me how many people find my How to Make a Cow Costume page this time of year. You see, this coming Friday is Cow Appreciation Day at Chick-Fil-A and people really want free food! To get it, all they have to do is dress up like a cow. To do that, they need instructions.

Not sure why I'm surprised about the traffic. After all, the point of the page is to show people how to make or where to buy a cow costume. And the spike in traffic every end of June/early July is certainly tied to Chick-Fil-A's annual event. In other words, the lens is working as planned!

Of course there's a spike in October, too, as people plan Halloween costumes. But actually this is a fairly popular lens that gets traffic year-round. I guess people have other, year-round reasons to dress up like a cow. And I certainly appreciate that!

Do you have a lens that gets traffic spikes that surprise you? Leave a link in your comment!

How to Generate a Spike in Your Squidoo Lens Traffic

2011-06-24T10:56:00.001-05:00

Kimberly wrote at SquidooHQ today about Lens Ideas for July. Good suggestions there to get you thinking outside the box a bit, but more importantly to get you thinking about niche topics/holidays that not everyone is writing about.

There WILL be people searching for those topics when the day comes. Know how I know? Did you ever look at logos that Google displays on their main page? Frequently they will display special logos drawn to commemorate a holiday or event. A recent favorite was on June 9th, Les Paul's 96th birthday. Take a look at the Les Paul logo - and strum the strings!

Now, take a look at this graph that shows the Google search trend for Les Paul:

See that huge spike? That was June 9, 2011, the day Google displayed their special logo and millions of curious people googled "Les Paul" to find out more about him.

While I won't promise you a Les Paul spike in Squidoo traffic, I will promise you that people will be searching to learn about unique holidays and topics they hear about as they happen. No reason in the world it shouldn't be your lens that they find when they do their search!

So, what niche holiday or topic are you going to write about in the coming month? Have you had a lens spike in the past? Tell us about it in a comment below.

Happy Flag Day, USA!

2011-06-14T08:49:00.000-05:00

June 14th is Flag Day in the U.S. Are you flying the American flag today?

Ever wonder why the American Flag is red, white, and blue? Ah, I've got a lens for that!

How about you. Do you make patriotic lenses? If you do and you've always wanted a patriotic lens theme, be sure to vote for the 25th Squidoo lens theme!

After you do, feel free to post a link to your favorite patriotic lens right here in a comment.

How Do We Look On a Smart Phone?

2011-06-10T15:50:00.001-05:00

I do try to keep up with science and technology, but I don't have a smart phone - yet. For that reason, I can't check to see how this blog looks displayed in its mobile version.

There is a mobile version available now (I love you, Blogger) and I just updated the blog's settings so that if you view this blog on your phone, you'll see that version.

Anyone want to check it out for me? Go to www.isquidoodoyou.com on your phone and see what you see. Then let me know how it looks, would you? Thanks!

(One more reason that someday I will be able to justify having a smart phone!)

Summer Sale on Kindle Books

2011-06-07T14:26:00.000-05:00

I should be writing and updating my lenses, but instead I'm reading. Reading and buying books, in fact. Kindle books, of course.

There's a Sunshine Sale going on right now in the Kindle store with over 600 titles selling for 99 cents, $1.99, or $2.99. I just bought three. Or was it four? These are terrific titles, too, not unknown books by unknown authors.

You do know that you don't have to own a Kindle to read Kindle books, yes? If you didn't know that and don't own a Kindle yet, read this.

I really do need to get back to work, writing, but I'll be visiting the Kindle store again before the Sunshine Sale ends on June 15th, and chances are good that I'll be spending more money there. Sales on Kindle books are few and far between, so I'm going to take advantage of these low prices.

How about you? Do you like book bargains? Do you read Kindle books? Tell me what you've been reading recently.

New SquidU Leadership Council Elected

2011-06-06T16:33:00.000-05:00

The new SquidU Leadership Council has been elected, and a fine lineup of nine lensmasters they are! I have to admire their courage for volunteering for an as yet undefined job that obviously isn't going to be easy.

I really like to be positive about things, but this time I'm going to make an exception and mention the very uncalled-for comments by several lensmasters in what should be a pure "congratulations and thank you" thread. Don't these complainers have any idea how they sound? If I were starting a "three strikes and you're out" SquidU scorecard, there would be several on it with one strike already. For the sake of the council and the future of SquidU, I hope those who complained will leave the forum and take their bad attitudes with them. (End of negative comment.)

My best wishes to the nine council members, thank you in advance for serving, and many thanks to those community members who voted.

Another Reason to Choose a Great Intro Module Photo

2011-06-01T20:36:00.000-05:00

Have you noticed that now you can choose SIX related lenses to feature in the right side margin of each of your lenses? List them in the "Related Lenses" tab of the intro module in the lens workshop. After your lens is published, check that right sidebar for the "Explore related pages" section and you'll see all six lenses displayed there, along with their intro module photos. Very eye-catching and very cool!

If you don't specify six lenses, Squidoo will use your tags to choose the lenses that will display in that space. If someone else who has a lens with a similar topic doesn't specify six lenses, it's possible that one of your lenses might show on that person's related pages section.

So . . . Make sure your intro module picture is a good one. You never know where it might show up!

Weigh In On the Latest Round of Changes on Squidoo

2011-05-27T17:11:00.000-05:00

How are you liking (or not) the new lens layout, new themes, and this week's other changes on Squidoo?

I'd love if you'd leave a comment here and/or on my Facebook page to share your opinion.

If you don't know what I'm talking about, this page will enlighten you.

So, comments?

Squidoo Tags - Have You Noticed?

2011-05-06T21:22:00.000-05:00

Tags on Squidoo lenses are much more noticeable now. Have you noticed?

You'll find the "Related Tags" section on the right-hand side of each lens. Each one is linked to a tags page, consisting of a list of all lenses that use that same tag.

This week, Squidoo changed the display of the tags, making them much more noticeable. The format practically screams, "Click me!" And people will click. I know I've been clicking on tag links, on my own lenses as well as others', ever since the change just to see what I can see.

So, what will visitors to your lenses see when they click on your tags? I already told you that they'll go to a tags page with a list of lenses. So, why is this important to you? It's important because when a visitor to a lens on a topic similar to yours clicks out on that lens's related tag, you want to be sure that your lenses on the same topic show up on that tag's page. Why? So those visitors will click on and visit your lenses.

Make sense?

Update your lenses with the right tags and see if you notice an increase in the number of visits to your lenses. I'll be updating my tags and watching my stats, how about you?

Monthly Squidoo Profile Tune-Up

2011-05-03T09:41:00.000-05:00

Here's a quick Squidoo tip for today. It's a new month. Time to update your profile.

You can feature up to five lenses on your lensmaster profile page. Last month you might have featured Easter lenses. This month, change the lenses to reflect the calendar by choosing topics related to Mother's Day, Memorial Day, or summer vacations. Go to the "Profile" tab on your dashboard and look for "featured lenses" to update your choices.

While you're there, take a look at your default lensmaster bio. Is it up-to-date? If not, take this opportunity to freshen it up a bit, too. Not sure what to write? Click here to learn how to write a Squidoo bio.

Ahhh. Now your profile is fresh as a May flower. Doesn't that feel better?

Which Holiday Are You Gearing Up For?

2011-04-25T15:25:00.000-05:00

My Easter lenses performed rather well this year, overall much better than in years past. (I'll never understand Google, but this year I like the way it treated me.) Three of them should qualify for tier one earnings this month and had several sales, so I'm happy about that.

So, on to the next holiday. "And which holiday would that be?" Glad you asked!

It isn't too late to make a lens for Mother's Day (though likely it will perform better next year than this), but it isn't too early to make lenses for back to school or Halloween or Christmas either. Those are the three top selling seasons, so I hope you'll start planning lenses for one or all of them and get them published soon in order to let them "age" a bit. Don't forget occasions such as weddings or special birthdays, though. Those occasions occur year-round and it's a great idea to add them to your lens collection in order to keep lensrank and sales figures up all year long.

Making lenses for holidays and special occasions is a good idea, but always remember to make them with your unique spin. You're probably tired of reading it, but I will never tire of reminding you (and myself) that unique, useful, updated, passionate lenses perform best.

Happy holidays!

Choosing a Squidoo Theme - Which is More Readable?

2011-04-22T11:13:00.000-05:00

Squidoo offers some awesome themes for our lenses and they're adding more and more. Specialty themes for holidays and seasons are great for certain lenses. I've discovered that on some of my lenses, though, especially those that are more "wordy" and educational, I really want to emphasize module titles - and sometimes it seems that the ads get in the way.

Recently I've been switching some of my lenses from a standard theme (such as Big Lucid) to the Highlighter theme. This makes it really easy for visitors who are scanning through to see the main parts of the lens. Also, at the top of the lens, it brings the eye to the module titles rather than to the ads. Earning money with ads is great, but I really do want people not to miss the contents of the lens because it blends in with the ads.

Here's an example. Look at these two pictures of the same lens, one with Big Lucid as the theme, the other with Highlighter.

See what I mean? Do you agree that it's easier to see what I've written when it's highlighted and that the ads get in the way of my text otherwise?

I'd like to know what you think. Which themes are your favorites? Do you vary your choice of theme depending on the lens topic? Let me know in a comment below.

Spelling and Grammar Errors on Squidoo

2011-04-07T14:56:00.000-05:00

What do you do when you find a lens on a wonderful topic, passionately written, but with multiple spelling or grammar errors?

Do you contact the lensmaster and point out the errors? Do you "like" the lens anyway and ignore those pesky apostrophes? Do you just grit your teeth and hit the "back" button?

Or do you even notice grammar and spelling mistakes?

This is an area I have a hard time with because I really don't want to hurt anyone's feelings, but I'll admit that poor grammar and repeated misspellings drive me ABSOLUTELY CRAZY! (Sorry for shouting.)

What should I do? What do you do? I'd really like to know.

Photo by crazytales562 (a fellow grammar greek) via a Creative Commons license

Interview's Up!

2011-04-06T08:28:00.000-05:00

Kimberly has been interviewing "successful Squids" on the SquidBlog for the last couple of weeks. My interview is up today! {blush}

I hope folks can take something productive away from it, something they can apply in their own Squid lives.

If you read it, I hope you'll leave a comment to let me know what you found that was helpful. Thanks!

Progress Bar on Squidoo - Pros and Cons?

2011-03-29T11:03:00.001-05:00

Have you seen the new progress bar on Squidoo? In case you haven't, go look at one of your own lenses now. On the right, just below your bio, is a green bar showing "lens progress" with a percentage posted next to it. Click on "see your progress" below the bar for details. There you'll see a list with 11 items, with the completed ones checked off.

New lensmasters that I know really like the progress bar. As they make a new lens, they are prompted to complete each one of the steps (write more in your intro, add an intro photo, pick a topic and subtopic, add a social module, etc.). It's very encouraging for these young Squids to achieve some immediate gratification as well as to be able to gauge their progress.

The last two items on the list, "Get at least 20 SquidLikes" and "Get SquidLiked By a Giant Squid," have generated some controversy among experienced Squids. While the first nine items on the progress list are items that lensmasters directly control, completion of the last two items requires other registered Squidoo users to visit and "like" the lens, with at least one of those "likes" being from a Giant Squid. While there are ways to promote a lens within the Squidoo community, most lenses are written with a different audience in mind. Most lensmasters would be much happier with 20 visits to the lens from strangers rather than having 20 fellow Squidizens visit and like the lens. In fact, many people couldn't care less how many SquidLikes a lens gets in its lifetime - as long as it gets search engine traffic from shoppers.

While a number of people have voiced their concerns (some rather loudly) about these last two "requirements," at least one person has suggested that the first nine items on the list should comprise 100% completeness while the last two be added on as a bonus. That seems like a good idea. Obviously having traffic from shoppers is very important, but it's also true that participation in the social aspects of Squidoo figures into lensrank calculation. So, having those peer "likes" has potential monetary benefit, too.

I've been around Squidoo long enough to know that almost all changes create controversy and, occasionally, chaos among the troops and some lensmasters can be very vocal about their disapproval. "This too shall pass" is usually the way I handle situations like this one, but I'll admit that I was glad, and somewhat relieved, to hear the positive feedback from those in my small group of young Squids about the progress bar.

My plan is to take those last two items on the progress list and use them as an object lesson for teaching promotion of lenses in general and participation in the Squidoo community in particular. If others will stop worrying and simply adhere to TOS and not beg, bribe, or otherwise plead for their 20 "likes" but use good promotion and social media practices instead, I think they'll be far better off. Which I'm pretty sure was the reason for the progress bar in the first place.

Sales Lenses vs Product Review Lenses: What's the Difference and Why Should You Care?

2011-03-16T15:11:00.001-05:00

I really like today's SquidBlog post, written by Robin about Brenda's recommendation of Katinka's lens about her favorite office chair. But enough name dropping. Let me get to the point.

Robin points out that to create a good, well-written "sales" lens, don't think sales. Think product recommendation.

What do you as a consumer want to learn from a product review or recommendation? You probably want to know a lot about the product, including details and specs, but you probably also want to know how a real person feels about that product. I know that I am far more comfortable shopping based on personal recommendations than from "facts" that oftentimes sound as if they've been translated from a foreign language by a computer.

I agree with Brenda and Robin. Katinka did a fabulous job presenting the product in her lens, covering both the technical aspects and the psychological or emotional aspects in a way that not only makes for a quality lens but is very likely to convert readers to customers. Read the blog post, then visit the lens if you're interested in learning how to write a product recommendation or review lens that people will actually want to read.

Hooked By a Renaissance Woman

2011-03-09T09:53:00.000-06:00

Have you seen today's Lens of the Day? Take a look.

This is a wonderful example of a unique, useful lens. Full of original content, personal stories, and passion. And a hook.

The author can easily expand this lens if she wants to, updating it with more questions and answers (as Kimberly explained in her LOTD blog write-up). I hope that's all she adds.

Notice that there's only one sales module in the body of the lens, a nice selection of books that follow her story. She does have a couple of items on the right sidebar. They're applicable to her topic but had she placed them in the body of the lens, I think they would have detracted greatly from her simple living topic.

When I read this lens, I found myself wanting to know more about the author, so I clicked on her bio. That took me to another of her Renaissance lenses that also included some well-presented, wisely-chosen books. Not too much, but just enough. Again, simple and uncluttered, complementing her lifestyle. Very nicely done.

I can imagine this series expanding with the addition of how-to lenses on self-discovery, self-sufficiency, and survival topics. I don't know what her plans are, but I suspect that as she writes more lenses, those topics will be her choices since they seem to be her life. I hope so. I'm hooked and I want to read more.

Do you have a passion or a hobby or a lifestyle or even a business to share? Make a lens. Make it unique. Keep it simple. Hook someone on you so they'll want more.

Lensmasters, This is a Great Lens

2011-03-01T18:37:00.002-06:00

"Gentlemen, this is a football." It is said that at the beginning of every season, legendary football coach Vince Lombardi would open the first team meeting with that statement. Of course his players knew what a football was, but the point was to remind them of the importance of never losing sight of the basics. It's a lesson that applies to many aspects of life, including making lenses on Squidoo.

When you're planning your next Squidoo lens, stop for a minute and think of the basics of good lenscrafting. Will your lens contain useful, up-to-date information? Will you make the lens unique by injecting into the lens your experiences and your passion for the subject? If not, it might be a good idea to go back to the drawing board and re-think your plan.

The difference between a mediocre lens and a good lens should be obvious. The difference between a good lens and a great lens is rooted in the basics of excellent lenscrafting. Remember those basics so that when it's time to click the "Publish" button you'll be able to proudly say to yourself, "Lensmaster, this is a great lens!"

P.S. If you need to review the basics of crafting great lenses on Squidoo, take a look right here.

Look Familiar?

2011-02-26T18:01:00.000-06:00

Got my shirt. Look familiar?

Check the right sidebar. See it?

You can get one, too. Right here.

Poke the Box for a Buck!

2011-02-21T14:24:00.000-06:00

The other day I wrote about Seth Godin's new book, Poke the Box, coming out on March 1st.

Well, HEADS UP! The price of the Kindle version of the book is now $1 (that's one dollar - one buck) if you preorder before March 1st when the price goes back up.

If you didn't order your copy yet, do it today before you forget! If you don't have Kindle, no problem! Just get one of the free Kindle reading apps here. I'm sure you have one of the platforms for which they're available, including the one you're reading this on right now.

Go, do it! Poke The Box.

How to Start a Blog

2011-02-21T11:31:00.000-06:00

I think most readers of this blog already have a blog of their own, but in case you don't, here's a page I just found that gives a good overview of how to start a blog on blogger.

The "How to create a blog with blogger" video that you'll find linked on that page is 2 minutes long and, while ever so slightly out of date, is a very good overview.

If you don't have a blog yet, I'd highly recommend you get one started. A blog is a good place to post your new Squidoo lenses in order to provide a backlink. I don't necessarily recommend a blog just to post your lenses. Instead, start a personal blog or a business blog and add posts occasionally (once or twice a week is good) to share interesting, related information about what you like personally or what you do professionally, including your new lens links. Consider the purpose of your blog before you give it a name and consider a name that reflects your "brand." In fact, if you're going to use your name online, might as well grab the URL for your name and use that for your blog.

Not sure what else to write about? Holidays like today (President's Day in the U.S.) are a great excuse for a blog post. For example, here's my post for today on my personal blog.

Checking out other people's blog is a really good way to get ideas for your own. Do you have a blog? Feel free to leave the link on a comment below so we can take a look. If you don't, click here to learn how to start a blog today!

Will You Poke the Box?

2011-02-13T12:57:00.000-06:00

Most of you probably know that Seth Godin is the founder of Squidoo. He also is the author of a dozen bestselling books. His new one, Poke The Box, will be out March 1st.

Last night I saw the book's complete cover for the first time. It's different, but so is Seth.

What I love is the description on the flap of the book cover, starting with, "When is the last time you did something for the first time?"

Well, do you remember when you did?

The description just gets better from there. I would encourage you to read it. Read how Seth defines our position in the world. Maybe it's just me, but I find those words intriguing and very inspiring. In fact, I've read that whole section several times and keep going back to it, wondering about my position in the world and what uniqueness I have yet to contribute.

If you like what you read on the cover, consider ordering the book. You can find it here. (The Kindle edition is currently the best price and remember, you don't have to have a Kindle to read Kindle books. You can download one of the free reading apps for PC, Mac, or most smart phones and read it in any (or all) of those places. The free reading apps are here.)

And if you do buy the book, come back in early March after you read it and let me know what you've decided to instigate or provoke. There's going to be a lot of that going on, so you'd might as well be part of it!

Speaking of Squidoo Video Tutorials

2011-02-02T14:19:00.000-06:00

Yesterday I posted a video tutorial that I made about lensrolling on Squidoo. Today, I'd like to point you to The Official Squidoo Channel on YouTube.

Topics covered by the Squid Staff so far include how to send a Squidcast, how to sign up for Squidoo, how to use the Zazzle module, an explanation and demonstration of Squidoo sidebar widgets, and more.

If you're among those who like to learn by watching video demonstrations, then you might want to subscribe to Squidoo's YouTube channel. Consider subscribing to my channel, too, so you don't miss my "learn to Squidoo" video tutorials as they're added. Even if you don't want to subscribe, I strongly recommend that you open an account on YouTube to claim your online brand name - before somebody else does (it happens). Then let me know when you make your first video to use on a lens on Squidoo!

How and Why to Lensroll Lenses on Squidoo

2011-02-01T15:44:00.001-06:00

This video shows you, step by step, how to lensroll a lens on Squidoo.

For more information, check out this lens.

Which way do you prefer learning, from a video or from reading an explanation on a lens? Please let me know in a comment below!

New Themes on Squidoo!

2011-01-29T09:55:00.000-06:00

I'm tickled pink about the latest new themes on Squidoo.

There are four of them, announced here with samples linked here.

My Think Pink lens has been waiting for years for the bubblegum pink theme and I'm very happy with the way it looks.

Next task will be to go through my list of lenses and see if any others might be candidates for an easy face lift. I like the timing - pink in time for Valentine's Day and all the rest just ahead of spring cleaning and spruce-up time!

What do you think? Like the new themes? Which is your favorite? Leave a comment to let us know.

How to Sell Expensive Items on Squidoo

2011-01-14T09:41:00.000-06:00

Someone asked me yesterday how to write a lens about an item that is higher priced but still affordable so they could increase their income from Squidoo. Thought I'd share my answer here.

The simple answer is that you write about expensive items the exact same way you write about lower priced items. You provide the UUU (useful, updated, unique) content but choose a higher priced item that people actually buy. To find one, go to Amazon.com and look at the bestsellers in the categories that you like writing about. Find a higher priced item that appeals to you, research it, and make a lens about it.

A fact I try to remember is this: Just because I can't afford it doesn't mean nobody can afford it. If it's a bestseller on Amazon, that means people are buying it - so somebody can afford it! I couldn't afford a Kindle when they first came out, but it appealed to me so I researched it, wrote about it, provided what at that time was very unique information about it, and I sold enough of them through my lenses that I could afford to buy one for myself! No reason you can't choose any other popular item and do the same thing.

Keep your lens very oriented to that one particular item, make the information worthwhile (useful), put your own spin on it (unique) and people will find your lens. The method isn't foolproof, but you have nothing to lose by choosing an expensive item to promote. If it doesn't work, try it again. If it does work, by all means try it again and watch your income grow!

Do you sell expensive items on Squidoo? I'd love to hear about your experience in a comment below.

Discouraged With Your Progress on Squidoo?

2011-01-13T22:38:00.000-06:00

If you get discouraged with your progress on Squidoo (we all do sometimes, don't we?) read this advice which I offered to a new lensmaster today on the SquidU forum. (It did me good to read it after I wrote it. I hope it helps you, too.)

Set daily goals as well as long-term goals. Write down what you will do each day and when you finish one thing, draw a line through it. Seeing a list with completed tasks each evening is very encouraging.

Devote a portion of your day to Squidoo education, some to promotion and social networking, and some to updating old or making new lenses.

Pace yourself and focus, focus, focus and I think you'll find yourself feeling encouraged more than discouraged with your progress on Squidoo.

Rainbow Fonts - Just Say No!

2011-01-11T18:37:00.000-06:00

Oh, my. I know it's fun to play with color codes and make our lenses look pretty, but I'd like to offer a piece of advice. Please don't use multiple colors of text on a lens. If there's a particular, really important piece of text that warrants highlighting, then it maybe, possibly, might be okay to make that text a different color. But in most cases, in fact in almost all cases, black text on the normal Squidoo lens background is perfectly sufficient and much easier to read - all the way down the page.

That's all I'm going to say about that.

What do you think? Am I right or just being a cranky baby boomer?

Squidoo Quick Tip: Celebrity Birthdays

2011-01-10T08:08:00.000-06:00

If you have a Squidoo lens about a celebrity or other public figure, or even a historical character, include their age and date of birth on the lens. People often google, "How old is" so-and-so and if you have a lens about their so-and-so, your lens might just show on the search results.

Consider using a countdown module for the birthday, too, but keep a record on your calendar so you can update the counter each year on the appropriate day.

That's today's Squidoo quick tip.

P.S. Happy 7th birthday, Kaitlyn Maher!

A Lesson on Lensrank

2011-01-07T09:24:00.001-06:00

One of the things you have to learn to understand Squidoo is the language. "Lensrank" (or lens rank) is a term that you'll hear a lot and it's important to understand what it means.

Simply put, lensrank is where your lens ranks compared to all the 1.8 million (and climbing) lenses on Squidoo. The lower the number, the better. In other words, a lensrank of 1 is the very best and the rank that everyone strives for but few achieve.

So, how is lensrank calculated? Good question! The answer is a closely guarded Squidoo secret, but we do know some of the factors that affect lensrank. Traffic, or the number of visits to a lens, is a big factor. Fresh content, or how recently the lens has been updated, is clearly a huge factor. Record the lensrank on one of your lenses then give it a quick update by replacing dead links with good ones, adding a poll or a picture, or even simply rewording a paragraph. Then check lensrank for that lens the next day and see how it has improved. You might be very surprised at the result.

Another important factor in lensrank is the number of clickouts a lens gets. Make sure that when a visitor to your lens is finished reading that they have someplace to go next. Yes, they can click on an ad or on one of the related lenses that Squidoo provides for them on the right sidebar, but wouldn't it be better if they went to, say, one of your own related lenses that you've featured in the body of the lens? Or, better yet, to an Amazon or eBay link that you've provided where they can buy something? The back button doesn't count as a clickout, so make it a practice to provide links for your readers to use to move forward as they read your lens.

If a visitor to your lens does click on one of those product links that you've provided and makes a purchase, that counts as a sale for your lens. Sales, too, are part of the lensrank calculation. So are "likes" or "thumbs up" ratings that the lens receives. When you visit a lens, be courteous and rate it with a thumbs up (assuming you like it). That helps the lensmaster who, in turn, may just visit your lens and help you.

Some of the factors in lensrank must be earned along your Squidoo journey. That includes purple stars (which used to be awarded to Giants only, but now anyone can earn a purple star for an outstanding lens), Squidangel blessings (Squidangels patrol Squidoo looking for great lenses to "bless" with a special boost), and boosts that all Giant Squids automatically receive for their lenses. To earn Giant Squid status, you must make 50 great lenses and then apply for the Giants program. Your lenses will be evaluated and, if they are deemed truly great, you will be awarded Giant Squid status and all of your lenses will benefit from it.

There are other factors involved in calculating lensrank, including the social activity on Squidoo that we talked about yesterday. Since part of your earning potential on Squidoo is based on the rank of your lenses, keep all of these things in mind when planning and writing your lenses. Make time to update lenses on a regular basis, and reevaluate your lenses periodically with improving lensrank in mind to see what you might add, delete, or change that could help move your pages on Squidoo up the lensrank ladder.

For more information on lensrank, check out this lens, and this one. To see the top 100 lenses on Squidoo by lensrank, look here.

How about you? What do you do to help improve your lensrank? Tips are always appreciated!

Getting Social on Squidoo and What It Can Do For You

2011-01-06T14:00:00.001-06:00

There are a lot of reasons to be social on Squidoo. By being social, I mean doing such things as visiting other people's lenses, joining fan clubs, leaving comments on lenses and on lensmaster pages, and participating on the SquidU forum. If you aren't doing those things, here's why you should.

Participation on Squidoo unlocks privileges. Leaving comments or voting in polls on lenses will help you earn points. The more points you earn, the higher your level will climb and the more privileges you will unlock. For instance, when you first open an account on Squidoo you do not have access to certain templates and even certain modules within Squidoo. As you earn points from making lenses, leaving comments,"liking" lenses, participating in polls on other people's lenses, etc., those templates, modules, and a number of other privileges become available.

Participation on the SquidU forum leads to more traffic for your lenses, which leads to higher lensrank and more visibility for your lenses. As you become active in conversations on the forum and people get to know you, they're going to want to check out your lenses. The more noticeable your presence, the more likely it becomes that people will find your lenses, join your fan club, leave comments, participate in your polls and leave comments in your guestbooks, and rate your lenses. That extra traffic and subsequent interaction with your lenses results in better lensrank.

As your lensrank improves as a result of more traffic from people ON Squidoo, search engines begin to notice the attention to your lenses. This ultimately results in greater respect for your lenses by the search engines, leading to higher visibility of your lenses in search results and, thus, more traffic from people OFF Squidoo. Getting traffic from the search engines, of course, is your ultimate goal.

Oh, and did I mention that social interaction is tracked on Squidoo and is part of lensrank calculation? That's a fact.

Can you see how spending even 10 minutes a day interacting with other lensmasters and their lenses is a good investment of your time? Your lenses benefit in so many ways. Besides, you'll meet some of the smartest and friendliest people in the world on Squidoo. It's true!

How about you. Are you social on Squidoo?

Traffic on Squidoo: It's All About UUU

2011-01-05T14:10:00.000-06:00

Probably the most-asked question on Squidoo is, "How can I get people to look at my lenses?"

There's a very short e-book with the answer. It's known as the UUU book, "Unique, Useful, and Updated: Three Secrets to Web Traffic." Its author is none other than bestselling author and famous internet marketing expert Seth Godin, who happens to be the inventor of Squidoo.

Before you do another thing on Squidoo (or your first thing on Squidoo if you're new) I suggest that you download and read the UUU book. It only has 13 pages and some of them have pictures, so it won't take long to read. Read it through once, then go back and read it again and click on its links to see the examples that Seth uses to demonstrate his points.

Memorize UUU. Not the book, the letters and what they mean. (Or the book if you really want to.) Write it down and tape it to your wall or computer screen so that when you make a lens - no, before you make a lens - you'll see it and apply Seth's advice.

Trust me on this one. It'll be worth your time.

Click here for the book.

Squidoo Policy Changes and How They Might Affect You

2011-01-05T09:39:00.000-06:00

There are a couple of recent Squidoo policy changes that pertain to everyone but are especially important for those of us with existing lenses.

First, the Intro module MUST contain at least 200 characters, so be sure your intro text is long enough! The intro must also contain a picture. IF YOU EDIT AN OLD LENS and the intro is too short when you hit "publish," the lens will revert to unpublished. You'll get a message that your intro module is too short and you'll have to fix it. However, when you fix it and publish again, lensrank will start all over, which means your first lensrank will likely be in the millions. Since Squidoo ad pay is based on average lensrank for the month, even if the lens previously ranked in the top payout tier (from 1 to 2000), your average likely will be shot and you probably won't get that top tier payout. So be careful when you edit your lenses and check the length of that intro module!

The second policy change is that lenses may contain no more than 10 Amazon modules and five eBay modules. If you have existing lenses with more, don't worry because those old lenses are grandfathered into this policy; however, when you edit one of those lenses you won't be able to add any more of those modules, so just keep that in mind. For new lenses, though, no one is exempt from this policy so plan accordingly.

To keep updated on important changes within Squidoo and how they might affect you, subscribe to the SquidBlog and visit the SquidU forum regularly.

Squidoo Lens Reorganization Project for the New Year

2010-12-29T10:46:00.001-06:00

If you've been thinking that you need to get more organized in the new year, you're in luck when it comes to organizing your Squidoo lenses.

This SquidBlog post is a heads up on the new, three-level categorizing system coming soon to a Squidoo near you. I think everyone will be thrilled to know that we will soon be able to categorize, sub-categorize, and sub-subcategorize each of our lenses. (Well, not everyone. Sometimes change doesn't come easily to Squidoo lensmasters, but I digress.) Clearly, having a new, more specific way to assign topics to our lenses should be a good change.

Once the system is live, lenses will be re-ranked within the new topic areas. Seems to me this should allow more lenses to rank higher on more top 100 lists, but we shall see. Before the new topic ranking is published, Squidoo will allow a week or two for lensmasters to go through our lenses and find a proper topical home for each one using a bulk topic recategorizer tool.

I love the timing of this release in that it coincides with the natural inclination many of us seem to have this time of year to tidy up and organize our belongings, including our pages on Squidoo. Begin thinking of how you'd like to group your lenses and watch for further announcements of the new topics. This is one change I'm really looking forward to.

How about you? Does re-categorization of your lenses sound like a positive move? I'd love to read your thoughts in a comment below.

Merry Christmas 2010

2010-12-25T17:38:00.000-06:00

It's late in the day, Christmas day 2010. I hope you had a wonderful holiday with family and friends. As for me, I'm just happy to be around again this year to celebrate the coming of our Lord. Life is fragile and I cherish every day.

I talked a little about goals in a previous post and that subject has continued in the front of my mind. I'm developing a plan to help mentor new lensmasters in the coming year and I'll talk more about that here in a few days. If you're new on Squidoo or know someone who is, someone who might appreciate a little extra help getting started, be sure and check back soon to see how you or they can get involved. Better yet, subscribe to our updates using one of the links to the right.

In the meantime, have another slice of pumpkin pie then snuggle in front of the fireplace with your sweetie and enjoy one more holiday movie. Make the moment last a little bit longer before getting back to business.

I hope Santa brought you everything you asked for! See you soon back on Squidoo.

Two Thousand Squidoo Goals for 2011

2010-12-16T10:50:00.002-06:00

Someone earned $2000 this payout on Squidoo. Now, that's a noteworthy accomplishment. In her topic of the day on the SquidU forum, Kimberly asked how earning $2000 a month would change your life, and she asked what you're going to do to make it happen. That got me to thinking about goals for 2011.

I've already decided that I need to do more to give back to the Squidoo community. There's a rule of life, called the law of reciprocity, that the more you (unselfishly) give, the more you get in return. In terms of income, it's tempting for me to make lots of lenses to promote affiliate products, but there's really very little sharing in that. Logically, it seems that the more I use my own affiliate links, the more money I should make. And it's true that I've made a lot more this year than last with personal affiliate earnings. But I have to wonder what I'm missing as I more frequently bypass the modules that are designed for sharing revenue with Squidoo.

I've always told new lensmasters that Squidoo provides their fabulous platform to us for free and that it's my opinion that we should honor that by donating a portion of our lenses' earnings to charity, through Squidoo. I also believe that we should use at least an occasional revenue sharing module on each lens even when we use our own associate links (Amazon being the prime example). I was really happy when the right-margin module option was added to our lenses; that's such a quick and easy way to spotlight an Amazon item or two (or three) and, frankly, it's an easy way to honor the revenue sharing relationship. While I'm doing all these things, though, I still feel that there's something I'm missing.

Could I give more? Could you? We each have to answer that question for ourselves, but I know I'm going to be thinking hard about it that law of reciprocity and acting accordingly. Whether I'll get to the $2000 mark or not, time will tell. But I know I'm going to feel better about myself for trying.

How about you? Any thoughts about your 2011 goals that you'd like to share?

P.S. The law of reciprocity applies to more than money. Giving of your time and talents pays off in great rewards, too. Just something else to think about.

Free Shipping on Custom Ornaments Today

2010-11-09T12:21:00.001-06:00

Have you seen the new custom ornaments at Zazzle? I love 'em!

Good news, but you have to act fast. Through November 11, 2010, at midnight Pacific time, order an ornament from Zazzle and get free shipping! Use the code ORNAMENTSHIP at checkout.

I made this simple ornament which is customizable with your lensmaster name and the name of the recipient on the back. Or, of course, you can design your own. Click here to get started.

Hurry!

Learn Internet Marketing in Person

2010-11-06T10:39:00.000-05:00

So you have an online business. Now what? If you found out the hard way that the "build it and they will come" philosophy doesn't necessarily work online - even on Squidoo - then you might want to invest some time learning internet marketing principles that you can apply to your business. Internet marketing training is probably exactly what you need, and I know someone who can help - in person.

My friend Phaedra Stockstill has scheduled an internet marketing training seminar November 22, 2010, live and in person in Patterson, Louisiana. Phaedra has worked online for over 10 years in e-commerce. From merchant to consultant to social media representative, Phaedra knows what she's doing and she's ready to share her knowledge and experience with you, knowledge to empower you with tools and information to help your business grow.

Learn how to market your business online using current relationship marketing techniques, social media, branding, building trust with your customers and much more. Though the class isn't designed for Squidoo lensmasters specifically, the marketing principles are still ones you can apply to promote your Squidoo business.

You'll enjoy Phaedra's dynamic personality, and the small class size will allow for plenty of personal attention. Sign up today for one of the just ten seats in this seminar for relevant information that you can apply to your business immediately, and watch your business grow in 2011.

Happy 5 Year Anniversary, Squidoo!

2010-10-12T15:00:00.001-05:00

Squidoo turns five today. To celebrate, they're giving away money.

Happy anniversary, Squidoo! And many, many more!

How to Use Wikipedia to Get Traffic To Squidoo

2010-10-06T09:41:00.000-05:00

You've no doubt heard of Wikipedia, the online, collaborative encyclopedia of almost everything. When people want to know more about something or someone new and interesting, they often search "wikipedia" first. Here's how you can use the popularity of Wikipedia to get traffic to your Squidoo lenses.

The first and most obvious is to include information from Wikipedia about the subject of your lens, making sure you attribute that information back to Wikipedia as its source. While that's easily done with Squidoo's Wikipedia module, I often pull pertinent facts from the article and present them in a text module with the attribution in a link at the bottom, like this. If the Wikipedia article is well written, sometimes I'll use the Wikipedia module or use a text module and quote a portion and then link back to the source with a "read the rest of the Wikipedia article" link.

But what if you're writing about a topic that isn't on Wikipedia yet? (If you are, good for you - you may have hit on a nice niche of your own.) In that case, find a related Wikipedia topic to include in your lens. Use either of the above methods to include the information in your lens, but make sure to attribute and link back to Wikipedia. Then, chances are that when someone else wants to learn about your subject and they search the name of the subject plus "wikipedia," they'll find your lens.

What do I mean by a related topic? In my Voca People lens, I used Wikipedia to explain the meaning of the term a cappella. Now, the word "Wikipedia" is associated with "Voca People" and my lens has become the authority site for that singing group. Try the search, or see how I did it here.

The accuracy of information published on Wikipedia is a subject for another place, but if you're comfortable that the facts presented about your topic are, indeed, factual, by all means use this popular location - and search term - to help get traffic to your lenses. If you try it, do leave a comment and let me know how it works for you.

Join the SquidBoo October 2010 Challenge

2010-10-05T10:36:00.000-05:00

Quickly!

Between October 4th and October 28th, publish five new lenses on Squidoo using the SquidBoo template and you could become King of SquidBoo!

Halloween is really, really hot this year, so you'd might as well take advantage of the fact to get more visitors to your lenses. Choose a Halloween topic - scary, creepy, or cute - proceed immediately to SquidBoo HQ and start a lens. You have over three weeks to complete five lenses, so take your time and make them great, awesome, noteworthy lenses. That'll pay off later when Squidoo HQ chooses a cauldron of their favorite qualifying lenses to be in the running for one of 13 special, limited edition "King of SquidBoo" trophies. (Not sure how many lenses a cauldron holds, so don't hold back a thing when it comes to quality.)

You'll find all the rules on Megan's SquidBoo October 2010 Challenge lens. Remember to make your lenses using the official SquidBoo HQ front door or they won't qualify.

Remember five new SquidBoo lenses published October 4 to October 28 will earn you an entry into the contest and (I almost forgot) 500 points and a special trophy. Oh, and a hug from Frankenstein. Will you be one of the first-ever SquidBoo Kings? Ready, set, boo! Get started here!

Social Squidoo: More than Just a Fan Club

2010-09-29T17:37:00.001-05:00

Lensmaster ideadesigns became my 900th fan on Squidoo the other day and left a comment to let me know. I was honored and truly appreciated the kind comment.

Do you join fan clubs on Squidoo? I hope you do. And I hope you leave comments on lots of lenses, too. Sincere comments. Did you know that now you can leave comments on profile pages? I love that new feature, great for a general comment to the lensmaster as opposed to a lens-specific comment. Comments are wonderful tools for building social relationships on Squidoo.

Have you looked at your profile page lately? If you haven't, take a look at the new design. It includes your bio and lens list on the left with a comment area below and a "trophy cabinet" on the upper right followed by a few profile stats - including the number of lenses you've rated and how many you've favorited. Do you look at those numbers on other people's profiles? I do. It's a great way to gauge how active that lensmaster is within the Squidoo community.

The importance of the social element of Squidoo is something that some lensmasters overlook. In fact, the profile page provides a great opportunity to make a good impression, so its contents (specifically the bio) should be well thought out and written in a way that complements and promotes your online brand and reputation. Try to give your readers a glimpse of the real you, the person behind the lenses. Don't lose out on the opportunity to start a great relationship with each visitor who takes the time to read your profile page.

Relationships are important in social networking, so open up to others, leave a few comments and join a few new fan clubs every day on Squidoo. The investment in time could be a great investment in the future of your online business, even well beyond Squidoo.

The Secret to Making Sales on Squidoo

2010-09-10T08:17:00.000-05:00

It doesn't take high traffic to get sales on Squidoo (or anywhere else online), it takes the right kind of traffic. My best lenses don't get a lot of traffic, but the people who do find them are there because they're looking for something specific.

If my lens has what they're looking for, they will click through. When they click through, they will buy. That's the secret, targeting buyers.

The narrower the niche, the more likely all of that is going to happen.

If you want to make sales on Squidoo, remember that secret when planning your lenses.

Monstrous Changes on Squidoo

2010-09-07T18:45:00.000-05:00

Squidoo has been taken over by monsters! Well, not yet, but very soon lensmasters will start seeing adorable little monsters peeping out from the dark corners of the Squidoo site. Don't worry, they come in peace, bearing gifts.

Kimberly hinted about it this morning, then this evening Megan released official word about the SquidooPlus system, due to begin implementation tomorrow. So lensmasters won't be caught totally by surprise by the changes if they've paid attention to the banner on their dashboard. Check out Megan's SquidooPlus lens and then read the SquidMonsters FAQ lens for more information about the new system and where the monsters fit in.

My prediction? You're going to love these little guys and all the goodies they bring with them. So get back to Squidoo, do what you usually do, and watch what happens. Starting sometime tomorrow.

What I Learned From My Purple Star Lenses

2010-09-02T17:33:00.000-05:00

Today I completed an exercise of going back through all of my purple star lenses, adding each of them to a new lens, a purple star lensography of sorts. After I was finished, I realized that I had learned something very important about myself and about crafting lenses.

What I learned isn't anything new. In fact, it's something that many of us offer as good advice to new lensmasters on a regular basis. That advice? Make lenses from your heart.

Another way of stating it is to write lenses on topics you're passionate about, things that mean something to you. The reason that is good advice is that the end result is meaningful and, almost always, of a higher quality than when you write about something to which you have no personal connection.

Of my 14 purple star lenses, almost all of them are what I would judge as very good to excellent lenses. There are a couple that, frankly, I'd place in the "good" category; I'm not so sure they quite measure up to "very good." And it turns out that the best of the best are on topics that I felt passionate about or had a strong personal connection to at the time they were written. The just "good" lenses, not so much.

Of course I know that I'm not able to judge my own lenses totally objectively, but after three-plus years on Squidoo I know an excellent lens when I see one, even if it is my own. I know how to recognize a "good" lens, too.

My point, which I'm not sure I'm stating very clearly, is that if quality matters to you, if you want to make a truly great lens, then put the money motive on the back burner and choose a subject that is really, truly close to your heart. If just "good" is good enough (and sometimes it is good enough), then settle for a subject that will meet some other goal or objective, such as increasing your earnings.

As for me, from now on I'm going to weigh more carefully my passions and my motives when I choose a topic for a lens and do my best to make each lens purple star-worthy by injecting into it a little piece of my heart.

September Squidoo Goals

2010-09-01T21:31:00.000-05:00

Have you set monthly Squidoo goals yet for September? If you're not in the habit of setting goals each month, September is the perfect time to start. With school back in session and the holiday season approaching ever so quickly, motivation for making more lenses and increasing opportunities for income is at its peak.

If you need even more motivation, check out Kimberly's Morning Coffee post for today. Add your September Squidoo goals to the forum and, at the end of the month if you're able to show that you met them, you could win a prize.

Make your goals specific and measurable. Posting them publicly will add the element of accountability that many of us need to help us work a little harder to accomplish what we might otherwise give up on when we hit the inevitable rough spot.

To demonstrate that I practice what I preach, here are my September Squidoo goals:

1. Three new lenses this month, which will make 200 total! Still need to decide on something significant for #200.
2. Update all of my seasonal lenses, which is much easier said than done. I will ashamedly admit that some are horribly out of date.
3. Approach a new charity I learned about this week to let them know about Squidoo and, if they're interested (and of course they will be) do what I can to help them get started.

So, who's next? Don't forget to post your goals on the SquidU forum, then feel free to share them here as well.

Now let's get busy!

What's Your Best Tip for a Newbie on Squidoo?

2010-08-30T09:51:00.000-05:00

I'm very happy that two of my local friends are now lensmasters on Squidoo. It's fun to know other "squids" in real life!

Today, both are coming to the house and we're going to be talking about building a business online with an emphasis on how to Squidoo. (Gotta love "Squidoo" as a verb.) There are some things that I want to make sure they know as they start out, but I want to know what other lensmasters think is important for a new lensmaster to know.

I'd love if you'd leave a comment here giving your one best piece of advice for a new lensmaster on Squidoo. I'll make sure to pass your Squidoo tips along to my friends and I'll report back later to let you know how they're doing.

Thanks!

Joint Ventures on Squidoo

2010-07-28T17:59:00.000-05:00

They say birds of a feather flock together, but what about Squidoo lensmasters? Since RocketMom's inception and success, many other groups have been created where lensmasters are sharing ideas, projects, and even lensmaking challenges. From Squidoo specialty groups to community blogging forums to weekly podcasts, small groups of like-minded lensmasters are popping up everywhere!

Have you collaborated with other lensmasters for a project on or off of Squidoo? Read on this lens about our small group of six and the "mini empire" we've been building, vote in our poll, then leave a comment (here or there) describing your successes (or failures) in joint ventures with others from Squidoo. I'd love to read your input!

What the Lens of the Day is Lacking

2010-07-22T14:15:00.000-05:00

If you're a Squidoo lensmaster, you're probably familiar with the Lens of the Day (LOTD) award. Each weekday (or so) an outstanding lens is chosen to receive the LOTD honor. The lens is featured on the official Squidoo Lens of the Day blog as well as on the left sidebar of each lensmaster's dashboard.

So, what is the Lens of the Day program lacking? For one thing, nominations! Did you know that lenses chosen for the honor are nominated by lensmasters? In fact, it's okay to nominate your own lens although, in the spirit of Squidoo, supporting other lensmasters by nominating their great lenses is looked upon very favorably (and doing so makes you feel good, too). So why does Kimberly sometimes have a difficult time finding lenses deserving of the honor? Two reasons. First, she receives only a few nominations a day. And second, many of the nominated lenses are rejected for either important ommissions or commissions of a serious Squidoo no-no.

You might be surprised to learn what many lensmasters leave off of an otherwise excellent lens. No, it isn't a guesbook. That's not required, although it's certainly missed when it isn't on a lens. Want to guess again? Never mind, I'll tell you. It's a lensmaster picture (or avatar) and bio. Quite surprising, eh? It was to me. As explained in my Squidoo Somebody lens, it's easy to upload an avatar and write a default biography that will appear on all of your Squidoo lenses. Surprising how many lensmasters apparently don't bother. Going one step further by customizing the bio to complement the lens's topic may carry a bit of weight in the selection process, too.

To learn more about what constitutes a LOTD-worthy lens, read and heed Megan's lens, The Secret Life of Lens of the Day. Upload your avatar and bio, create lenses with useful, unique, and updated content, delete unusued lens modules, rename default module titles, write from the heart, and you may be the next proud lensmaster to receive a Lens of the Day honor. While you're at it, don't hesitate to nominate great lenses that meet LOTD criteria. Go ahead. Make someone's day.

Chatting With Squidoo

2010-07-20T11:25:00.003-05:00

Did you know that Squidoo only has six full-time employees? Considering the size and scope of the Squidoo.com site, that's pretty amazing, don't you think? What's more, most of the six post on the SquidU forum on at least a semi-regular basis, so it's clear to anyone who's been around Squidoo for even a short time that the head squids really care about the lensmasters who keep the community growing and want to know what's on our minds.

One of the ways the Squidoo staff keeps us "in the loop" is by hosting occasional live online chats. In fact, two chats are scheduled for this week, on Wednesday and Thursday afternoons, each with a different topic. If either of the topics interests you at all and you can fit it into your day, I'd encourage you to sign up to participate. Look for more information on Squidoo's official chat schedule lens. Not only will the chats be informative, participating gives you an opportunity to actively participate in a small forum and get to know other leaders on Squidoo. Besides, chats are fun!

By the way, one way I learned about this week's chats was by reading today's post on the Squidoo blog, another important vehicle Squidoo uses to keep in touch. If you haven't, I'd suggest you visit and subscribe to the Squidoo blog right now. Don't risk missing important news and announcements (such as the fact that there will be a bit of down time on the site tomorrow). Use the subscribe button at the top of the blog page.

Gratitude and squidhugs to Steve and Squidgraphics for the fabulous artwork.

Ads on Squidoo Lenses: Who Gets the Money?

2010-07-13T11:10:00.004-05:00

A friend asked me this question today regarding her new lens, which is on a personal topic: "Does Squidoo make money when you do not monetize a lens? If so, I would rather set it to charity ..."

I thought someone else might have a similar question about ads on Squidoo lenses, so I decided to share my answer here:

"Short answer is yes, Squidoo makes money on the ads. You share in that income based on lensrank. But if you set the lens to 100% for a charity, any lensrank money you might earn from that lens will go to the charity. That sounds like what you would want to do.

"Longer answer, if you want to, you can opt out of certain ads on your lens. You'll find that option in the lens settings area on the lens workshop. You can opt out of everything but the google ads. Just opt out for that lens only, not for all your lenses. That will keep the number of ads on the lens to a minimum but will also reduce the money that might go to the charity you've chosen, so there's a trade-off."

Hope that helps!

Do You Read Beyond the Guestbook?

2010-06-30T14:28:00.004-05:00

The guestbook module is a fundamental part of most Squidoo lenses. Offering your visitors a place to leave their thoughts and even ask questions is important and that particular module is the simplest way to allow readers an opportunity to do those things.

Most lensmasters place their guestbook towards the bottom of the page, which is a sensible approach since usually the question asked in the module is along the lines of, "What did you think of my lens?" While that isn't necessarily a clever title, it's pretty clear (at least to other lensmasters) and gets results.

But what comes after the guestbook? When you make a lens, do you follow the guestbook with more content? A sales module of some sort? Or maybe your bio with a link to your other lenses? For the most part I add an "About Me" module and then a link back to the top of the page after the guestbook on my lenses. Some lensmasters add a lot more.

It used to be that after submitting a comment, the lens page would "jump" to below the guestbook which served as a reminder (at least to me) to keep scrolling. But the guestbook works differently now and that "jump" doesn't happen anymore, so now it's up to me to remember to scroll on down to see what's there. I'm sorry to say that sometimes I simply forget and, instead, do a quick Ctrl+home to get back to the top of the page to leave a thumbs up or bookmark the page. (Never mind that you can do those things now at the bottom of the lens; old habits die hard and I've been a lensmaster for a long time in squid years.) So, sometimes I simply forget to look below the guestbook and I'm sure that sometimes I miss some good content.

I'm trying to change my habits, but I'm curious what other people do - so I thought I'd ask. After you sign a lens's guestbook, do you scroll on down to look for more content? Do you rate the lens at the bottom or do you go back to the top of the page? When you make a lens, what do you include below the guestbook? If you have a minute, I'd love if you'd leave your answer in a comment below because inquiring minds want to know - do you read below the guestbook?

P.S. If you have no idea what I'm talking about in this post, it's easy to find out by visiting Squidoo, checking out a few lenses - and signing a few guestbooks!

Summer Sunshine - We Have a Winner!

2010-06-27T15:54:00.003-05:00

Many thanks to those who nominated my "Summer Reading Fun: Great Books for Boys" lens for a Squidoo Summer Sunshine charity award, which the lens received this week! The charity "First Book" will be receiving an extra-special donation and I'm so pleased I had a small part in that.

It's not too late for you to make and enter a lens in the contest. Maybe you and your charity will win a cash award this summer, too. Jump on down to this post for more information.

P.S. Remember reading Encylopedia Brown books when you were a kid? It's one of our favorite series books for boys.

Big Change at ISDY

2010-06-15T11:57:00.003-05:00

I've been wanting to give this blog a facelift for some time. Today I found new templates on blogger and, voilá, you're looking at the result. (The picture shows the old look.)

I think I like the new look.

Hope you do, too.

How to Refer a Lensmaster and Earn a Bonus on Squidoo

2010-06-13T16:59:00.003-05:00

My Squidoo dashboard was updated this week with a "You've earned a $5.00 bonus for referring a friend" message. That was nice!

Each of your Squidoo lenses comes equipped with a "Create Your Own Lens" link at the top of the page as well as a big, orange "Create a Lens" link in the right column. Both of those links are referral links that will associate a new lensmaster's account with your account. When the new lensmaster's total Squidoo payout reaches $15, you'll receive a note on your dashboard that you've earned a $5 referral bonus. That money will be added to your next Squidoo payout. And all you did was make a lens!

Another way to refer new lensmasters is by using the "Refer a friend (and earn a bonus!)" link in the left margin of your dashboard. Squidoo will email referral links to your friends or you can add the code provided there to any or all of your lenses. I sometimes place that code near the bottom of a lens since Squidoo provides the links at the top.

To find out if anyone has joined Squidoo through your referral link or one of your lenses, look under the "My stats" tab on your lensmaster dashboard. Scroll down a bit to "Lensmaster Referrals" and click on the arrow to expand that section. Lensmasters that you or your lenses have referred are listed by date, most recent at the top, so you can see not only how many have signed up but who they are as well.

In fact, it isn't a bad idea to check that list from time to time to see how the new lensmasters are doing. You'll find that some haven't made a lens yet, and many never will. But when you find someone who's making an effort, it couldn't hurt to visit their lenses and encourage them along the way. Note that only you are eligible for the $5 bonus. Formerly, the new lensmaster received a bonus as well, but that has been discontinued.

I likely won't get rich from Squidoo referral bonuses, but you won't hear me complaining about those periodic extra $5 payments, either!

Have you received referral bonuses from Squidoo? Tell us about it in a comment.

Squidoo MeetUp Day

2010-06-08T17:43:00.006-05:00

The first Worldwide Squidoo Meetup Day is Thursday, June 10, 2010. It's not too late to sign up!

If there isn't a meetup scheduled near you or you can't make it to an in-person event, how about attending a virtual meetup! The Squidoo chat room will be open for an online meetup Thursday evening, U.S. time. Check the Squidoo's Chat Schedule lens for details.

If you do make it to an official, or even unofficial meetup with other Squidoo lensmasters, take pictures! Make a lens! Post the link here in the comments so everyone can see!

But if not, let's make the online meetup the biggest ever. See you there!

First Squidoo Summer Sunshine Charity Winner Announced

2010-06-07T13:18:00.004-05:00

Congratulations to Camp Quality of New Jersey and lensmaster hlkljgk for being the first charity and lensmaster to win in Squidoo's Summer Sunshine contest!

If you'd like to enter and maybe even win $99 for your charity and $99 for yourself, make a new lens with all earnings set to your favorite Squidoo charity. Read the rules and see the list of winning lenses here.

Prizes will be awarded each weekday for the rest of June, July, and August, so there's still plenty of time to enter. My advice? Go for it!

Then share your qualifying lenses here in a comment so we can take a look.

Hope you win!

Purple Star Quest

2010-06-04T18:33:00.005-05:00

I'm exhausted.

You already know that I've been serving as Purple Star Queen this week. That means I had to find 20 great lenses worthy of the Squidoo purple star award.

It was easy to find good lenses. It was hard to narrow them down to 20 great lenses!

But I did it.

And I wrote about it on this new lens, a fairy tale in real life.

This queen is worn out from having so much fun. She's happy to retire her crown. She'll cherish the memories and all the amazingly wonderful comments she's received.

If you find a lens that is purple star-worthy (here are the rules), be sure and nominate it. It'll make the full-time queen's job much easier.

Who's the Latest Purple Star Queen?

2010-06-01T20:20:00.005-05:00

A few days ago, I blogged about the Purple Star contest going on over Memorial Day weekend at Squidoo. I was excited because during the contest non-Giant Squids were eligible to receive purple stars for their lenses. We have so many talented almost-Giants and this would be a great opportunity for them.

I also mentioned that one purple star recipient's name would be drawn from a hat and that person would become Purple Star Queen (or King) for the week. Royal duties would include choosing the week's 20 purple star lenses.

Well, guess whose name was drawn.

It was mine! Can you believe it? I just found out and I can't stop smiling!

For the next week I will wear an imaginary crown (unless there's another perk I don't know about - I'll be watching for a package) and search for 20 of the best lenses in the Squidoo kingdom. Ooh, what fun! Oh, what work! In fact, how will I choose?

It won't be easy narrowing the best down to 20, but I'll manage. I can't wait to get started.

Let the royal festivities begin!

A Purple Star-Studded Opportunity

2010-05-27T11:45:00.006-05:00

What are you doing this long Memorial Day weekend? I hope you have something fun planned, but I also hope you can fit making a new Squidoo lens into your schedule. Here's why.

Full details and rules are on the Squidoo blog but, bottom line, if you make a really great new lens between now and midnight Monday, May 31st, 2010, you can also nominate it for a purple star. Then, if the lens is deemed worthy, not only will it receive a purple star, but your name will be entered into a drawing to become Purple Star Queen or King for the week of June 7th and you will get to choose all 20 purple-star lenses for that week. What fun!

The exciting part is that this challenge is open to all lensmasters. It's a rare occasion that non-Giant lenses are considered for purple stars, so if you're not a Giant yet this is a golden, well actually a purple, opportunity for you to get your new lens noticed.

Not familiar with the purple star program on Squidoo? Read all about it here (but remember that you don't have to be a Giant for this event) then put your very best work into a new lens and maybe, just maybe, your lens will receive some of that magic purple stardust.

Giant Squids can play too, of course, but it's particularly exciting that this challenge is open to everyone.

Remember, read the rules first, then get started on your next, or maybe your very first, purple star-worthy lens!

To Do: Get Motivated!

2010-05-05T11:08:00.006-05:00

I find that a daily to-do list motivates me to get more done, both on Squidoo and elsewhere.

Be realistic about your time constraints, but make a short list every morning (or better, the night before). Mark things off as you accomplish them. The motivating part is seeing the line marked through the things you've accomplished, but the secret is to keep the list short to start with.

Seeing how much you actually got done at the end of the day will be a motivator for the next day, while helping to avoid the deadly procrastination trap.

Remember: Motivate. Don't procrastinate.

Missing a Squidoo Friend

2010-04-15T11:55:00.005-05:00

I wasn't close online friends with Sherry Holder Hunt, but when I found out yesterday that she had died, it hit me hard.

Sherry was one of those people you just loved hearing from. Whenever our paths crossed, usually leaving comments on lenses, her contagious sweet spirit made me smile.

Sherry was an artist, a very talented one, and an encourager. She was also a wife, a mom, a daughter, a friend.

She left a comment on her facebook fan page on April 9th; by the end of the day she was in Heaven. Life is so short and nothing can be taken for granted, especially life itself.

Tributes to Sherry can be left on her facebook page, on this special tribute blog post, or on this thread at SquidU.

Sherry, you touched my life and you will be missed.

Everything You Want to Know About Squidoo Payday

2010-04-13T13:34:00.005-05:00

It's Squidoo payday again today. Yee-hah!

Today lensmasters got paid for money earned from ad clicks and commissions on sales made during the month of February, which means that payday is about a month and a half behind earnings. The reason for the delay is to enable Amazon, eBay, and the other sources of our income to pay Squidoo and then to give Squidoo a chance to distribute earnings to the various lensmasters and lenses. That has to be an absolutely huge job no matter how automated it is.

Payday is never promised before the 15th of any given month, although Squidoo almost always beats that by a few days. Anticipation of payday usually rears its head on the SquidU forum by around the 10th of each month with anxious newbie lensmasters hoping to see their first-ever earnings and some veterans waiting for money to pay the rent.

If you're new to Squidoo, or even if you've been around a while, you may have questions about Squidoo payday. If you're wondering just how income is calculated or even where the money comes from, one of the very best sources to find out is Squidoo Payday Questions & Answers, a lens by veteran lensmaster Christene. Christene is always on the job with updates to her lens within minutes (it seems) of payday figures being posted.

If you have questions about tiers, payouts, or how to find the earnings on your own lensmaster dashboard, check out Christene's lens. Then leave her a comment to thank her for her faithful efforts in keeping everyone updated in such a timely manner.

Then go make another lens - for free - in anticipation of a bigger payday next month, and the month after and the month after that.

How to Research Keywords - Learn How Live!

2010-04-06T10:49:00.008-05:00

Finding the best keywords is a very hot topic on Squidoo and elsewhere around the web. You've probably read plenty of advice about how to research keywords, but you may still have questions. If so, tune in to Giant Squid Open Mike with Joan, Kate and friends as two of Squidoo's top lensmasters do a keyword research project live on the air. You'll be able to follow along on your own computer and ask questions in real-time.

The program will be broadcast live on Tuesday, April 6, 2010, at 5 p.m. Eastern time. In case you miss it, the show will be recorded and available to listen to, free, in the podcast archives.

Before you make your next lens, select a new domain name, or write your next blog post or article, be sure to listen to this very special edition of Giant Squid Open Mike to learn everything you need to know about how to do keyword research. This 45-minute broadcast could change your keyword research method - and your bottom line - forever.

UPDATE: Here's a direct link to the archived program. Don't miss it!

OMG! New Lensranking System for Squidoo!

2010-04-01T11:29:00.003-05:00

News flash! Squidoo has announced a new lensranking system.

Effective today.

Details on this lens.

Should You Own Your Own Blog? Join the Debate

2010-03-07T12:29:00.003-06:00

I've been following a rather intense discussion the last couple of days having to do with the differences in owning your own blog versus using a free blogging platform or participating in a multi-user blogging community. It's been a very lively debate and quite informative from a technical standpoint. The two main participants have their own definite preferences, but they've remained quite gentlemanly in the discussion.

The bottom line sticking point between the two is retention of total control of the individual blogger's content, layout, promotion, and rules. One prefers to maintain total and complete control; the other is satisfied that each individual blogger in the community that he established and oversees does have complete control over his or her own blog (within certain guidelines). Both have conceded, while standing firm in his own beliefs, that each method has its benefits and that it's up to the individual to decide which type of hosting arrangement is right for him/her.

So now I'm wondering: What do you think? Do you have experience, good or bad, with multi-user blogs? Are you happy with simply using a free Blogger blog or have you moved on to hosting your own? What is your preference and why? Click on the comment link and join the debate.

Help Me Bump My Lens?

2010-02-25T13:51:00.006-06:00

I guess nobody likes eBay videos or eBay humor anymore (and that is entirely possible).

Or maybe I've just ignored my lowest-ranking lens for too long.

Either way, it's number 169 of my 169 published lenses. I just checked and it appears that every single video link is working. That, frankly, is amazing.

I actually kind of like this lens. So I tweaked a few things, put a poll near the top, and twittered it. It'll be on its way to Facebook as soon as I finish here.

Lensrank is 282,491 today. What will it be tomorrow?

Want to help bump it up? Check it out.

Wordless Wednesday (Why Not?)

2010-02-03T18:31:00.002-06:00

Turn a Squidoo How-To Lens Into an EHow Article

2010-02-02T14:22:00.003-06:00

Do you have a lens that explains how to do something? If so, it will be simple to use that same information to create an article on the how-to site called eHow.

Since you've already done the research and you've written about what you learned, the time-consuming part of the job is already done. Just take that information and rewrite it with an introduction and step-by-step instructions in the required format of an eHow article.

Writing an eHow article is very simple as the form for the article is presented to you in fill-in-the-blank stages. First you'll choose a name for the article (keep your keywords in mind), choose a picture for the article, then you'll list the items that are needed for the project (if that applies). Next, divide the project into logical steps and write those short steps in the boxes that eHow provides on its form. You can add a picture with each step, too, if you want.

Next, add a bulleted list of tips and warnings; again the form makes it easy. At the end you can add resources to provide more information for the reader. It's fine to include your original lens link as a resource.

That's all there is to it! EHow is free to join and they pay you based on the click-outs to ads that your article generates. Of course, hopefully you will also be paid in visits to your Squidoo lens resulting from clicks on your link.

You can join eHow here. Check out this article that I wrote based on a section included in this lens to see what the how-to format looks like, then take a look at your own lenses. I'm guessing you'll find a few topics that can be translated into a money-making article on eHow. Lather, rinse and repeat to create another residual income stream on a platform that's fun and easy to use.

A Lensography by Any Other Name . . .

2010-01-20T19:22:00.004-06:00

One of my newest lenses, Essentials for Survival, is being developed as a lensography for my survival series of lenses, of which I have two so far. I don't mention the word "lensography" at all, but each new lens will be incorporated here to support the topic, as well as to support the blog of the same name.

I've never done it this way before, but it's kind of nice to start the lensography early. It'll be easy to keep up, plus it makes my commitment to the niche more serious. I'm determined to keep it up!

Do you have a new niche? Does it have a lensography? Share it here!

Keyword Research for Squidoo - Is It Really Key?

2010-01-17T17:18:00.004-06:00

Whew! I've been spending a good deal of the afternoon doing keyword research for some new Squidoo lenses that I'm planning. It's a lot of work!

I've come to the conclusion, though, that even though it's worth the time to do keyword research, sometimes you just have to stop and make the lens already! I knew little to nothing about keyword research when I made some of my most successful lenses and they're still doing well. Of course there are the others that could use a makeover of the "tags" field . . .

There are plenty of resources on Squidoo that help teach how to do keyword research on Squidoo - check out this search if you don't believe me - but certainly it's far more fun to just put a lens together. I think the 80/20 rule applies here: Spend 80 percent of your time researching and 20 percent of your time actually making the lens. Then spend 80 percent of the rest of your time promoting the lens, but that's a subject for another day.

How do you feel about keyword research for Squidoo? Do you bother with it? How much time do you spend researching keywords? Is it worth it? Leave a comment; I'd love to know what you think.

Facebook Fan Pages - Do You Have One?

2010-01-16T15:51:00.005-06:00

In order to help separate personal and business on Facebook, many Squidoo lensmasters are creating Facebook fan pages. These fan pages are similar to a regular page; you can add photos, links, discussions, and more while keeping everything oriented to your Squidoo business.

To create a fan page for yourself, start here. Add your Squidoo avatar so people will recognize you, then add other pertinent links and information.

Once you've created your Squidoo-related fan page, feel free to post the link in a comment here. You can also post it to a plexo on this lens, kindly provided by lensmaster JenniferAkers.

Here's my link. I hope you'll become a fan!

Share a Tribute to Someone Special on Squidoo

2010-01-15T23:48:00.001-06:00

Does a family member or close friend have a special occasion coming up? For a totally unique gift, one you and they can share with the world, make a tribute page on Squidoo!

Lensmaster SadieCope made this lens as a Christmas gift for her parents. The stories and memories that she shares are interesting to read and, I am positive, precious gifts to her lucky family.

Lensmaster tandemonimom made a special tribute lens for her grandmother's 100th birthday, definitely a noteworthy occasion. The outstanding pictures on this lens help tell Grannie's story, as well as that of the entire family tree. Making it even more special was the fact that this was tandemonimom's 100th lens on Squidoo!

One grandmother on Squidoo that most long-time lensmasters know well is lensmaster JaguarJulie's grandmother, Julia Nagy, who namesake Julie features on this special Superhero lens.

If you're not comfortable sharing your family stories with the world, consider starting with a four-legged family member. This very touching lens by lensmaster mukunda22 features some extra-special family pets.

If you're looking for a topic for your next lens, start by looking at home. Valentine's Day is coming up. Perhaps your beloved would appreciate a special tribute on Squidoo, guaranteed less fattening than any box of chocolates!

Squidoo Lensmasters Helping Haiti

2010-01-13T18:18:00.005-06:00

If you're a Squidoo lensmaster and you want to do something to help with the Haitian earthquake relief effort, here's a simple solution for you.

Make a new lens or simply change the charity settings on an existing lens so that 100 percent of the proceeds from the lens go to the Squidoo-approved charity, Hope for Haiti. Then, add your Help for Haiti lens to the plexo on the RocketMoms Help for Haiti lens. You don't have to be a RocketMom to participate, but the lens you add must be set to designate all proceeds to this particular charity. Make sure you add a donation module to the lens so people will know its purpose and to provide a way to make direct donations to this fine charity as well.

Charity is at the heart of Squidoo, and helping others in need is in the heart of many of our lensmasters, so this is a perfect match. Pass the word and let's see if we can get the total number of Hope for Haiti lenses above 100. Every little bit helps and the people of Haiti right now need all the help they can get.

Kindle Is Number One!

2010-01-08T11:29:00.006-06:00

Cool news My Kindle lens reached the number one spot on Squidoo this week. Hooray! That's a fabulous milestone, one that's getting harder and harder to achieve. The lens has always done well on its own, with decent traffic, clickouts, and sales, but I know that a recent angel blessing helped push it toward the top and to that angel I am very appreciative!

I've gotten a lot of comments on the Kindle lens recently from people who received a Kindle for Christmas, as well as those who really, really want one. It's nice to hear from satisfied Kindle customers, both present and future. I really enjoy my own Kindle and use it every day, reading far more than I did before I got it.

If you have a Kindle, make sure to check the bestsellers list regularly in the Kindle store and look for free books. Yesterday I downloaded a free daily devotional, a perfect addition to my daily Kindle reading. (Here's a link, but it's free for a limited time only so be sure to check the price before making your purchase.)

Here's to a year of good reading in 2010, Kindle style, and here's to more #1 lenses in the future for us all!

Focus and Promote: My 2010 Goals for Squidoo

2010-01-02T13:31:00.003-06:00

It seems everyone is writing about goals, which seems to be a less dangerous subject than resolutions, so I figured I'd throw in my52cents' worth.

I'm really looking forward to the potential that lies within Squidoo in the coming year. I'm determined to put quality over quantity when it comes to lensmaking, focusing on profit, a necessity for me this year more than ever. I have a little sign on my computer that says "Focus and Promote," something I got from Paul Duxbury. When I narrow down my goals to something simple, that phrase, which also summarizes my two weak points, is the result.

In 2010, I plan to focus my lenses in profitable subject areas. That means that I will likely divest myself of some of my older lenses, mostly those in which I've lost interest. It'll be tough getting rid of my little offspring, but I believe the time has come to find them new homes with lensmasters who can nurture them better than I. If you're interested, watch for lenses for sale in the coming weeks and months.

In 2010, I must learn to promote. Of course I know the basics, but I must draw up a plan and discipline myself to stick with it. As well as some of my lenses produced during the Christmas sales season with virtually no promotion on my part, it pains me to think of the sales I missed because I hadn't spent time promoting them in the preceding months. There's no reason I can't have a Christmas month (or close to it) every month, and that is the goal. Blog posts, articles, and forum participation must become priorities this year if I'm serious about improving my bottom line.

In all of the focusing and promoting, a huge and very important part will be contributing to the Squidoo community. I hope you will stick with me here on the blog and that I'll be able to provide you with information and tips that will help you reach your 2010 goals as well.

Happy New Year to all, and to all a focused and profitable year with Squidoo and all the possibilities that spring from it!

Squidoo Step by Step Guidebook

2009-12-19T08:45:00.003-06:00

Is "Earn more money on Squidoo" on your list of new year resolutions? If so, boy are you in luck.

A group of generous professional Squidoo lensmasters has teamed up to produce an ebook, the Squidoo Step by Step Guidebook, to give you all the information you need to know to help make Squidoo lenses and to make them in such a way that you will get traffic and you will make more money on Squidoo.

Whether you need a checklist to learn to build your very first Squidoo lens or if you're looking for keyword and lens promotion tips for your existing lenses, this amazingly concise little book fits the bill. Honestly, I am impressed and I don't impress easily.

Find out where to download this f-r-ee ebook and learn about the associated Ning group that supports it on the Squidoo Step by Step lens. Here's to Squid-prosperity to all in the coming year!

Cancer Warrior and More

2009-11-10T18:48:00.004-06:00

Pardon my being sidetracked lately, but a lot is going on in my personal life. I'll pick up here as my mind and body allow. Thanks to every single person who is supporting me in my new role as Cancer Warrior. I couldn't do it without you.

In the meantime, there's so much going on at Squidoo! I hope you've subscribed to the SquidBlog and Lens of the Day blog and are keeping up, especially, with Squidoo's Thanksgiving Cookoff for Charity. Great lenses are being created and lots of money is being donated to deserving charities. It's an exciting time of the year. Enjoy!

Hot Dog! What a Lens!

2009-10-28T20:12:00.002-05:00

Did you see today's Lens of the Day? It's Hotdog Halloween Costumes for the Whole Family by lensmaster luvmyludwig (Crystal). I think it's a brilliant sales lens, very well done with great content and keyword placement. Notice the black boxes dividing the sections and how Crystal included the best keywords shoppers are using to to find hotdog costumes for every member of the family. I checked "hotdog halloween costume" and the lens is on page 1 of Google!

I also like what Crystal included with the hot dog costumes. The ketchup and mustard costumes, the hot dog candy, a couple of videos, and a short link list plus just a few other things that fit her topic well but with the most important items at the top. I've seen so many lenses recently with a great main topic but that veer off into some other items that just don't fit. This lens is such a great example of what to include and what to leave off.

That's what I think. What do you think?

Learn Squidoo in a Week

2009-10-23T10:07:00.004-05:00

This is the "Try-It Week" for RocketMoms that I mentioned a couple of weeks ago; today is the last day.

On the RocketMoms forum, Bonnie (bdkz) presented a written lesson a day, along with supportive lenses. (Like me, Bonnie doesn't like to reinvent the wheel.) Today she published a lens that includes the five lessons with their associated homework lenses. The only thing you don't get on the lens is the great group discussions that followed on the forum.

Here's the Try RocketMoms lens. It's an outstanding teaching/learning tool. Whether you're a Squidoo newbie or you've been around for awhile, I would like to encourage you to browse the lens and then go back and visit, study, and apply the homework lenses. I guarantee you will learn some things you didn't know, well worth setting aside part of five days to really learn Squidoo.

What You See is What You Get

2009-10-14T18:03:00.003-05:00

A couple of important items to share.

The new Squidoo WYSIWYG editor is here. You'll find it in the intro module of your lenses. Very cool. Try it and see if you like it.

I hope you're following Gil on Twitter. Good way to help keep up with news, changes, and resolution of problems. Better yet, download the SquidUtils toolbar, which follows Gil automatically. It's the only way to see at a glance when there's Squidoo news and when lensrank has been updated. The toolbar also provides quick links to your lenses and access to tools you didn't even know you needed, helping you to become a more efficient lensmaster. Once you've used the SquidUtils toolbar, you'll never want to be without it.

That's all for now. Carry on.

The Journal of the Traveling Squid Goes Hollywood

2009-10-12T13:27:00.004-05:00

I wrote before about the JaguarJulie-led project, The Journal of the Traveling Squid and the two journals and Giant Squid t-shirts that are circling the globe, fueled by lensmasters and creativity, propelled by goodwill. The U.S. journal has now reached Hollywood!

Lensmaster Kim Giancaterino took the journal on a fabulous tour, fully documented with great pictures and commentary in her new, purple star-awarded lens, The Journal of the Traveling Squid Goes Hollywood. From Grauman's Chinese Theater to the famous Hollywood sign, the giant t-shirt has been there; the proof is in the pictures.

When it comes time to auction off the Traveling Squid package for charity, surely the fact that Cary Grant's hand prints touched the t-shirt will add to its value, don't you think?

Hooray for Hollywood!

What's Blogging Among Squidoo Friends?

2009-10-08T13:34:00.006-05:00

Collaborative or co-op blogs, those with multiple contributors, are becoming quite popular in the Squidoo community and for good reason. We're all busy, so having multiple authors to help keep a blog updated on a regular basis is a good thing.

Top-Rated Gifts for Christmas is one such collaborative blog, a new undertaking designed for the upcoming holiday shopping season. Each post features a well-reviewed item that would make a wonderful gift, and each links back to a lens featuring that same item. Our hope as lensmasters and bloggers is that the links on the blog will garner traffic to our lenses and, of course, lead to holiday sales.

Are you part of a collaborative blog? Let us know by leaving a comment with your blog link and any tips or advice about what you do to make your group's blog succeed. If you're not part of a group blog, why not gather a few of your trusted lensmaster friends and get one started? When you do, we'd love if you'd report back and let us know.

A collaborative blog just might be a good addition to your business plan. After all, a community that blogs together makes money together. Or at least we hope it works out that way!

Congratulations New Giants and Thank You, Carol!

2009-10-05T18:24:00.003-05:00

Today is new Giant Squid day on Squidoo once again. Congratulations to all the new Giants and Giant 100's! I remember very well when it was my turn, so I know exactly how excited you are!

I am honored and humbled to be the subject of a tribute lens by my friend, new Giant Squid lensmaster strayspay. Carol, you've given me more kudos than I deserve. Thank you so much!

Think You Might Want to Be a RocketMom?

2009-10-02T09:40:00.003-05:00

You might have heard of RocketMoms, the invitation-only group of the smartest moms on Squidoo. The small-group mentoring atmosphere of RocketMoms has surpassed even the wildest expectations and the first three sessions of RocketMoms have produced hundreds of quality Squidoo lenses.

If you've thought that maybe you'd like to participate, but you weren't sure, here's some good news. RocketMoms will have a Try-It Week October 19-23, which will be an intensive teaching and lensmaking week for those who want to see exactly how the group works. If you like what you see, you'll be welcome to stick around for the next session of RocketMoms, a special six-week holiday lensbuilding session that promises to be superific and fantastical! (Feel free to substitute your favorite made-up super-adjectives.)

You'll need an invitation to participate in the Try-It Week. If you're interested, leave a comment here on this post with your name and email address and I'll see to it that you get the information you need. Comments are moderated and will not be published so your email will be safe and secure, I promise.

Remember, Try-It Week starts October 19 so you'll need to let me know right away. I hope to hear from you today. It's going to be a blast!

New Giant Squid Challege Supports Baby Squids

2009-09-29T11:35:00.003-05:00

'Way back when I was working to become a member of the second-ever class of giant Squids, the only support we had was an occasional "You can do it!" on the SquidU forum. We supported each other, of course, but there were no small groups and no organization. Wow, has time changed things!

Now, with the help of the Giant Squid Organizers and an ever-growing team of Giant Squid Challenge Group Leaders, baby Squids have so much support! There's a Ning group, countless challenges and competitions, and group chats. Now you can also subscribe to Giant Squid Tips on Twitter to get daily quick tips and assignments that will help you swim your way to Giant Squiddom in no time!

The new Giant Squid Challenge will be starting soon. Learn all about it on this lens and don't be shy about getting involved no matter how many, or how few, lenses you have. I promise, you'll be glad you did.

Have Your Morning Coffee With Squidoo

2009-09-26T08:40:00.004-05:00

To paraphrase a song, making your way on Squidoo today takes everything you've got. Well, maybe not everything, but it's important to take a few minutes on a regular basis to keep updated with what's happening with Squidoo and in the Squidoo community.

The place to visit if you want everyone on Squidoo to know your name is the SquidU.com forum, and the place to start is Kimberly's Morning Coffee. It's the newest section of the forum from which Squidoo's Community & Charity Organizer SquidooKimberly (aka Kimberly Dawn Wells) plans to update the community on a daily-ish basis with the latest goings-on. The best part is that, unlike with the Squidoo blog, you can join in on the conversation and interact there with Kimberly and other members of the community.

If you have specific requests for lens reviews or you want to introduce yourself or if you need help with a problem you're having with a module, or anything else of a specific nature, make sure to post in the proper area on SquidU, but make it a habit to join Kimberly sometime during the day to share her morning coffee.

Bring your own croissant.

Cheers!

Awesome eBay Module Sale

2009-09-16T12:57:00.003-05:00

It isn't mine, but a visitor to one lucky lensmaster's lens clicked through an eBay module link, signed up as a buyer on eBay, bid and bought . . .

Should I tell you or make you look? I think I'll make you look. It's worth the visit to the forum.

Here.

My Trip to the Circus

2009-09-15T13:02:00.000-05:00

I had a great time on AuctionWally and Phaedra's Selling Circus podcast last nght!

Here's some of what AuctionWally had to say about the visit:

"Do you Squidoo? Well if you do, or you want to, or want to find out what exactly Squidoo is and why all the buzz, then this episode is one you’ll need to listen to, because we were lucky enough to interview Susan the Giant Squid!
"Susan share her expertise on the Squidoo blogging platform and was a fantastic wealth of knowledge on the subject. Thanks Susan!"

Read more here.

Or listen to the episode right here:

Thank you, Walt and Phaedra, for your hospitality!