Announcing a new lens that will help you become a Squidoo Somebody in Six Easy Lessons!
Check it out! (Let me know what you think.)
P.S. Learn Squidoo quickly with this free audio.
Sunday, March 23, 2008
Friday, March 7, 2008
I Heart TOC!
It's true. I am smitten. Squidoo has gone and done it again. They've created another new module and I am totally in love!
Who would have thought a table of contents module could mean so much? Well, if you've ever made a TOC for a lens, you know that it takes a long time to copy all those module links from a lens then format and paste them into a text module to create a TOC of your own. That, my sea creature-loving friend, is now a task from the past.
I just added a table of contents to my Recipes for Real People lens - and I did it in about a minute using the new table of contents module that the stupendous Squidoo staff set up and introduced this week to make lensmasters' lives a whole lot easier. You'll find the module with the widgets, or look under "T" on the "search" tab of the module picker. Add it to your lens layout, move it to the top, give it a nice name (not "New Table of Contents") and you'll be good to go. Invisible, orange-tentacled, one-eyed elves generate the links for you.
You won't need a TOC on every lens, but when you do add one make sure your modules have compelling titles in order to entice your visitors to click on through and jump right down to exactly what they're looking for.
I'm telling you, Squidoo just keeps getting better and better. (Be still my heart.)
UPDATE: The TOC module is now available in the basic package of module links, on the first page of the module picker. Easy as pie!
Who would have thought a table of contents module could mean so much? Well, if you've ever made a TOC for a lens, you know that it takes a long time to copy all those module links from a lens then format and paste them into a text module to create a TOC of your own. That, my sea creature-loving friend, is now a task from the past.
I just added a table of contents to my Recipes for Real People lens - and I did it in about a minute using the new table of contents module that the stupendous Squidoo staff set up and introduced this week to make lensmasters' lives a whole lot easier. You'll find the module with the widgets, or look under "T" on the "search" tab of the module picker. Add it to your lens layout, move it to the top, give it a nice name (not "New Table of Contents") and you'll be good to go. Invisible, orange-tentacled, one-eyed elves generate the links for you.
You won't need a TOC on every lens, but when you do add one make sure your modules have compelling titles in order to entice your visitors to click on through and jump right down to exactly what they're looking for.
I'm telling you, Squidoo just keeps getting better and better. (Be still my heart.)
UPDATE: The TOC module is now available in the basic package of module links, on the first page of the module picker. Easy as pie!
Monday, March 3, 2008
Have You Visited Your Squidlings Lately?
I'm talking about your little Squidoo offspring, your lenses. Have you seen them lately? Better hurry and take a look. They've changed!
If your lenses are "maxed" (and most of yours probably are) then you're going to see them in a new format starting yesterday. The squid staff has changed the maxed layout with a completely new, up-to-date, pretty cool template. Two columns instead of three. Lots less orange and lots more black. And, I think, a more professional look.
There's far more to this story (including the fact that there are actually five new layouts, depending on who's looking at your lens) and you really need to read Megan's announcement on the SquidU forum to get the background and details. Then, read all the lensmasters' questions that follow, some of which are probably questions you have, and the answers.
What do you think? Like the new look? Hate it? Leave a comment and let's talk about it.
If your lenses are "maxed" (and most of yours probably are) then you're going to see them in a new format starting yesterday. The squid staff has changed the maxed layout with a completely new, up-to-date, pretty cool template. Two columns instead of three. Lots less orange and lots more black. And, I think, a more professional look.
There's far more to this story (including the fact that there are actually five new layouts, depending on who's looking at your lens) and you really need to read Megan's announcement on the SquidU forum to get the background and details. Then, read all the lensmasters' questions that follow, some of which are probably questions you have, and the answers.
What do you think? Like the new look? Hate it? Leave a comment and let's talk about it.
Saturday, March 1, 2008
Squidooing by the Calendar
Easter comes early this year (March 23rd) and people are starting to realize it - and they're starting to look online to find out how to make Easter bonnets. Ask me how I know.
Glad you asked! A week ago I made this new lens about Easter bonnets. That was Saturday. The lens started getting search engine hits on Tuesday, mostly from Google. It seems people want to know how to make Easter bonnets, they want to know the words to the "In Your Easter Bonnet" song, and they want to see pictures of Easter bonnets. I'm happy to oblige.
The lens has had 106 visits, lensrank has increased every day, and it's in the top 100 of its category. Clickouts, unfortunately, are mostly on the Flickr pictures (no money to be made there), but there have been other clickouts and, hopefully, as more people begin to realize that Easter is coming up fast, the lens will generate some sales. Too bad I don't have an ebook about how to make an Easter bonnet. That would have been a sure-fire thing.
Why am I telling you this? Just to remind you to think ahead to holidays, events, and special occasions then make Squidoo lenses and include the information people are going to be looking for. It's okay if the topic is something seasonal; save the lens and update it for next year, using what you've learned this year to improve the lens.
So, pull out the calendar, put on your thinking cap, and make a lens!
Glad you asked! A week ago I made this new lens about Easter bonnets. That was Saturday. The lens started getting search engine hits on Tuesday, mostly from Google. It seems people want to know how to make Easter bonnets, they want to know the words to the "In Your Easter Bonnet" song, and they want to see pictures of Easter bonnets. I'm happy to oblige.
The lens has had 106 visits, lensrank has increased every day, and it's in the top 100 of its category. Clickouts, unfortunately, are mostly on the Flickr pictures (no money to be made there), but there have been other clickouts and, hopefully, as more people begin to realize that Easter is coming up fast, the lens will generate some sales. Too bad I don't have an ebook about how to make an Easter bonnet. That would have been a sure-fire thing.
Why am I telling you this? Just to remind you to think ahead to holidays, events, and special occasions then make Squidoo lenses and include the information people are going to be looking for. It's okay if the topic is something seasonal; save the lens and update it for next year, using what you've learned this year to improve the lens.
So, pull out the calendar, put on your thinking cap, and make a lens!
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