Squidoo Step by Step Guidebook

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

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!

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

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

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

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?

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!

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?

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

'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

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

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

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!

Giant Squid Joins the Circus

Contrary to popular rumor, giant squid Susan52 is not being auctioned off tonight by Auction Wally. But she will be talking about Squidoo and answering questions from Wally and his co-host, Phaedra, during The Selling Circus podcast at TalkShoe Radio.

She also promises not to talk about herself in the third person, if you promise to tune in. That's tonight, Monday, September 14th, 8:00 eastern, 7:00 central, 6:00 mountain, and 5:00 Pacific.

If you like what you hear or want to learn more, join Susan52 as she teaches about Squidoo in a live, one-hour class coming up Thursday night, September 24th. Reserve your seat today to Learn Squidoo from the Giant Squid.

What Makes a Great Lens?

The question comes up often: What makes a great Squidoo lens?

Today it came up again in the SquidU forum, asked by lensmaster TheMedievalNun. She received some great responses. Here's mine:

Reading the lenses that Robin (rms) suggested is a great place to start. I would also suggest visiting and rating lots of lenses; it doesn't take long to recognize bad lenses, good lenses, and really good lenses. Then do what the really good lensmasters do!

As for what I think is a "great" lens, I like to see original content and interesting, useful information that is laid out in a way that flows and makes sense. I don't like extra modules that have nothing to do with the topic, and I don't like an over-the-top amount of graphics (though I know that "over the top" is in the eye of the beholder). And, of course, default module headers are a definite no-no.

I agree totally with what Paul (pkmcr) said above. It's always encouraging when people ask and genuinely want to know what they might need to do to improve their lenses. It's so easy to get stuck in a lensmaking rut, digging yourself into a hole of mediocrity. Interesting that so often it's the people who ask for help that are already making high-quality lenses. By glancing at a few of your lenses, Nun, I'd say you fall into that latter category. Congratulations!

Somebody On Squidoo

I love people who ask questions, and I especially love when they apply the answers and advice they're given. And when they pour their hearts and souls into what they do, too, by golly what's not to love?

I know a new lensmaster like that. She's curious, she's teachable, she's a great writer, and now (I think she'll agree) she's hooked on Squidoo!

She's lensmaster strayspay, aka Carol, and she's our current featured "Squidoo Somebody." I hope you'll take a few minutes to read more about Carol, then visit her lenses and say hello.

P.S. If you'd like to learn more about how to Squidoo and what Squidoo can do for you and your business, consider signing up for our LIVE online "Learn to Squidoo" class, scheduled for September 24, 2009. Learn more HERE or reserve your seat now!

Nancy Hellams Queen of Squidoo Day

If there's one person on all of Squidoo who loves her hometown, it's Nancy Hellams, aka lensmaster Ohme, and local friends and folks have definitely noticed.

Nancy has created over 30 Squidoo lenses about her hometown of Pendleton, South Carolina, labeling herself a SAPP, or self-appointed Pendleton promoter. She writes about local history and landmarks as well as provides a directory on Squidoo of Pendleton's local businesses and goings-on. If there's something you want to know about Pendleton, just visit one of Ohme's many lenses.

To show their appreciation for her dedication, the mayor and town council of Pendleton recently honored Nancy, proclaiming September 8, 2009, "Nancy Hellams, Queen of Squidoo Day," surprising her with roses, a crown, a banner and a scepter as well as the official proclamation.

Nancy's sister, lensmaster Joan4, documented the event in her lens about "Queen OhMe." Congratulations to her majesty, Queen Nancy!

Squidoo Plus All Things Zazzle Equals a Great Podcast

This past Monday I had the pleasure, along with fellow lensmaster stargazer00 (Dianne), to be a guest on the Giant Squid Open Mike podcast at Blog Talk Radio to discuss "All Things Zazzle." Co-host Joan Adams had read my blog post about How to Make Money With Zazzle Links on Your Lenses and invited the two of us to discuss that topic.

What a blast and what a positive response we've had to the show! Zazzle has been very popular on Squidoo for some time, but it seems that this interview has resulted in more activity from active "SquiZazzlers" and, I am happy to say, has encouraged more Squidoo-ers to open their own Zazzle stores. Giant Squid Open Mike co-host Kate Loving Shenk is among those new Zazzlers and I think I can safely say that she is hooked. (Here's her new Zazzle gallery lens.)

If you'd like to learn more about Zazzle and how to use it on Squidoo, listen to the replay of the podcast from August 31, 2009. I hope you enjoy it as much as we enjoyed presenting it. (You can see Dandy's eyes in my Zazzle gallery, here.)

Listen to Giant Squid Openmike on Blog Talk Radio

Get More Traffic from the New Squidoo GreetBox

Greetings! If you've been around Squidoo awhile you might have noticed a recent drop in referral traffic to your lenses from within Squidoo. Some of that traffic used to come from links on other, related lenses. With the lens layout changes from a couple of months ago, those Squidoo-generated links ceased to exist.

Where did they come from in the first place? They were a result of a lensmaster's opting in to the Discovery Tool, which is found on a tab in every lens's intro module. The tab is still there and, I'm happy to report, the Discovery Tool is now working again, although in a different way.

Click on the Discovery Tool tab for any lens and you'll see space for three different lens URL's. It's up to you to provide links there (if you want to) to lenses related to your own. Naturally you're going to want to include your own lenses, or you can choose somebody else's lens.

So what happens to those links? With today's introduction of the GreetBox on Squidoo, when someone finds your lens by way of a search engine and clicks through, they will see your lens but with a GreetBox at the top. The new, non-logged-in-to-Squidoo visitor will be greeted and provided with links to three lenses that, in case your page doesn't actually provide what they were looking for, they can visit instead. While this may sound like an invitation to exit your lens, well, in a way it is. Squidoo wants to provide what the searcher was looking for and if your lens doesn't fit the bill, the visitor can either hit the "back" button - or he can choose one of those three lenses instead of yours. I vote for the latter choice, wouldn't you? Let's keep our visitors on Squidoo!

If you'd like for one or more of those three alternate lens choices to be your lenses, then make sure you opt in to the discovery tool and provide related links. That's the good news. The better news is that if you do opt in (and all of your lenses should already default to the opt in), your lens just might appear as a related link on somebody else's lens. However if you opt out, don't expect traffic from anyone else's GreetBox because your lens won't be eligible to appear there.

The GreetBox is in an experimental stage on Squidoo right now. Read more about this exciting new traffic tool on the Squidoo blog.

Expose Yourself On Amazon.com

If you're an e-business owner then you're probably looking for traffic. Have you considered exposing yourself and your business on Amazon.com?

If you're an Amazon seller or shopper you've probably noticed customer reviews on many of the items for sale there. Have you written any reviews? If you've purchased an item from Amazon you've probably received an email from the company asking you to leave a review and rate the product. Actually, you don't have to have even purchased an item from Amazon to leave a review. Many people who buy items elsewhere and either love or hate them add their product reviews on the Amazon website. Have you?

If you haven't, you're missing out on some great exposure. But before you head to your favorite products, look for the "Your Account" link at the top right of any Amazon.com page. From there, scroll down to "Personalization" where you'll find a "Your Public Profile" link. On that page you can add your nickname, upload a picture, talk a little bit about yourself, and even leave a link to your website. It's that last part you should get excited about. Include the link you want people to see first, your home page link, blog link, or even your Squidoo profile page link.

Once you've completed and saved your profile, start writing product reviews, maybe a couple a day. Be honest by reviewing based on first-hand knowledge of books or appliances or shoes or computers or golf clubs or gadgets you've actually used and, preferably, own. Be specific in your reviews in order to make them useful for shoppers evaluating items for purchase; those same people will rate your review as useful or not and the most useful reviews rise to the top and are more likely to be read.

There's no guarantee that someone will click through on your name in the review to look at your profile, but as a shopper I know that I've done so and I would expect someone, sometime, to click through on my name as well.

By contributing to the Amazon shopping community with product reviews, you may end up exposing yourself and your business to your next biggest customer.

Good idea? I think so. What do you think?

P.S. Use good keywords in your reviews. You do know that product reviews show up in search engines, right?

Lens of the Day is Back

Did you know it was missing?

If you're new to Squidoo, you might have never noticed a lens of the day (LOTD). In the busyness of all the changes and activities going on at Squidoo recently, the task of choosing and writing about a LOTD, every day, sort of fell by the wayside. No problem. Everyone needs a vacation.

But now it's back and I hope you're paying attention.

I believe in learning something new every day and LOTD makes that task easy-peasy. Make it a habit to look on your dashboard page, at the bottom of the left-hand column, every single day for a new lens of the day. Click and take a look at the lens and think about why it might have been given the LOTD honor. Then read the corresponding entry on the Lens of the Day blog for Megan or Kimberly's write-up about the lens. Does that assessment match yours? Do you agree or disagree? Did you see a module you've never used before? Was there something else about the way the lens was crafted that you could apply to your lensmaking? Did you meet a lensmaster you hadn't yet met? Did you learn something new?

Whether you agree or disagree with the LOTD choice or subject matter, always take something away from the lens or the blog, something you can apply in your life as a lensmaster. It's those little daily lessons that will, in the end, make your lenses better and, perhaps someday, worthy of a lens of the day honor.

How to Make Money with Zazzle Links on Your Lenses

Are you familiar with Zazzle? They're a print-on-demand place (like Cafepress) where it's easy (and f-ree) to sign up and make your own items or you can join as an affiliate and sell other people's items. There is also a Zazzle module that you can use on your Squidoo lenses. Before you do that, though, read on.

You should know that because Zazzle is unable to track by lens where links from Squidoo come from, if you use the Zazzle module you will NOT make any money from it unless your module displays your own Zazzle products. It's great to promote other people's items, but why not do it in such a way that you earn some money, too? Here's how.

Join Zazzle as an affiliate then when you need a great bumper sticker or t-shirt or apron or button or mouse pad or tote bag (for example) for a lens, log in to Zazzle and find one there. To display it on your lens, use a text module. Look below the Zazzle product description for "Link" and click there. Highlight the code under option 2 to display the picture as you see it on that page. The size is perfect for use in a text module. Paste that code into the text module. Now, Squidoo doesn't like the <> part of the code, so the easiest thing to do is save the module and let Squidoo strip that code out, or just remove it yourself if you're comfortable doing so. Then, if you want to center the picture, open the module again and put a "center" tag on it. Now save it and the picture and text below it will be centered. The link will also contain your affiliate ID so when someone clicks through and makes a purchase, you will get the commission.

You can read more details on Zazzle.com about how the affiliate program works. Note that if you have a Zazzle store and you display and sell your own item on your lens using the method described above, you will receive both the affiliate and the personal mark-up on that item, which adds up to a good chunk of change!

Try Zazzle for your lenses. I recommend it!

P.S. Whenever you post your Zazzle link, make sure you put the * at the end so you'll earn the affiliate commission, like this: http://www.Zazzle.com/susan52z*

How To Become Somebody on Squidoo

There's so much for a newbie Squidoo lensmaster to learn. I advise sticking with the basics when making your first several lenses, becoming familiar with the modules, how to work with them, and what they do. As you're getting to know your way around Squidoo, though, remember that other lensmasters will want to get to know you.

One of the best ways to help others get to know you is by writing a great biography for your lensmaster profile page and for your lenses. Then add a picture. Use a real-life picture or an avatar that you're going to want people to connect with you, your lenses, and your online presence in the future. Brains recognize and associate pictures to people at a glance, even when they have to think before they recall your name.

When you set up your Squidoo profile, make sure to enable the "contact" button. You may be surprised that seasoned lensmasters will want to contact you to offer advice or to give you a heads up on, say, a dead link or other issue with a lens. Don't worry; Squidoo won't share your email address.

Next step is to begin interacting with the Squidoo community by leaving comments on lenses and by frequenting the SquidU forum. Once you've introduced yourself there, feel free to ask for a critique of your first lens.

Follow these easy steps and before you know it, other lensmasters will begin recognizing you and calling you by name. To learn more, read and apply the advice on Are you a Squidoo Nobody? How to Become a Squidoo Somebody in 6 Easy Lessons.

It's about time you became Somebody on Squidoo!

The Importance of Categories on Squidoo

If you're already a lensmaster on Squidoo, you may not visit the Squidoo.com page very often. If you haven't seen it lately, go take a look. Currently gracing the gateway to Squidoo is a collection of lists of the top five lenses in each of 27 categories. Each of those lists also has a "more" button which, when clicked, leads the visitor to the list of the top 100 lenses in that category.

Why is this important to you? Simply because thousands of visitors each day enter Squidoo through that Squidoo.com page and most of them choose to click either a lens name that catches their eye or they choose to further explore a category of interest to them. If you have a lens that ranks high in any of those 27 categories, there is a much greater chance that a visitor to Squidoo.com is going to find your lens.

Note that there are actually 32 categories in which to place your lenses. If you have a lens in a category that isn't listed, the odds of someone finding that lens through Squidoo's front door is drastically reduced.

Before you make a change to your category choices, though, consider other factors. If a lens's traffic is already good, recategorizing it might prove to be a mistake. Also, some categories contain a lot more lenses than others, thus making it more difficult to land a spot in the top 100, let alone the top five. Of course if you do change the category on a lens and placement when lensrank updates next time proves to be poor, you can always change it back.

Switching categories on Squidoo is just one way to fine tune a lens, but it's a good option to consider. Just keep in mind the old idiom: If it ain't broke, don't fix it.

Squid Grads and More Squid Grads

Lots of goings on at Squidoo this week, as usual. On Monday, the second-session class of RocketMoms celebrated their graduation. Wednesday was graduation for Giant Squid Summer School students.

Each member of the two groups was required to complete one lens assignment per week for eight weeks in order to officially graduate. A total of 140 RocketMoms participated, as did over 70 Summer School Giants. Of the 56 RocketMom grads and 47 Summer School grads, 20 lensmasters were on both lists!

All in all, Squidoo is now richer by about 500 new, first-class lenses as a result of these two projects.

Congratulations to all the grads, and thanks for your hard work from which we all will benefit!

Where is the Journal of the Traveling Squid?

Have you heard about the Journal of the Traveling Squid? It's a project created by lensmaster JaguarJulie connecting Squidoo lensmasters worldwide.

A journal and a Giant Squidoo t-shirt are making the rounds of the world, from the hands of one Giant to another. Each leaves his or her own mark on the project by writing a page in the journal, signing the t-shirt, and taking a picture which is then posted in a special photo album on Flickr.

The project has been so successful that there is now a second journal and t-shirt in the mix, this one traveling the United States (the first volume is still traveling the UK). Volume 2 is currently in the capable hands of Squidoo HQ folks Gil, Kimberly, Seth, and Corey. I'm happy to report that the next lensmaster in line happens to be me, the humble Susan52 herself. Woo-hoo!

The project is being chronicled by JaguarJulie on this lens. You must check out all the amazing pictures and read the journal posts. Then bookmark the lens and visit regularly for updates.

Where will the Journal of the Traveling Squid end up? Read the lens to find out!

Urgent News for eBay Affiliates on Squidoo

If you're an eBay affiliate, you're probably aware of policy changes that are going into effect soon regarding affiliate links to eBay listings. If you have any of your personal eBay affiliate links on your Squidoo lenses, please pay attention.

The eBay Partner Network (EPN) very soon will no longer support personal affiliate links or campaign IDs on Squidoo. It's important that you remove those links as soon as possible from your lenses.

EBay has approved continuation of the use of Squidoo's eBay module on lenses, however, so you may still promote eBay products, your own or those of others, on Squidoo. This is a very popular module on Squidoo and brings in quite a bit of revenue which is shared with the lensmasters, so don't jump the eBay ship altogether and don't worry about losing eBay traffic from Squidoo.

Note that the consequences of leaving the EPN links on Squidoo are severe, so act quickly to remove or change those links to keep from losing your EPN account or having your lenses locked.

Further information is on this blog post from Squidoo.

Join Us In the Kitchen

Back in May a call was put out for great chefs on Squidoo to submit recipes for an upcoming cookbook. I'm happy to report that the cookbook is ready!

If you've always wondered how to make Chef Keem's brownies or Joan's Congo Squares, or if you've misplaced the link to Susan52's Pink Pickled Eggs, check out the f-ree download or order a print copy of the 66-page, full-color cookbook for only $14.49. What a great gift at a very reasonable price!

Look for this badge displayed by lensmasters who contributed to the cookbook. Many thanks to publishers David and Marta for the fantastic work they've done so you, too, can join us In the Kitchen With Squidoo.

Squidoo Themes and Front Doors

If you're new to Squidoo, you might not know that there are nine different "themes" you can use for your Squidoo lenses, to give each its own look. Additionally, there are "front doors" to Squidoo which place your lenses on a specific template. It's important to understand that "themes" and "front doors" are not the same.

THEMES: When you make a lens on Squidoo, it is created with the "default" theme. That's the page with the blue background and headings in orange. But there are currently a total of nine themes, the default theme and eight more (with even more coming soon). You can find all nine in the lens workshop on the upper right-hand side under "workshop tools." Click on "themes" and you'll see the list. To change your lens's theme, click on the button next to your choice and choose "select." You don't have to re-publish your lens for the change to take effect; it happens immediately. Take a look at your lens to see how you like it. If it doesn't give you the look you're going for, try on another theme for size. Feeling green? Choose the "Gone Camping" theme. Want a clean look? Try the "Zen" theme.

FRONT DOORS: Making a book review lens? You might choose the SquidLit "front door" to create the lens. Making a Halloween-themed lens? Try SquidBoo. The SquidZippers format is great for a local lens. Check the bottom of the Squidoo.com page for more "front doors."

IMPORTANT: Themes are interchangeable; front-door templates are not. You can change the themes anytime, but you can't change the "front door" templates! If you want a lens on one of those templates, you have to create it there in the first place, so be sure you want to use that format before you make a lens through that particular front door.

Squidoo isn't just orange and blue anymore. Explore front doors and themes to find the perfect background for each of your lens topics.

How to Use SquidZippers to Promote Your Business

Today's new post on the SquidU Review features lensmaster Kim Giancaterino and the brilliant way she uses Squidoo's front-door template, SquidZippers to promote her local, real-life business.

Kim's a notary public who has made numerous SquidZipper lenses to help clients find her and to help find new clients.

If you have an in-person business that needs promoting, don't miss this interview. I believe you'll be inspired to give SquidZippers a try.

Cash In With a Book Review Lens

Here's an idea for a lens. Do a book review.

The assignment for our Giant Squid summer school this past weekend was to make a lens about a book we plan to read and solicit people to read it with us. We could use the SquidLit template or not, totally up to us. The finished products are posted on our homework lens. There were 33 book review lenses posted there at last count. Before making yours, consider visiting a few to see what Giants are reading and building lenses about, and to get your own literary juices flowing.

Then, why not choose a favorite book, one you've read or one you'd like to read, and try out the fill-in-the-blanks SqudLit template? Don't worry if you don't know how to answer some of the questions; you'll have a chance to change the information or even delete modules later. Fill in all the blanks and Squidoo will make a lens for you then ask if you want to keep it. If you do, give it a good URL then start editing.

If you don't want one of the automatic modules, delete it. If you want to rename a module, do so. In fact, that's often a good idea. If you want to add a module, do that. It's your lens; pour on the passion to give it your own, personalized look.

Books are what sell best on Squidoo. Cash in on the action with an easy-to-make, personalized book review lens of your own.

How Important Is Keyword Research on Squidoo?

That's the question asked this week by lensmaster GrowWear on her blog, Squidoo Lens Reviews.

Let me share my answer with you:

Keyword research isn't important at all - unless you want people to find your lens! Posting on SquidU, sharing a lens with your squid-buddies, even Tweeting a lens only goes so far. The goal is to get traffic from the web, from public, from people you never knew you needed to meet. These are the ones who don't necessarily leave star ratings but who (hopefully, if you have a good lens) click out on your links and even make a purchase now and then. Can't earn money for yourself or for charity without those clickouts, and you won't get clickouts if you don't get traffic which found you because of, that's right, great keywords.

Changing Lives With Squidoo

Squidoo gives you, yes you, the power to touch, change, even save lives.

So you don't miss the enormity of that statement, you really must read "The Power of Squidoo" on the "So You Want to Be a Giant Squid" blog about one lens that most certainly did change a life.

Never doubt the power your words might have when you team them up with Squidoo.

Viral Marketing on Squidoo

In recent years, word of mouth marketing has been replaced by, or certainly supplemented by, online viral marketing. Viral marketing uses social media sites to spread the word about products, people, or events by way of an interesting story, picture, or video that people can't seem to stop talking/blogging/emailing/twittering about. Some of these topics are outlandish and short-lived, but the most successful are about things that anyone can relate to. Many of the most successful internet viral marketing campaigns are accidental.

Lensmaster Treasures-by-Brenda borrowed one such viral video for her lens, United Breaks Guitars, featuring one entertainer who is earning a whole lot of new fans, even though he didn't plan it that way. His topic? Bad customer service (something that everyone has experienced) by an airline (an entity that most everyone loves to hate).

Looking for inspiration for a lens? Check Twitter for trending topics, visit YouTube to find popular videos, google "funny viral videos" for an idea. Search for related music, links, and CafePress or Zazzle items to include on your lens. Become the expert and make your new lens the go-to place for everything related to that particular viral marketing topic. Feed the frenzy and find success using viral marketing on Squidoo.

A Journey of 2500 Lenses

I happened to notice on my Squidoo lensmaster profile page this morning that I have rated 2500 lenses. Exactly.

That's a lot of lenses.

I'm positive, though, that I'm not even close to setting a record. In fact, I just checked and birthday girl JaguarJulie has rated 4307, which is just part of what makes her one of the most popular and well-loved people on Squidoo. (Happy Birthday, Julie!)

Don't rate lenses in order to be popular, though. That can be a nice side effect, but instead visit and rate lenses to give back to the Squidoo community. As you visit lenses, take note of what you like about them then file that information away as ideas to incorporate into your lenses in the future. Believe me, you'll get much more out of it than you put in.

Remember, a journey of 2500 lenses starts with a single star. Have you visited and rated a lens today? Take that first step now.

Who Are You Making Lenses For?

When you create a lens on Squidoo, what audience are you writing for? Do you stop to consider who you want to find and read the lens? Do you plan your opening module to capture the attention of your next customer or does what you write confuse readers and send them to the back button before they ever get to the "meat" of the lens?

For instance, what if the opening sentence of a lens reads something like this: "I'm making this lens for a RocketMoms assignment." Or this: "There's a week left before the deadline for Giant Squid and this is my 50th lens!" Or even: "I've been on Squidoo for six months now so I decided to make a lensography."

If the sole purpose of the lens is to reach a particular audience within Squidoo, then those opening sentences might be just fine. However, if the eventual purpose of the lens is to provide information for a large audience of people from around the country and around the world and, especially, to convert those people to customers, then you might want to rethink your opening line.

Give each of your lenses an objective looking over. Make sure to address the main topic of the lens immediately so that you give your visitors a reason to read on. Don't chase them away with extraneous information or "insider talk" that adds nothing to the subject of the lens. Give them a reason to stick around, to find what they're looking for, to click through and purchase the item you were hoping they would buy. Make them feel like you wrote this lens just for them, your newest best customer and biggest fan.

If you want your lenses to succeed, to get traffic, to make sales, then write for your customers, not just for your friends on Squidoo.

A Special Shining Star on Squidoo

I've said it before and I'm going to say it again: I love lensmasters on Squidoo.

We have givers, helpers, teachers, leaders, and mentors far too numerous to name. They all shine like stars, but some stand out like the sun in a clear, blue summer sky. One who does is lensmaster Kim Giancaterino.

This week Kim published her 250th lens. To celebrate, she decided to use her SquidAngel powers to squid-bless 100 lenses chosen from those belonging to her nearly 1000 fans. She features all of those, plus a few bonus choices, on the lens she calls A Day of 100 Squid Angel Blessings.

Congratulations, Kim, for reaching that amazing 250 mark, and thanks for bringing sunshine into my day more times than I can count.

See Lens on Google

Giant Squid Summer School students and RocketMoms on Squidoo had an assignment this weekend to make lenses featuring the new "captions contest" module and oh, what great lenses they came up with!

Some topics were more on the serious side, but most were humorous lenses that became even more comical when visitors added their own creative captions to the pictures the lensmasters chose. Several people bravely used pictures of their two-legged family members while others featured animals, especially pets. My contribution included pictures of my cats watching their favorite bird movie on TV. I thought the pictures were funny before, but the captions people submitted made them downright hilarious.

That's the good news.

The better news is that my See Cats Watch Birds lens is now getting hits from Google. The best news is that the phrases that bring up that lens on the first page of Google include "bird video for cats to watch," which means that it's only a matter of time before someone buys the bird movie featured on that new lens.

See lens on Google. Watch lensmaster smile.

Color My World Squidoo

Lots going on at Squidoo this summer. RocketMoms has launched a second semester, the Giants are starting summer school, and today the new Squidoo lens layout is being released. Along with the new layout comes a fabulous new feature for your lensmaking pleasure: themes.

Having been one of the lucky giants to test the new themes on my lenses, I thought I'd share some of my impressions with you. There are seven new themes plus the new color scheme that goes along with the updated lens layout. The layout is the same on all the themes; only the colors and fonts are different. All of your maxed lenses will revert to the new layout first, then you'll be able to edit your lenses to give each one its most suitable look.

The default theme is orange and blue, very recognizable as Squidoo, bold and bright yet tasteful. If you code in a lot of color on your lenses, you might be disappointed that things don't match quite as well anymore, but then again they might. If colors tend to clash with the default design, don't panic; try one of the new themes first. Each has a different color scheme and one might be perfect. I'd recommend trying "Moment of Zen" for a nice, neutral light gray look or try "Easy Street" for a strong, black background that sets off coded-in colors or striking photographs very nicely.

If you think green, then you're going to love the "Gone Camping" theme. Have a passion for purple? Think "Purple People Eater;" you'll love it. Bold yellow bands behind module title fields give the "Highlighter" theme its name. A cool blue and white look dominates "Paintball," making me think of waterfalls and icebergs. Interestingly, "The Professor" theme was a good match for my homeschool planners lens; consider it for instructional lenses.

You'll find the theme choices in the workshop when you edit your lenses; look up and right. Click on the name of the theme to see a preview, then make your choice and apply it to the lens. Publish the lens and take a look. Have your ooh's and ah's ready; you're going to need them.

How to Get Squidoo Traffic From Big-Name Websites

Tip: Set up google news alerts for subjects that you write about on your lenses. News outlets online often have blogs that allow readers to leave comments. Some even allow you to leave a link via a URL field which is linked through your name when the comment is published.

When you receive a news alert, check the source and see if there is a place to leave a comment. If the subject is relevant to yours and you have an appropriate comment to leave, do so. Make your comment interesting and on topic. Don't spam or your comment likely will be removed. Don't put the link in your comment, only in the URL field. Use your lensmaster ID in the name field.

This works for blog alerts as well, but news outlets usually receive more traffic and, thus, your chances of someone finding your comment and clicking through on your link are better on those bigger sites.

As an example, check out my comment on the Newsday.com American Idol blog. I'm anxious to check my stats to see if it brings my lens any traffic. If the right person clicks through, it could be someone who ends up leaving me with a nice commission on that lens. Woo-hoo!

Raise Your Hand if You've Done This On Squidoo

I mean today. If you've promoted another lensmaster in any way, today, raise your hand.

If your hand is in the air, pat yourself on the back. If your hand isn't, read on.

Where can you promote another lensmaster?

• On the SquidU forum in the "Lenses we like" category.
  
• On twitter. Tweet a link to a lens and tell why you like it. (If you're not on twitter yet, please join today. You'll be glad you did.)
  
• On your blog. You do have a blog, don't you?
  
• On one of your own lenses. Add a Featured Lenses module or a Featured Lensmasters module. Choose a lensmaster you admire and show and tell everyone why you do.
  

Why should you promote another lensmaster or someone else's lens?

• To give back. Chances are some lensmaster has helped you on Squidoo, somewhere along the line. Now it's your turn to help somebody else.
  
• To build community and credibility. What's good for one lensmaster is good for the entire Squidoo community. Not only will you boost traffic, you'll boost Squidoo's reputation as a group of givers.
  
• To build your own reputation, even your own brand. Being known as a giver on Squidoo is a great thing. People will remember you and seek you out. Plus, it makes you feel really good about yourself.
  
• Because Megan and Seth said so. The Giants had a telephone conference recently and this is part of the advice that was given to us in answer to the question, "What can we do for Squidoo?" It was a great answer.
  

Put lensmaster promotion on your daily to-do list. It only takes a minute or two each day. Make it a habit. Then pat yourself on the back 'cause you deserve it!

Moms are Taking Off on Squidoo

What are Rocketmoms? They're not a group of female astronauts or scientists and they don't dance in a famous theater in New York City, although it wouldn't surprise me if there happened to be a scientist, an astronaut, or a dancer in the group. Actually, Rocketmoms are some of the smartest women on the web, and they're all lensmasters on Squidoo.

Turns out that many of the busiest, brightest, and best lensmakers on Squidoo have something in common: They're moms. Stay-at-home moms, working moms, single moms, grandmoms, stepmoms, but moms nonetheless.

Rocketmoms is a boot camp of sorts, organized for a small group of moms by Squidoo's own Megan Casey and lensmaster/Giant Squid Organizer BDKZ, with the creative touch of lensmaster SusanVillasLewis who designed the gorgeous template and fantastic logos. These lensmaster-moms network together, encouraging and motivating each other while being challenged to step outside their comfort zones by completing lensmaking assignments on topics that some of them never would have attempted on their own. By all accounts this project has been a rip-roaring success, not surprising when you consider that we're talking about moms here, the kind who invented the verb "multitask."

The first session of the Rocketmoms boot camp is coming to a close (I hear graduation was awesome) and the next session is about to begin. If you're a lensmaking mom on Squidoo and would like to participate in Rocketmoms in the future, read this SquidBlog post to find out how to apply. If you're a smart lensmaster but not a mom, keep your eyes peeled for other networking opportunities sure to pop up when you least expect it somewhere on Squidoo. Or hey, start a group yourself. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to stir up excitement on Squidoo.

Cooking With Squid(oo)

Squidoo has an awesome community of users (we call them lensmasters). At any given time, someone is cooking up a new promotion or challenge. It's hard not to stay busy and, in fact, easy to get too busy. Here, though, is a community project that's worth making time for.

Lensmaster Rewards4Life (actually David and Marta) is putting together a Squidoo community cookbook, a real, hard-copy book full of recipes provided by lensmasters on Squidoo. The book will be available to purchase and, believe me, this will be a one-of-a-kind cookbook that you will want to own.

Thing is, David and Marta need more recipes to bring this project to life. They've set June 1st as the deadline for recipe submissions and today, with less than a week to go, they must have 41 more recipes to keep the cookbook project going.

It's quite simple to submit a recipe. All of the steps are outlined in their lens, Squidoo Recipes Cookbook, but to summarize here is what you need to compile and email to David and Marta: Your recipe, the category (side dish, dessert, etc.), a list of ingredients, the directions, your picture or avatar, and a photo of the completed dish. They also want to include a link to your lens about the recipe, if you have one, and a short bio of you.

With all the magnificent recipe lenses on Squidoo and all of our talented chefs, certainly there are enough people to provide the remaining recipes. What a shame if this project doesn't fly because of lack of support. So, why not set aside a few minutes today and gather your favorite recipe and submit it with the supporting documentation to David and Marta at the address on their lens.

Let's eat!

Kris Allen and Me

What do Kris Allen and I have in common? We've both recently been surprised with an unexpected honor.

Kris, of course, is the new American Idol. I, on the other hand, have received the honor of having the Lens of the Day on Squidoo today for, whadya know, my Kris Allen, American Idol lens.

Kris Allen was surprised with his honor. I was surprised with mine, too.

Wow. I'm in great company.

Congratulations, Kris! Go, me!

Have You Caught the Spirit of Squidoo?

I love Squidoo, love the lensmasters, love the whole spirit that permeates the place.

What I love best is the way that lensmasters cheer each other on, and there are no better cheerleaders than the Giant Squid Organizers (GSO's for short). Frankly, I don't know how Bonnie, Robin, and Patti do it. They run a very popular section of the SquidU forum, they have blogs that promote the Giant Squid program on Squidoo, they review lenses and award purple stars weekly, and they continue to make high-quality lenses of their own, just to mention a few of their regular activities.

Besides the GSO's, the whole Giant Squid community, as well as the wannabe Giants, promote challenges and other activities designed to encourage excellence in lensmaking. If you're new to Squidoo and don't really understand what I'm talking about (yet) then you must visit the So You Want to Be a Giant Squid? section of the SquidU forum and see the spirit of Squidoo in action.

Catch the spirit of Squidoo! Your lensrank will thank you for it.

Somebody's Having a Birthday!

Today is our favorite chef's birthday. I won't tell you which milestone he has reached, but you'll figure it out when you visit his birthday pages, here and here.

Be sure and leave him a birthday greeting.

Happy, happy birthday Achim, and many more!

Squizazzle!

I'm having so much fun on Zazzle. I hope you'll check out all my designs, including Squidoo promotion designs, at The Green-Eyed Cat.

I Squidoo, Do You? by susan52z

Watch the (Purple) Stars Come Out On Squidoo

Have you noticed that "purple star" label on the left side of your lensmaster dashboard? It's been there for a very long time, always with a little mouse-over message explaining that purple stars aren't working yet, but they will be soon. Well, soon has arrived and the purple star program is now active, and was it ever worth the wait!

If you're not a Giant Squid and this program doesn't motivate you to make those 50 lenses and qualify for Giant, then I don't know what will. Only Giants are eligible for the purple star award and, indeed, only a few giant-made lenses will receive a purple star each week. When you see a purple star on a lens, you will know that it's a top-notch, high-quality lens, quality worth emulating. Purple star lenses will be showcased, announced on Squidoo weekly, so they won't be hard to find. If you're still trying to learn what makes a quality lens, seek these out and study them to learn what makes a really, really good lens.

Want to see the first group of recipients? They're included in this SquidU forum post, along with a link to the Purple Star lens with more details about the program. If you're serious about succeeding on Squidoo, this is material you will want to spend some time with. Enjoy!

Watch the (Gold) Stars Come Out On Squidoo

I've discussed in the past the practice of asking on a Squidoo lens that people rate the lens. Sometimes people do that well; sometimes they appear to be begging for a rating and that turns me off. I've settled into the practice of hyperlinking the lens at the bottom with the little statement, "Return to the top to rate this lens." Clicking on that link brings my visitors back to the top of the lens, making it easy to find the stars with just a subtle reminder.

Now, lensmaster extraordinaire thefluffanutta has made this process even simpler by inventing a widget called "Love This Lens?" By adding this widget to your lens you can bring the stars to the bottom (or wherever you want them), saving your visitor a trip back to the top! In fact, not only does the widget include stars with which to rate the lens, it also features "email it," "favorite it," and "lensroll it" links. How convenient is that?!

Check out this very cool widget, available to one and all on its own lens called, quite naturally, Love This Lens Widget. Follow the directions and watch the stars come out!

Hats off and a grateful bow to thefluffanutta!

Lens Affiliate Ads Survey Results

For the last 10 days or so we had a poll posted here which asked the following question: What do you think of lensmasters placing multiple affiliate ads on their profile page and in the bio section of their lenses? The results are in.

We had only 21 votes and several comments. Thirty-eight percent of those who voted said only one or two ads at the most should appear while 28 percent said it was fine to include multiple ads. Twenty-three percent voted that more than one or two ads looks unprofessional while nine percent said they didn't like the look at all.

In the comments, one person had not really noticed ads on Squidoo lenses, one admitted to having placed too many ads in the past, and one said she preferred to keep her profile panel clean and so did not post ads there at all. Another lensmaster stated that he saw no need for ads, but that the product on the lens should sell itself. Good point.

The conclusion that I come to, then, is that most people don't mind an extra ad or two. It seems that one or two ads that are related to the topic of the lens are about the right amount while any more than that might appear unprofessional or even unsightly.

Thanks to those who participated in the poll. Let me know if the results cause you to reevaluate the way you use, or don't use, affiliate ads on your Squidoo lenses.

Lensmasters Make Me Smile

I really love lensmasters on Squidoo. I love them for a lot of reasons, but today I love them for the very kind comments they leave on my lenses.

Maybe I'm just insecure, but it certainly does make me feel good when people say they enjoy my work. I'm talking about really sincere comments, and I've had a lot of those lately.

Thank you, each of you, for making me smile. I hope my comments on your lenses make you smile, too.

(picture courtesy BL1961 through creative commons)

Please Participate in Our Poll

What do you think of lensmasters placing multiple affiliate ads on their profile page and in the bio section of their lenses?

This seems to be a growing trend on Squidoo lately and, while I can see that an ad or two might be fruitful, I've seen some presentations that look downright unprofessional and have to think that they might actually be counterproductive.

In my opinion.

I want to know what you think, so I've placed a poll on the left margin of this blog. Would you please take a moment and answer the question? If you have more to add, feel free to leave a comment below.

I appreciate your input.

New Photo Feature on Squidoo!

Well, I happened to be in the right place at the right time today and discovered a brand new module on Squidoo!

It's a photo gallery. Very, very cool! You can see it in action in this module on one of my lenses.

To add a photo gallery module to your lens, go to the module picker and look under "P" for "photo gallery."

TIP: Make sure that the pictures you use are similar in size, particularly in height. The thumbnails show in a neat row, but as the pictures rotate through, they show in their original size. If the sizes vary a lot, the modules below the gallery will "bounce" up and down as the pictures above rotate through. Bouncing modules aren't fun and may cause your visitors to click away before they finish reading your lens, definitely not cool.

From now on I'll be taking more and more pictures to go with my lenses, how about you? Let's hear it for Gil and the rest of the Squidoo staff. W00t!

How Serious Are You About Squidoo?

If you're serious about Squidoo, Giant Squid should be a goal. Fifty lenses might sound like a lot, but the reward is well worth the work.

Deadline for Giant Squid applications is at the end of each quarter, so if you're getting close to having 50 good, quality lenses, set March 31st as your goal. If you're just getting warmed up and need more time, the end of June is an achievable target.

If you seriously want to learn ways to reach the goal of 50 good lenses then you should plan to attend the online workshop being held this Thursday afternoon by the Giant Squid organizers. It's an RSVP event, so hurry and check it out, here. Bonnie, Robin, and Patti know what they're talking about and an hour or so spent with them will be well worth your time.

If you can't make it to the workshop, at least make sure that you visit the So You Want to Be a Giant Squid blog on a regular basis for valuable information to help you reach the awesome milestone of becoming a Giant Squid.

Three Things You Must Do

Once again, I was honored to be asked to write a guest post about making money on Squidoo, this time for Rhonda White's MommyRevenue blog. Rhonda has been a mentor to many for several years now and was one of the first people I connected with when I started blogging and building my online businesses. In fact, Rhonda is the first person who introduced me to Squidoo, so I owe her a whole lot!

If you're looking for ideas and information about starting an online business, if you need content for your own website or blogs, of if you're looking for some great marketing tips, MommyRevenue is an excellent resource. Check it out soon and, while you're there, check out my guest post, Three Things You Must Do to Make More Money on Squidoo.

Redecorating

Hello! It's still me, Susan52 on Squidoo.

I've spent the afternoon redecorating the blog. I was definitely ready for a new look. The "before" is in the picture, there ---->

So, what do you think? Like the new look better? Is the orange on blue too much for the eyes? (Edited: Never mind about that, I've changed the header background to white.) Have any suggestions on ways to improve? Decorating is definitely not my strong suit, so any input is appreciated.

Now, back to our regular program.

New Orange Tab Resources for Squids

Have you noticed the orange tab at the left margin of your lenses? It's new.

If you're a lensmaster, logged in to Squidoo, the tab says "Shortcuts." If you're not logged in, the tab says "About Squidoo."

Log in and click that tab. On the window that appears, check out each of the links. Chances are you'll find a resource that you didn't know about or haven't used. One is a direct link to SquidU, the place to be for Squidoo lensmasters of all levels of experience. If you haven't joined the forum there, why not? Think you don't have enough time? Nobody has enough time, but join anyway and visit occasionally. Introduce yourself then contribute as you can. Ask questions if you have them and give answers to other people's questions if you know them. You'll be glad you did.

Another resource on the tab is "Discover tons of great lensmaster-run blogs and tools." One of the things that makes Squidoo the greatest is contributions by our lensmasters and you'll find many of the best links to those off-Squidoo sites there. In fact, you might have arrived here from there.

There's more, six options in all, and there are different links on the "What's Squidoo?" tab, but I'll let you discover those for yourself. Go! Try it!

Squidmusings with Moomette's Gram

I was happy and honored when Cindi of Moomettesgram's Musings asked me to write a guest post about Squidoo.

Cindi is a prolific presence online, blogging on topics of interest to work-at-home moms of all ages, including those of us who also fall into the category of baby boomer. Easy to see why Cindi and I get along so well.

My guest post addresses the WAHM community, explaining to that ever-growing group why Squidoo is a great business choice for them. I hope you'll take a minute, visit Moomettesgram's Musings and check it out!

This Lensmaster Shares the Love

My Squidoo friend Arthur, aka Pantherart, is another lensmaster who prefers using his blog to showcase other lensmasters rather than himself. Seems there's a lot of that going around on Squidoo.

Arthur asked me for an interview and I was happy to comply. Here's the result.

Why not share your love with another Squidoo lensmaster, or a few. Leave a comment. Rate a lens. Send a note of encouragement to a lensmaster whose work you particularly enjoy. You might make someone's heart beat a little happier.

Network Your Squidoo Lenses

Quick tip: Network your lenses.

Make several lenses (at least three) on the same or related topics. Don't duplicate; make each one unique but related to the main subject. Each lens must be a quality, stand-alone lens.

Lensroll the lenses to each other. Link them using the "Explore related pages" section of the intro module. Use text links and/or the featured lenses module to tie the lenses together. Use similar keywords on all the lenses.

You may have read this tip before, but have you tried it? If you haven't, don't put it off any longer. It really works.

From the Heart of Squidoo

Don't know if you knew it, but Squidoo loves you. As a gift to its lensmasters (and anyone else who's interested) the team at Squidoo HQ has put together an ebook and is offering it to you for free. It's a book of lensmaking tips contributed by the pros, lensmasters who've been there and done that and want to share the love.

Download Squidoo's Valentine's Day ebook here.

Happy Valentine's Day, with love from the entire SquidStaff and from me, too.

Share Your Hobby and Make Money With Squidoo

What do you get when you cross your favorite hobby with a website called Squidoo?  If you do it carefully, you get a monthly income!  Let me explain.

Squidoo is a place online where regular people, called lensmasters, create web pages, called lenses, about a hobby, activity, gadget, person, or any other subject that they are passionate about, and make money for themselves and for charity.  A Squidoo lens isn’t a blog that has to be updated weekly or even daily to grow and thrive, it’s a stand-alone mini-website put together by an expert, someone who knows and loves its topic. 

Let’s say you have a hobby; let’s choose quilting.  You enjoy the fabric, the colors and patterns that go into a quilt.  You enjoy the method, the technique.  You’ve made a quilt or two or maybe a lot more and enjoy showing them off or even selling them.  You are a quilter.  Thus, you are an expert on quilting.

Now comes the Squidoo part.  First you open a Squidoo account, which is easy, fast, and free.  Then you choose the title of your first lens; let’s call it “I Love Quilts.”  Using the easy-to-understand workshop that Squidoo provides, you upload pictures of some of your own favorite quilts.  Add a section, called a module, that features your favorite quilting books at amazon.com, books that people can click on and buy directly from your lens.  Add a Flickr module and include pictures of quilts that other people have made.    Now add a poll module, perhaps asking the visitors to your lens how many quilts they have made, none, one, up to five, from five to 10, or more than 10.   Add a Zazzle module featuring mugs with quilt patterns on them, which are great gifts for quilters.  Add an eBay module featuring vintage quilts available at auction on eBay right now.  Add a guestbook where your visitors can leave you a message.  Hit “publish” and, simple as that, you’ve created your first Squidoo lens, which might look something like this.

Next step is to tell your friends about your new lens.  Email it, Twitter it, post it to your facebook or myspace page.  This is where the fun really starts.  As people visit your lens, some will leave messages, participate in the poll, and maybe even click through and buy one of those books you recommended, a mug, or even a vintage quilt from eBay.  When they do, you and Squidoo earn a small commission.  No inventory, no shipping, just a Squidoo lens.  Squidoo will donate a portion of their share of the commission to charity; you may do the same with settings on your lens.  Or, keep the money for yourself.  It’s up to you. 

Sound fun?  Trust me, it is fun.  It’s a great way to share your passion with the world via the web and a nice way to add a little spending money to your budget.  Ready to get started?  Simply go to Squidoo.com and follow the simple steps.  If you do, will you come back here and leave a comment with your lens link? I’d love to see it.  Already on Squidoo?  I’d love to read your comments, too.  Have fun with Squidoo.  I do! 

Squid to Squid

I met another Squidoo lensmaster, face to face!  

For an up close and personal report, visit "A Tale of Two Susans."

Big News On Squidoo. Make That GIANT News!

Today's Giant Squid Day on Squidoo.   The most recent class of Giant Squids has been announced.  Congratulations to all of you!  I don't think I'll ever forget the day I found out I was a Giant Squid.  When the badge appeared on one of my lenses, I did a double take, checked a few other lenses just to be sure, then ran into the kitchen where I had no witnesses and jumped up and down for a long time!  I know exactly how all of you new Giants feel.  Oh, so good! 

It's also Giant Squid 100 Club Day, and I'm jumping up and down yet again because now I can display that badge, too.  I qualified!  Hooray for me and for all the new 100's!  As the honors get better, the rewards (and responsibilities) get bigger.  With so many excellent lensmasters on Squidoo, I have to wonder what will come next. 

In the meantime, W00t! 

(Learn how you can become a Giant Squid.)

Squid for Kids

Just had to share this with my Squidoo friends. Presented to me as "Redneck Seafood Dinner" (it's okay, I'm from Arkansas) it could also be "Squid for Kids," don't you think?

Lens Titles and Stuff

I use the word "stuff" a lot.  Do you?

One of my earliest Squidoo lenses was called "Where to Find Stuff to Sell on eBay" for a long time and actually did pretty well, then I changed the title to "What to Sell on eBay and Where to Find It."  The lensrank dropped.  I changed the title back over the weekend and already visits have picked up substantially and lensrank has improved, plus when I look at the stats I see that the majority of the search terms include the word "stuff."  Interesting. 

If it ain't broke, don't fix it.  File that rule under "Squidoo Stuff to Remember."

Add This One Little Thing for More Star Ratings

Do you ever leave a comment on a Squidoo lens but then forget to go back to the top to rate it with the stars? I'm sure I've done it. Sometimes I just forget or get in a hurry or sidetracked.  Likely others have forgotten to rate my lenses, too.  

Frankly, when people practically beg for star ratings for their lenses, sometimes that seems a bit pushy (not always, some do it well) and I'm inclined to move on.  Since self-promotion is far from my strong suit anyway, I'm not inclined to ask.  However, recently I've started adding one little line,  four or five little words, in a text module just below the comment box at the bottom of my lenses.  I simply link those words to the lens itself, saying "Return to top of page" or "Back to the top."  That provides an easy way to get back to the stars and, perhaps, a small reminder to the reader to go back to the top and color in those pretty stars.  (See what I'm talking about at the bottom of this lens.)

I can't say whether or not it has improved my star feedback or not, but I figure it can't hurt and maybe, just maybe it will help.  What do you think?  Is it a good idea?  Is it better just to ask?  Is my approach too subliminal?  Are you going to try it?  Do leave a comment and let me know. 

A Challenge and a Cheerleader

Back in mid-October I received the following message via email:

"I'm going for the 100 club too (although I am behind you by a few lenses) and I'm going to be keeping my eye on you and your lenses! Susanna"

Thus began the challenge. Susanna was challenging herself, but little did she know how she would challenge me! Susanna had a plan, which included four lenses a week in order to make the 100 Club deadline of the 31st. Wow, four a week. That's a lot of lenses!

Guess what. She did it. And, after giving up on my goal with nine to go, then receiving a kick in the tentacles by (guess who) Susanna herself, so did I. I published my 102nd lens last night at a few minutes before midnight. Susanna is up to at least 110 (Squidoo hasn't updated totals in a couple of days). That's more than four lenses a week and, I might add, hers are good, quality lenses. No junk in her lensography, that I can guarantee! Here's her latest; just check it out to see what I mean.

Susanna Duffy, you're a shining star in the Squidoo sky, or is it sea? Either way, thank you for being my cheerleader. You're going to make a wonderful member of the Giant 100 Club!