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.