Ready to Join Squidoo?

Do you have a favorite item that you love, one that you don't hesitate to recommend to people?  Maybe a book, movie, or CD?  Then why not write and publish a review about that particular item?

Squidoo is the perfect place to share reviews and now it's easier than ever to put together a product or book or movie or music review page (we call them "lenses" on Squidoo) and publish it for the world to see. 

If you've thought about joining Squidoo, there's no time like the present to get started.  All you have to do is follow the instructions and links on this page and you can be up and making lenses in mere minutes.  There's a link to use to sign up, links to some sample review lenses, and even a short, easy-to-understand tutorial to show you how to make your very first lens. 

Besides helping people out by sharing your unique point of view on a product, you can also earn money writing on Squidoo, money for yourself or for charity. 

Did I mention that writing for Squidoo is fun?  And it's free?  In fact, everything you need to know about making great lenses on Squidoo can be found on the site and it's all absolutely free.  We even have a "university" for newbies on Squidoo, called RocketSquids.  Once you've gotten started, I'd be thrilled to send you a personal invitation to join RocketSquids.  Just let me know when you're ready.

With the holiday shopping season in full swing, there's no time like the present to get started.  I would absolutely love for you to join us and can't wait to read your first lens.  Ready?  Go!

Where to Find Answers to Your Squidoo Questions

I haven't been posting to this blog as often as I should, but that doesn't mean I'm not writing about how to Squidoo. 

Most of my writing these days is done for RocketSquids, the members-only "boot camp" on Squidoo that's designed for new lensmasters who want the inside track on how to make great lenses.  If you're new to Squidoo and want to get on the fast track to Giant Squid, then RocketSquids is the place to be.  You can read more and sign up at this link. 

I also contribute to the official Squidoo blog, SquidooHQ, with occasional tips posts and frequent interviews with up-and-coming new Squid talent.  If you haven't checked out HQ lately, you might be surprised at all the helpful resources that are offered there.  What's more, everything is free.  There's no reason for anyone ever to pay to learn how to succeed on Squidoo. Between RocketSquids and the Squidoo Learning Center, and of course the official forum, it's easy to find answers.

It didn't take long after I signed on to Squidoo over six years ago for the teacher in me to rise to the surface, offering help to other lensmasters through posts on this blog and more private messages than I can count.  I'm just thrilled to be able to help in an official capacity now. 

I love to answer Squidoo questions and offer help wherever it's needed.  So if you're stuck or just want a second opinion on a lens, feel free to let me know.  I'm still around.

People Are Kind

I deal with lots of people online on a daily basis, mostly "newbie" lensmasters on Squidoo.

Just wanted to say here, for the record if anyone's keeping track, that there are so many very, very kind people out there.  I am touched daily by the appreciative emails that I receive and the lovely comments I get on my profile page. 

It takes time to seek out that profile page then compose an email or type a comment.  It's very, very humbling to be on the receiving end of such a generous gesture, usually multiple times a day.

I guess that's it, except just to say "thank you."  You make my day.

A Lesson on Lensrank

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!

Traffic on Squidoo: It's All About UUU

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.

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

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!

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.

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!

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 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!

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.

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.

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.

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!

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.

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!