They say birds of a feather flock together, but what about Squidoo lensmasters? Since RocketMom's inception and success, many other groups have been created where lensmasters are sharing ideas, projects, and even lensmaking challenges. From Squidoo specialty groups to community blogging forums to weekly podcasts, small groups of like-minded lensmasters are popping up everywhere!
Have you collaborated with other lensmasters for a project on or off of Squidoo? Read on this lens about our small group of six and the "mini empire" we've been building, vote in our poll, then leave a comment (here or there) describing your successes (or failures) in joint ventures with others from Squidoo. I'd love to read your input!
Showing posts with label how to use Squidoo. Show all posts
Showing posts with label how to use Squidoo. Show all posts
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
Do You Read Beyond the Guestbook?
The guestbook module is a fundamental part of most Squidoo lenses. Offering your visitors a place to leave their thoughts and even ask questions is important and that particular module is the simplest way to allow readers an opportunity to do those things.
Most lensmasters place their guestbook towards the bottom of the page, which is a sensible approach since usually the question asked in the module is along the lines of, "What did you think of my lens?" While that isn't necessarily a clever title, it's pretty clear (at least to other lensmasters) and gets results.
But what comes after the guestbook? When you make a lens, do you follow the guestbook with more content? A sales module of some sort? Or maybe your bio with a link to your other lenses? For the most part I add an "About Me" module and then a link back to the top of the page after the guestbook on my lenses. Some lensmasters add a lot more.
It used to be that after submitting a comment, the lens page would "jump" to below the guestbook which served as a reminder (at least to me) to keep scrolling. But the guestbook works differently now and that "jump" doesn't happen anymore, so now it's up to me to remember to scroll on down to see what's there. I'm sorry to say that sometimes I simply forget and, instead, do a quick Ctrl+home to get back to the top of the page to leave a thumbs up or bookmark the page. (Never mind that you can do those things now at the bottom of the lens; old habits die hard and I've been a lensmaster for a long time in squid years.) So, sometimes I simply forget to look below the guestbook and I'm sure that sometimes I miss some good content.
I'm trying to change my habits, but I'm curious what other people do - so I thought I'd ask. After you sign a lens's guestbook, do you scroll on down to look for more content? Do you rate the lens at the bottom or do you go back to the top of the page? When you make a lens, what do you include below the guestbook? If you have a minute, I'd love if you'd leave your answer in a comment below because inquiring minds want to know - do you read below the guestbook?
P.S. If you have no idea what I'm talking about in this post, it's easy to find out by visiting Squidoo, checking out a few lenses - and signing a few guestbooks!
Most lensmasters place their guestbook towards the bottom of the page, which is a sensible approach since usually the question asked in the module is along the lines of, "What did you think of my lens?" While that isn't necessarily a clever title, it's pretty clear (at least to other lensmasters) and gets results.
But what comes after the guestbook? When you make a lens, do you follow the guestbook with more content? A sales module of some sort? Or maybe your bio with a link to your other lenses? For the most part I add an "About Me" module and then a link back to the top of the page after the guestbook on my lenses. Some lensmasters add a lot more.
It used to be that after submitting a comment, the lens page would "jump" to below the guestbook which served as a reminder (at least to me) to keep scrolling. But the guestbook works differently now and that "jump" doesn't happen anymore, so now it's up to me to remember to scroll on down to see what's there. I'm sorry to say that sometimes I simply forget and, instead, do a quick Ctrl+home to get back to the top of the page to leave a thumbs up or bookmark the page. (Never mind that you can do those things now at the bottom of the lens; old habits die hard and I've been a lensmaster for a long time in squid years.) So, sometimes I simply forget to look below the guestbook and I'm sure that sometimes I miss some good content.
I'm trying to change my habits, but I'm curious what other people do - so I thought I'd ask. After you sign a lens's guestbook, do you scroll on down to look for more content? Do you rate the lens at the bottom or do you go back to the top of the page? When you make a lens, what do you include below the guestbook? If you have a minute, I'd love if you'd leave your answer in a comment below because inquiring minds want to know - do you read below the guestbook?
P.S. If you have no idea what I'm talking about in this post, it's easy to find out by visiting Squidoo, checking out a few lenses - and signing a few guestbooks!
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
Turn a Squidoo How-To Lens Into an EHow Article
Do you have a lens that explains how to do something? If so, it will be simple to use that same information to create an article on the how-to site called eHow.
Since you've already done the research and you've written about what you learned, the time-consuming part of the job is already done. Just take that information and rewrite it with an introduction and step-by-step instructions in the required format of an eHow article.
Writing an eHow article is very simple as the form for the article is presented to you in fill-in-the-blank stages. First you'll choose a name for the article (keep your keywords in mind), choose a picture for the article, then you'll list the items that are needed for the project (if that applies). Next, divide the project into logical steps and write those short steps in the boxes that eHow provides on its form. You can add a picture with each step, too, if you want.
Next, add a bulleted list of tips and warnings; again the form makes it easy. At the end you can add resources to provide more information for the reader. It's fine to include your original lens link as a resource.
That's all there is to it! EHow is free to join and they pay you based on the click-outs to ads that your article generates. Of course, hopefully you will also be paid in visits to your Squidoo lens resulting from clicks on your link.
You can join eHow here. Check out this article that I wrote based on a section included in this lens to see what the how-to format looks like, then take a look at your own lenses. I'm guessing you'll find a few topics that can be translated into a money-making article on eHow. Lather, rinse and repeat to create another residual income stream on a platform that's fun and easy to use.
Since you've already done the research and you've written about what you learned, the time-consuming part of the job is already done. Just take that information and rewrite it with an introduction and step-by-step instructions in the required format of an eHow article.
Writing an eHow article is very simple as the form for the article is presented to you in fill-in-the-blank stages. First you'll choose a name for the article (keep your keywords in mind), choose a picture for the article, then you'll list the items that are needed for the project (if that applies). Next, divide the project into logical steps and write those short steps in the boxes that eHow provides on its form. You can add a picture with each step, too, if you want.
Next, add a bulleted list of tips and warnings; again the form makes it easy. At the end you can add resources to provide more information for the reader. It's fine to include your original lens link as a resource.
That's all there is to it! EHow is free to join and they pay you based on the click-outs to ads that your article generates. Of course, hopefully you will also be paid in visits to your Squidoo lens resulting from clicks on your link.
You can join eHow here. Check out this article that I wrote based on a section included in this lens to see what the how-to format looks like, then take a look at your own lenses. I'm guessing you'll find a few topics that can be translated into a money-making article on eHow. Lather, rinse and repeat to create another residual income stream on a platform that's fun and easy to use.
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
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*
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/
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
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.
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.
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
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!
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!
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
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!
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!
Sunday, March 1, 2009
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.
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.
Sunday, January 25, 2009
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!
Sunday, December 7, 2008
I'm Thoroughly Confused. What is Squidoo?
My new online friend, April, asked me this: "I just went to your Squidoo page, but am thoroughly confused! Just what is it? Is it a place to blog, sell, or something else?" Here's my response.
April,
To answer your question about Squidoo, yes to all of those things! Squidoo is a place where "experts" make pages about topics, anything at all, and people then find those pages when they're looking for information about the topic or contents of the page. It's an example of Permission Marketing
, where you don't go to people, but they seek you out. If they like what they see, they might buy something you're offering for sale.
You don't actually have to sell anything on Squidoo, but if you do, you earn commissions on those things, plus you as a lensmaster (the pages are called lenses, the authors lensmasters) receive a portion of the overall ad commissions that Squidoo earns.
To understand it, you just have to explore it. My lensmaster/profile page shows all of the lenses that I've created, which cover a wide array of topics. Squidoo is a great way to promote an online business or just to get the word out about something you're passionate about. I just updated my favorite lens, called Nurturing Imagination. That's a topic I am rather passionate about, plus it features my kids. :-) Also, I'm pretty proud of the lens I recently made about my puppy, Daisy. I updated that one again this morning. It's good to update/freshen your pages regularly, but it isn't like a blog where you're expected to post regularly.
There are over 750,000 Squidoo lenses and thousands and thousands of lensmasters, so you can imagine the variety you'll find on Squidoo. I love it! (Can you tell??)
Hope that helps to answer your question!
April,
To answer your question about Squidoo, yes to all of those things! Squidoo is a place where "experts" make pages about topics, anything at all, and people then find those pages when they're looking for information about the topic or contents of the page. It's an example of Permission Marketing
, where you don't go to people, but they seek you out. If they like what they see, they might buy something you're offering for sale. You don't actually have to sell anything on Squidoo, but if you do, you earn commissions on those things, plus you as a lensmaster (the pages are called lenses, the authors lensmasters) receive a portion of the overall ad commissions that Squidoo earns.
To understand it, you just have to explore it. My lensmaster/profile page shows all of the lenses that I've created, which cover a wide array of topics. Squidoo is a great way to promote an online business or just to get the word out about something you're passionate about. I just updated my favorite lens, called Nurturing Imagination. That's a topic I am rather passionate about, plus it features my kids. :-) Also, I'm pretty proud of the lens I recently made about my puppy, Daisy. I updated that one again this morning. It's good to update/freshen your pages regularly, but it isn't like a blog where you're expected to post regularly.
There are over 750,000 Squidoo lenses and thousands and thousands of lensmasters, so you can imagine the variety you'll find on Squidoo. I love it! (Can you tell??)
Hope that helps to answer your question!
Tuesday, December 2, 2008
My 7 Habits of Successful Lensmaking
Glen recently put together an awesome post called The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Lensmasters. He enlisted the help of seven very successful lensmasters who each presented their own seven things that they do to help make each of their lenses successful. Great idea and you must read all 49. Then you can read my seven, here.
- I have an idea! The best ones seem to just pop into my head.
- Brainstorm. Write down everything I can think of about the topic. I usually type it, but brainstorming is better done with pen and paper.
- Keyword search, which might actually change the direction of the lens but will likely give me the URL.
- Google it. What’s there that I didn’t think of? Check images and video.
- Amazon, eBay, and other affiliate products available? Look for both bestsellers and something unique. Look for eye appeal to spur emotion. (I’d choose a product with a pretty picture over something plain, wouldn’t you?)
- Set up the sequence of modules and make the lens. This is where the creative juices actually flow. I’m a visual learner and seeing my ideas take shape actually spurs new and better ideas, so it isn’t surprising that my final product is often not quite the same as what I thought it would be when I first visualized it in my head.
- Publish and take a look. Rearrange modules to make everything look nicely balanced.
Sunday, November 16, 2008
Raise Your Conversion Rate With These Squidoo Tips of the Day
A couple of quick tips today that will help convert lookers to shoppers and shoppers to buyers on your Squidoo lenses.
- In shopping modules (amazon, eBay, or with your own affiliate items such as allposters.com
) use wording such as, "Click on the picture to read more about or to purchase the item." Some visitors to your lenses might not be accustomed to shopping online and need a call to action or even instructions to help them learn how to shop.
- When setting up an eBay module, if you know there will be plenty of your search items with bids, choose to show items with 1 or greater bids rather than defaulting to zero. Look under the "display options" tab and check the box to display the number of bids. Seeing that someone else is already bidding on the items creates an instant demand for the products that are shown, resulting in a sense of urgency for your lookers/shoppers/buyers to click through. Here's an example.
Saturday, September 27, 2008
Is Your Squidoo Lens Boring?
What makes a boring Squidoo lens? Usually the answer is text that goes on and on and on. While informational lenses are fine and sometimes large amounts of text are necessary, here are a few things that you can do to keep your readers' attention, to help them get through the wordiness.
- Split it up. A text module can contain 10,000 characters; you don't have to use them all! Consider subdividing your copy into multiple text modules with a title for each, which makes it a lot easier on the eye. If you do have a large section of text that absolutely must stay together, consider breaking it up with drop caps on paragraphs, bolding key words and phrases, and certainly by using pictures here and there.
- Create some variety. Squidoo has dozens of modules that can be used to spruce up a lens. Emphasize your most important point with a Black Box module (now available in multiple colors, by the way) or a The Most Important Thing module (a white box bordered in orange). Is there a book that complements your lens topic? Use an Amazon Spotlight module to feature that book. How about a Polaroid module to showcase a nice picture that demonstrates what you've discussed in those long text modules? There are many, many more modules available, so mix it up a bit! (Warning! Keep on topic. Don't add an Igo Green Tip of the Day widget unless that is closely related to your original subject.)
- Get your reader involved. People don't want to read about you, they want to read about themselves, about how your topic can benefit them. Give them an opportunity to participate. Consider using a poll module to let them vote yea or nay on something having to do with your topic. Writing about something controversial? Go a step further by using a duel module to elicit arguments on both sides; people love to give their opinions! By all means include a guestbook and be sure to place it near the end of the lens. Don't expect comments on the topic that appears down below; they haven't read it yet, so how can they comment on it?
Sunday, August 17, 2008
Find Your Next Lens Topic in Your Stats
So you have a lens that's getting search engine traffic. Good for you!
Here's what to do next. Check your Squidoo stats for that lens. Look for a trend in search terms. Is there one, or a few related phrases that stand out? In other words, when people search for a topic and find your lens, what specifically are they looking for? If there's a term that rises to the top, use it to make another lens.
Case in point. My Who is Shirley Temple lens gets a good amount of search engine traffic. Recently, many of of the search terms have to do with Shirley Temple costumes. Voila! Here is the offshoot lens, which started getting Google hits the day after it was published and generated its first affiliate sale the following day.
Get it? Good. Go do it.
Here's what to do next. Check your Squidoo stats for that lens. Look for a trend in search terms. Is there one, or a few related phrases that stand out? In other words, when people search for a topic and find your lens, what specifically are they looking for? If there's a term that rises to the top, use it to make another lens.
Case in point. My Who is Shirley Temple lens gets a good amount of search engine traffic. Recently, many of of the search terms have to do with Shirley Temple costumes. Voila! Here is the offshoot lens, which started getting Google hits the day after it was published and generated its first affiliate sale the following day.
Get it? Good. Go do it.
Sunday, June 15, 2008
Experts On Squidoo
Something rather interesting happened today. I received a comment early this morning on one of my lenses and, as I usually do, I checked to see who left the comment. It was a new lensmaster; his name was Antonio. He had one lens, so I took a look at it. I liked the lens a lot and thought it was a very good first Squidoo lens. I did, though, have a couple of suggestions for small ways he might improve the lens. Busybody that I am sometimes, I used his contact form, complimented him on his lens and offered those couple of suggestions.
I was happy a short while later when I received a response from Antonio, thanking me for the “prompt response,” telling me that he had applied my suggestions already and asking me to take a look. I did take a look and saw that he had done an outstanding job of implementing my ideas. I was even more impressed with his lens this time and let him know that.
Now here’s the interesting part. I sat back down at the computer later this morning to work, noticed that spam messages were accumulating in my spam mailbox and went to delete them. I always check first in case there are messages there that shouldn’t have gotten filtered as spam and, as usual, I found one. It was a message from Antonio from earlier this morning. Turns out that before I contacted him this morning, he had actually contacted me, saying he was looking at my lenses and would be happy to accept suggestions and comments from me about his. He had asked for a critique even before I had offered one, and I hadn’t even known it!
Now, my point. Here is part of what I wrote to Antonio after I found his original request. “Good for you for asking for the critique! You obviously have what it takes to succeed; asking for advice from an expert (thanks for considering me to be a Squidoo expert, by the way!) may be the very best way to become an expert! Funny that those who think to ask are generally the ones who are so far along the right road in the first place.”
There are two truths here. One: In order to become an expert, find an expert and ask for help or advice, then follow that advice. Two: If you are the type of person who will seek out an expert and make the contact, chances are you already have what it takes to become an expert and, in fact, to become successful in life in general. Good for you!
I’m excited for Antonio, about his future on Squidoo and in every aspect of his life. I enjoyed meeting him today and always enjoy when I meet exceptional people. And I don’t know a better place for meeting exceptional people, both experts and future experts, than on Squidoo.
I was happy a short while later when I received a response from Antonio, thanking me for the “prompt response,” telling me that he had applied my suggestions already and asking me to take a look. I did take a look and saw that he had done an outstanding job of implementing my ideas. I was even more impressed with his lens this time and let him know that.
Now here’s the interesting part. I sat back down at the computer later this morning to work, noticed that spam messages were accumulating in my spam mailbox and went to delete them. I always check first in case there are messages there that shouldn’t have gotten filtered as spam and, as usual, I found one. It was a message from Antonio from earlier this morning. Turns out that before I contacted him this morning, he had actually contacted me, saying he was looking at my lenses and would be happy to accept suggestions and comments from me about his. He had asked for a critique even before I had offered one, and I hadn’t even known it!
Now, my point. Here is part of what I wrote to Antonio after I found his original request. “Good for you for asking for the critique! You obviously have what it takes to succeed; asking for advice from an expert (thanks for considering me to be a Squidoo expert, by the way!) may be the very best way to become an expert! Funny that those who think to ask are generally the ones who are so far along the right road in the first place.”
There are two truths here. One: In order to become an expert, find an expert and ask for help or advice, then follow that advice. Two: If you are the type of person who will seek out an expert and make the contact, chances are you already have what it takes to become an expert and, in fact, to become successful in life in general. Good for you!
I’m excited for Antonio, about his future on Squidoo and in every aspect of his life. I enjoyed meeting him today and always enjoy when I meet exceptional people. And I don’t know a better place for meeting exceptional people, both experts and future experts, than on Squidoo.
Sunday, June 8, 2008
Turn a Blog Post into a Squidoo Lens
They don't call Seth Godin a genius because he isn't. I've never read anyone else who can take a simple concept and turn it into a light bulb moment for his readers the way Seth does, and then turn around in a day or two and do it again with a different concept, and do that same thing again and again. For me, reading anything Seth Godin writes almost always elicits a simple "Wow," or "I wish I had thought of that," or even an "I never would have thought of that!" I especially like it when the result is an "I can do that!" That's what happened today.
I ran across this lens of Seth's on Squidoo. While the topic is a simple, though important one, what I got out of it was this: Seth took a blog post and turned it into a Squidoo lens. He probably does that all the time (he certainly could), but this one happened to catch my eye, especially because of the module entitled "Inspired by the Blog Post." (insert smiley here)
So, are you a blogger? (I hope you are.) Do you need more Squidoo lenses? (Of course you do!) Here's my challenge to you. Find an awesome blog post, one you're really proud of, and turn it into a Squidoo lens. Add related material from Amazon.com or elsewhere to give the lens some extra meat, then link the blog and the lens together. Squidcast the lens, tweet about it (you are on Twitter, right?), and see what happens. Then come back here and leave your lens link in a comment. Tell me if this was an "I can do that!" moment for you.
P.S. Don't say I don't practice what I preach. Here's the lens I just made about this blog post!
I ran across this lens of Seth's on Squidoo. While the topic is a simple, though important one, what I got out of it was this: Seth took a blog post and turned it into a Squidoo lens. He probably does that all the time (he certainly could), but this one happened to catch my eye, especially because of the module entitled "Inspired by the Blog Post." (insert smiley here)
So, are you a blogger? (I hope you are.) Do you need more Squidoo lenses? (Of course you do!) Here's my challenge to you. Find an awesome blog post, one you're really proud of, and turn it into a Squidoo lens. Add related material from Amazon.com or elsewhere to give the lens some extra meat, then link the blog and the lens together. Squidcast the lens, tweet about it (you are on Twitter, right?), and see what happens. Then come back here and leave your lens link in a comment. Tell me if this was an "I can do that!" moment for you.
P.S. Don't say I don't practice what I preach. Here's the lens I just made about this blog post!
Sunday, May 18, 2008
Synergism, Squidoo Style
Another thought about using Squidoo to promote your eBay business.
If you blog about eBay, be sure to put the blog link on your eBay "me" page*. If you have a Squidoo lens, put that link on your blog! If you have a Squidoo lens and a blog, use the RSS feed module on Squidoo to automatically feed your blog content to your Squidoo lens.
It's simply synergistic!
P.S. Are you on Twitter? Add that to the mix and your business may become absolutely explosive!
*UPDATE: EBay policy now forbids off-eBay links even on your "me" page, so go take those off! All the more reason to blog, tweet, and otherwise talk up your eBay business around the web. To learn how to best use social networking sites to promote your businesses, check out these tips.
If you blog about eBay, be sure to put the blog link on your eBay "me" page*. If you have a Squidoo lens, put that link on your blog! If you have a Squidoo lens and a blog, use the RSS feed module on Squidoo to automatically feed your blog content to your Squidoo lens.
It's simply synergistic!
P.S. Are you on Twitter? Add that to the mix and your business may become absolutely explosive!
*UPDATE: EBay policy now forbids off-eBay links even on your "me" page, so go take those off! All the more reason to blog, tweet, and otherwise talk up your eBay business around the web. To learn how to best use social networking sites to promote your businesses, check out these tips.
Sunday, May 11, 2008
Today's Squidoo Lesson: Making a Lens About Your eBay Business
If you're going to make a Squidoo lens about your eBay business, you have several options.
First is the older eBay Squid template which looks like this. If you like the look of that template, go to the top right where it says "Make Your Own" and when you make your lens there, it will have that template. An OK choice; my third choice, though. My first and second choices follow.
Next is the SquidBids template, which is newer than the one above. SquidBids headquarters is here. Scroll down and choose a lens from among those listed to see what that template looks like. Create the lens from this page and it will have you fill in some information and build a simple lens for you. GOOD choice, maybe best depending on what you want your lens to look like. SquidBids HQ is a very good place to look at a lot of other eBay sellers' lenses to see what those people included in theirs. Some are good, some are better. It's really a matter of personal preference and what appeals most to you.
Third choice is the regular Squidoo template, a sample of which is here. This particular lens belongs to someone I met on Squidoo yesterday, a terrific lensmaster who has a really nice eBay store and a really good lens about her eBay business. She used HTML to add extra pictures, so the lens looks extra nice, I think. GOOD choice, but it doesn't specifically identify the lens as being an eBay lens, so it's up to you if you want it to be obvious from the start that the lens is about your online auctions. Again, a matter of your preference.
End of today's lesson. Now go enjoy Mother's Day!
First is the older eBay Squid template which looks like this. If you like the look of that template, go to the top right where it says "Make Your Own" and when you make your lens there, it will have that template. An OK choice; my third choice, though. My first and second choices follow.
Next is the SquidBids template, which is newer than the one above. SquidBids headquarters is here. Scroll down and choose a lens from among those listed to see what that template looks like. Create the lens from this page and it will have you fill in some information and build a simple lens for you. GOOD choice, maybe best depending on what you want your lens to look like. SquidBids HQ is a very good place to look at a lot of other eBay sellers' lenses to see what those people included in theirs. Some are good, some are better. It's really a matter of personal preference and what appeals most to you.
Third choice is the regular Squidoo template, a sample of which is here. This particular lens belongs to someone I met on Squidoo yesterday, a terrific lensmaster who has a really nice eBay store and a really good lens about her eBay business. She used HTML to add extra pictures, so the lens looks extra nice, I think. GOOD choice, but it doesn't specifically identify the lens as being an eBay lens, so it's up to you if you want it to be obvious from the start that the lens is about your online auctions. Again, a matter of your preference.
End of today's lesson. Now go enjoy Mother's Day!
Wednesday, May 7, 2008
Learn How to Squidoo from the Best
Did I happen to mention that I'm now a Giant Squid? Oh, yeah, I did. Sorry. I'm still trying to get used to the new title, still relishing the feeling. Honestly, you won't know until you experience it.
Would you like to experience it? Becoming a Giant takes fifty great lenses, which is a lot of work. It took me a year to get there, making lenses and gleaning expertise from other lenses and lensmasters along the way. Making a lens is really easy, very simple, and can be done in five or 10 minutes. Making great lenses, though, is the trick and figuring out how to do that can take a lot of trial and error as well as a lot of time. Would you like to shorten that learning curve? Want to know how to make a really great lens? I know the secret to that and I'm going to share it with you right now. Not surprisingly, the secret is on Squidoo, contained in one really great lens.
50 Awesome Squidoo How-To Lenses From A-Z was compiled by Giant Squid and awesome lensmaster bdkz. If you study each of these fifty lenses and apply what you've learned, there is no doubt that you will create some fantastic lenses of your own. Whether you've been Squidoo-ing for awhile or if you're brand new, if you have a goal of greatness this is where you need to start.
You might feel overwhelmed by the sheer volume of fifty lenses. Don't be. Just set aside some time every day and choose a couple to devour. Most of the fifty lenses reference other lenses, so in the process of your studies you're going to see a whole lot of Squidoo. That is a good thing! There is no better way to learn how to be a master than by studying the masters.
You don't have to wait until you're finished studying each of bdkz's fifty recommended lenses to make new ones of your own or improve your existing ones, applying what you've learned, but just remember that there is always something new to learn and always a way to improve anything that you do. Just think where you will be, how much you will have improved in a month, three months, or even a year from now. Invest some time, keep your eye on the prize, and you'll be experiencing that Giant Squid feeling before you know it.
P.S. Remember that you reap what you sow. If you like bdkz's lens, don't forget to let her know by leaving her a comment and some stars, and do the same on the other lenses as well.
Would you like to experience it? Becoming a Giant takes fifty great lenses, which is a lot of work. It took me a year to get there, making lenses and gleaning expertise from other lenses and lensmasters along the way. Making a lens is really easy, very simple, and can be done in five or 10 minutes. Making great lenses, though, is the trick and figuring out how to do that can take a lot of trial and error as well as a lot of time. Would you like to shorten that learning curve? Want to know how to make a really great lens? I know the secret to that and I'm going to share it with you right now. Not surprisingly, the secret is on Squidoo, contained in one really great lens.
50 Awesome Squidoo How-To Lenses From A-Z was compiled by Giant Squid and awesome lensmaster bdkz. If you study each of these fifty lenses and apply what you've learned, there is no doubt that you will create some fantastic lenses of your own. Whether you've been Squidoo-ing for awhile or if you're brand new, if you have a goal of greatness this is where you need to start.
You might feel overwhelmed by the sheer volume of fifty lenses. Don't be. Just set aside some time every day and choose a couple to devour. Most of the fifty lenses reference other lenses, so in the process of your studies you're going to see a whole lot of Squidoo. That is a good thing! There is no better way to learn how to be a master than by studying the masters.
You don't have to wait until you're finished studying each of bdkz's fifty recommended lenses to make new ones of your own or improve your existing ones, applying what you've learned, but just remember that there is always something new to learn and always a way to improve anything that you do. Just think where you will be, how much you will have improved in a month, three months, or even a year from now. Invest some time, keep your eye on the prize, and you'll be experiencing that Giant Squid feeling before you know it.
P.S. Remember that you reap what you sow. If you like bdkz's lens, don't forget to let her know by leaving her a comment and some stars, and do the same on the other lenses as well.
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