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.