by 62 people |
Squidoo writing tips for newbies
Believe me or not? I've at one go deleted 25 lenses! Why? One big reason is after reading a lens, Confessions of a Squid Angel, by KimGiancaterino (see photo). Her insightful lens has given me - and I am sure many others - great pointers on how a bless-worthy lens ought to be written. I reflected on it and decided to write this lens - based on the mistakes I made in other lenses - on how not to write a Squidoo lens in the hope that it will help fellow lensmasters who are still finding their way in Squidoo. I hope visitors will benefit from this lens. Please rate my lens and leave your comments in readers' feedback.
P/S As I return to add more information to this lens, I realise it is slowly also turning into a lens worth favouriting for Squidoo starters as you can use it as a reference lens for useful links.
P/S As I return to add more information to this lens, I realise it is slowly also turning into a lens worth favouriting for Squidoo starters as you can use it as a reference lens for useful links.
Contents
- First things first
- Pictures and graphics must not be pathetic and must be properly displayed
- More about HTMLs photos
- Is this an example of a gorgeous picture?
- Is the guppy photo gorgeous?
- Don't leave visitors out in the cold
- Don't give a boring lens title
- Lens intro: don't beat about the bush
- Don't fail in content. Content is King.
- P/S Don't forget to test your hyperlinks
- More Squidoo lenses that will help raise your skills
- Instant article wizard
- Tools of the trade
- Blog Posts from Google
- The Seven Don'ts
- Squidoo show time
- Squidoo video showtime
- Seth Godin shaved our heads...
- Drop us a line
- More lenswriting tips
- What Is A Blessed Lens?
- The best from Seth Godin
- Put on your thinking caps
- Wealthy Affiliate University
- Twittering Squidoo tips
- More Squidoo Tips lenses
- One Week Marketing Action...
- Blog Posts from Google
First things first
I must first give you a brief background of Squid Angel KimGiancaterino who has inspired me through her Confession of a Squid Angel lens. Besides being a Squid Angel, she is also in The Top 100 Club of Giant Squids. Among her other accolades are Squidoo Lens Of The Day. I've become one of her hundreds of fans. For starters, there must be a great host of questions you want to ask about Squidoo, including what Squidoo is, what a Giant Squid is and what the Giant Top 100 Club is all about. I recommend you to visit the following pages:(1) Squidoo FAQ
This treasure trove of basic information is a must read for Squidoo lensmaster. Questions ranged from a basic "So what's a lens?" to "Why does my dashboard show a negative commission?"
(2) The Squidoo Answer Pack
Here you can browse around or search on your topic or issue.
(3) SquidU
This is the learning center packed with more resources, a lensmaster forum, and is a great place for a Q and A session with people who know their stuff.
(4) If after all this and you still have doubts to clear or bugs to report, then Feedback is your answer.
First Don't: If you, like me, are seeking to improve your Squidoo skills, then the first don't in How (not) to write a Squidoo lens is: Don't forget to first visit the FAQ/resource/learning sites to learn the technical basics.
Pictures and graphics must not be pathetic and must be properly displayed
I will not touch on all the do's and don'ts mentioned by KimGiancaterino as it is best you read her lens for full inspiration. Instead, I'll cite a few pertinent points and add in tips from my own experience and mistakes. To begin with, I agree wholeheartedly that a lens must have gorgeous pictures and graphics. From my own experience when I first started on Squidoo, it wasn't a matter of not knowing the importance about pictures and graphics but more a matter of I wasn't sure about HTMLs. I've since improved but of course am still learning. How did I improve? Simple. Learn from fellow Squidoo lensmasters. For example, if you want to learn the HTMLs not just for inserting pictures or images, but for texts as well including how to wrap them round images or how to create hyperlinks, I recommend the following lenses:(1)Basic HTML for Squidoo, a top-ranked page by Giant Squid N376, also known as Glens (whose "eye" avatar you can see in this module) and whose other lenses are worth following.
(2) Advanced HTML for Squidoo, for those who have learned the basics and want to have something more sophisticated. This lens is also by N376.
(3) My favourite CSS tricks on Squidoo
Second Don't: My second don't in "How (not) to write a Squidoo lens" is: Don't make your pictures and graphics too small and pathetic looking. Use the correct size, display them well and make them look gorgeous.
More about HTMLs photos
HTML for Photos: A Tutorial for the Semi-Clueless, is also a must read. It is by beeobrien, actually Barbara OBrien, an author, a cook, an artist and a mom.
Is this an example of a gorgeous picture?
Is this guppy picture gorgeous? I used this picture for my lens on The Rainbow World of Guppies and I thought it aptly depicts my "rainbow" concept very well. I got this image from a Google search and a note accompanying it said the image in its original context can be found on a Andrewunknown page.
Is the guppy photo gorgeous?
Loading poll. Please Wait...
Don't leave visitors out in the cold
Interact with your visitors, says KimGiancaterino. How? I've listed here three ways to do so but I am sure you can think of more and even better ideas:
(1) If you had noticed, I did a poll in the previous module. This is to engage the visitor.
(2) When I showed the guppy photo in an earlier module, I made it a point to ask a question in the title: Is this an example of a gorgeous picture? Noticed this was another attempt at drawing in the the visitor?
(3) Of course, the guest book is one great way to have visitor participation. You will find this Guest Book at the end of the page.
Third Don't: So my third don't in "How (not) to write a Squidoo lens" is: Don't leave your visitors out in the cold.
(1) If you had noticed, I did a poll in the previous module. This is to engage the visitor.
(2) When I showed the guppy photo in an earlier module, I made it a point to ask a question in the title: Is this an example of a gorgeous picture? Noticed this was another attempt at drawing in the the visitor?
(3) Of course, the guest book is one great way to have visitor participation. You will find this Guest Book at the end of the page.
Third Don't: So my third don't in "How (not) to write a Squidoo lens" is: Don't leave your visitors out in the cold.
Don't give a boring lens title
Before I forget, a great don't in "How (not) to write a Squidoo lens" is you must not give a boring title. Remember the title is your starting point to entice someone to read your lens. An example of a great title - in this case a book title - is Squidoo founder Seth Godin's "All Marketers Are Liars". I don't like to give an example of a boring title in case the title already exists. Let's look at another captivating one instead: Confessions of a Squid Angel. Confessions are always a good read, are they not? What more if they are from a Squid Angel?
HERE ARE THREE OTHER EXAMPLES OF GREAT TITLES:
(1) Are you a stay at home mom (or dad) interested in earning a monthly income?
In this top-ranking lens, Janet21, a Giant Squid and a stay-at-home mom earning an income on Squidoo, shares her success formula on making money using Squidoo lenses.
(2) Funky, Chic and Cool Laptop Bags. Another top-ranking lens by an eMarketing lover mynameiskate. She helps you find your perfect laptop bag: classic style, fashion chic or funky function, you name it, she has it.
(3) How to write an article that powerfully drives traffic to your website by luckycharms. I don't have to say what this lens is about. The title says it all.
Fourth Don't: Once you get your title right, you'll be clear what you want to write about and this will also help you in writing a great introduction for your lens. So my fourth don't in "How (not) to write a Squidoo lens is: Don't give a boring title. What a lens needs is an eye-catching title.
HERE ARE THREE OTHER EXAMPLES OF GREAT TITLES:
(1) Are you a stay at home mom (or dad) interested in earning a monthly income?
In this top-ranking lens, Janet21, a Giant Squid and a stay-at-home mom earning an income on Squidoo, shares her success formula on making money using Squidoo lenses.
(2) Funky, Chic and Cool Laptop Bags. Another top-ranking lens by an eMarketing lover mynameiskate. She helps you find your perfect laptop bag: classic style, fashion chic or funky function, you name it, she has it.
(3) How to write an article that powerfully drives traffic to your website by luckycharms. I don't have to say what this lens is about. The title says it all.
Fourth Don't: Once you get your title right, you'll be clear what you want to write about and this will also help you in writing a great introduction for your lens. So my fourth don't in "How (not) to write a Squidoo lens is: Don't give a boring title. What a lens needs is an eye-catching title.
Lens intro: don't beat about the bush
Here is another don't in how (not) to write a lens introduction: don't beat about the bush. You should be short and sharp and write an intro that will quickly draw your visitors into the lens proper. Here is an example of a great intro to the lens I mentioned earlier on "How to write an article that powerfully drives traffice to your website":
To People Who Want To Write - But Can't Get Started. Here is a process that is useful in creating articles that are designed to be of quality, high value and will have a higher rate of follow through by the reader. This process will easily generate a quality article of 600 words or more.
You feel compelled to read the article after reading the intro, don't you?
Fifth Don't: So my fifth don't in "How (not) to write a Squidoo lens" is: Don't beat about the bush in your lens intro. Be short and sharp.
To People Who Want To Write - But Can't Get Started. Here is a process that is useful in creating articles that are designed to be of quality, high value and will have a higher rate of follow through by the reader. This process will easily generate a quality article of 600 words or more.
You feel compelled to read the article after reading the intro, don't you?
Fifth Don't: So my fifth don't in "How (not) to write a Squidoo lens" is: Don't beat about the bush in your lens intro. Be short and sharp.
Don't fail in content. Content is King.
Having written a grand lens title and a great introduction, you must go on to write the promised great contents. No number of gorgeous pictures and graphics will help you if you don't have great contents to accompany them. Want examples? Look at all those examples I mentioned in an earlier module on this page about writing a great lens intro. I like this quote from Jonathan Leger, author of Instant Article Wizard: "You need to continually post unique, high quality content to your web sites to keep the attention of your visitors and the search engines! The saying has been repeated time and again that 'content is King'."
Sixth Don't: My sixth don't in "How (not) to write a Squidoo lens is hence: Don't take the reader for granted. Content is King.
Sixth Don't: My sixth don't in "How (not) to write a Squidoo lens is hence: Don't take the reader for granted. Content is King.
P/S Don't forget to test your hyperlinks
Seventh Don't: My seventh and a major don't in "How (not) to write an article is: Don't forget to test the hyperlinks used in your lens to make sure they work. Cheers! Have a nice day!
More Squidoo lenses that will help raise your skills
Instant article wizard
Why settle for private label rights articles being used by hundreds of other people when you can easily create your own unique articles?If you want more information from Jonathan Leger on how to create quality articles on virtually any subject, here is the link to Instant Article Wizard.
P/S Jonathan Leger is also the creator of:
$7 Secrets, AdSense Gold, Translation Gold,
Article Builder, Keyword Explosion, SEO Explosion.
Tools of the trade
Head First HTML with CSS & XHTML
Amazon Price: $26.39 (as of 12/16/2009) 
Landing Page Optimization: The Definitive Guide to Testing and Tuning for Conversions
Amazon Price: $18.89 (as of 12/16/2009)
InDesign CS3 One on One
Amazon Price: (as of 12/16/2009)
Layout Workbook: A Real-World Guide to Building Pages in Graphic Design
Amazon Price: $16.50 (as of 12/16/2009)
The Principles of Beautiful Web Design
Amazon Price: $26.37 (as of 12/16/2009)
Blog Posts from Google
- MARKETING GIFTZ » Blog Archive » Article Marketing Training
- Getting Started With Article Marketing Action Plan; How to Master Squidoo Lens Optimization; Secrets to Getting #1 Rankings in Google in 10 Minutes; Competing with Higher Ranked Articles and Winning; Creating Profitable Article ...
- Is it Possible to Make Money Blogging?
- There is not a specific criteria in terms of who can succeed with blogging for profit! For more on the topic, I'd like to again recommend the article that I've posted about earning money to blog on Squidoo: ...
- The Affiliate Code – How To Get Free Search Engine Traffic ...
- However, the case is different when comes to new lens at Squidoo. Similar to Ezine Articles, you can post articles and get free traffic quickly. Even better, at Squidoo, you can add images and videos. 5. Create slideshow at publish at ...
- How You Can Easily Make More Money On Squidoo With Unique Article ...
- For a long time I kept on looking for ways to make money with Unique Article Wizard. I knew it was a powerful tool but couldn't figure out just how to make me money and every month. I knew that there were plenty of other people out ...
The Seven Don'ts
* Don't forget to first visit the resource/learning sites to learn the technical basics.
* Don't make your pictures and graphics too small and pathetic looking.
* Don't leave your visitors out in the cold. Interact with them.
* Don't give a boring title. Use an eye-catching one instead.
* Don't beat about the bush in your lens intro.
* Don't take the reader for granted. Content is King.
* Don't forget to test the hyperlinks used in your lens.
Squidoo show time
A picture is worth a thousand words, they say. So a video must be worth a million words. So it is show time - hope you enjoy the Squidoo videos. And don't miss the one on Seth Godin shaving heads! Hope you enjoy this lens and give it a rating.
Seth Godin shaved our heads...
Seth Godin Shaved Our Heads in Salt Lake City, Utah 1 of 3
Today was the highlight of my year. Seth Godin was in town to promote his new book "The Dip," http://www.squidoo.com/TheDipTour The WordMob street team, http://www.wordmob.com put this event on in Salt Lake City, Utah and Phil Burns, http://www.phil801.com and I, http://www.ashbuckles.com agreed to allow the sponsors of this event to help Seth shave our heads and use our head to promote their company. Phil was sponsored by Overstock.com and I was sponsored by Tweleve Horses, http://www.twelvehorses.com Overall the event was great. Check out the blogosphere, http://www.tagjungle.com for all the great blogs to follow. Also, check out Head Blade, http://www.headblade.com for more information about the ultimate tool in keeping that smooth shaved look.
Runtime: 104
13909 views
3 Comments:
curated content from YouTube
Drop us a line
We hope you find this lens helpful. Do drop a line to share your thoughts. Thank you for your visit and your invaluable time.
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- eclecticeducation eclecticeducation Nov 29, 2009 @ 11:07 am
- Great lens! Thanks!
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- nmpnicholas nmpnicholas Nov 29, 2009 @ 6:03 am
- Great information, squidoo is a great way to bring traffic back to your main site. However lately SQUIDOO has been a little more stricter in what there allowing you have to be careful.
Unique Article Wizard Review
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- bnb-holidays bnb-holidays Nov 19, 2009 @ 3:28 am
- Your lens is really helpful for me as a newbie. Thanks
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- Emsie Emsie Sep 19, 2009 @ 9:58 am
- Great lens. Thanks for the Info..
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- rockrat rockrat Jul 28, 2009 @ 12:54 pm
- Great lens. You really deliver on the title.
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- A_RovingReporter A_RovingReporter Jul 14, 2009 @ 2:45 am | in reply to Janusz
- Thanks for the blessing. I appreciate it.
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- A_RovingReporter A_RovingReporter Jul 14, 2009 @ 2:43 am | in reply to ajgodinho
- Great you like this lens. Have visited your lens and found it great. Also given it a 5* rating.
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- ajgodinho ajgodinho Jul 12, 2009 @ 6:57 pm
- Wow, you've done a terrific job with this lens. I definitely need to re-read it and I'm actually in the process of reviewing my lenses, so this came at the right time. Also, I'm going to lensroll this lens to my Squid-School lens, which I created specifically to help new squids and those who need a refresher. Keep up the good work!
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- LoKackl LoKackl Jun 17, 2009 @ 1:26 pm
- The tone of this page is something I like best: help someone else. It always helps me if I do. Which I don't, enough. Thanks for the tips and links!
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- Wysiwigs Wysiwigs May 23, 2009 @ 9:49 am
- Excellent suggestions and a very well written lens:o) Nice job!
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More lenswriting tips
For aspiring Squid Giants: Squid Giant Mentoring, by Squid Giant, Citizen and Angel rms, aka Robin S. This is a five-star gem with great tips for the aspiring Squid Giant, including pointers on what makes a quality lens. What Is A Blessed Lens?
For what it means to have a lens blessed, read Squid Angel by SemperFidelis, a lens which is a must read for Squidooers who want to excel on Squidoo. You get insider views including on how a lens is blessed. And you will find yourself in the house of present and past Angels. The best from Seth Godin
Seth Godin is founder of Squidoo
Purple Cow: Transform Your Business by Being Remarkable
Amazon Price: $13.62 (as of 12/16/2009)
The Dip: A Little Book That Teaches You When to Quit (and When to Stick)
Amazon Price: $9.76 (as of 12/16/2009)
Permission Marketing : Turning Strangers Into Friends And Friends Into Customers
Amazon Price: $19.00 (as of 12/16/2009)
All Marketers Are Liars: The Power of Telling Authentic Stories in a Low-Trust World
Amazon Price: (as of 12/16/2009)
Unleashing the Ideavirus
Amazon Price: $14.00 (as of 12/16/2009)
Put on your thinking caps
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Twittering Squidoo tips
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- sukimondial
- I just updated my Squidoo page again: more exercise tips - http://tinyurl.com/yc2o58u
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- nicoleseitler
- Just updated my lens on Cafe World (be warned--highly addictive!): http://www.squidoo.com/cafe-world-facebook-tips-and-tricks
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- danceadvantage
- @janetwerther Thinking maybe you have to be signed into squidoo - FAIL! :( Tips are part of series on DA. Wld love ur comments!...
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- joe_simon
- I just updated my Squidoo page: Farmville Tricks Guide | Farmville Strategy Guides | Farmville Tips / http://tinyurl.com/ylxlac3
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- itsmuzza2004
- Work from home 4 all , free SEO and website promotion tips and ideas http://www.squidoo.com/workfromhome4all via @addthis
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