How not to write a Squidoo lens

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.

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.

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 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.

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.

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 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.

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.

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!

(1) How to create a quality lens

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.

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.

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.

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.

Step-by-step information to create multiple streams of passive income, and without paying a dime out of pocket. From Jennifer,better known as PotPieGirl, the author of One Week Marketing Action.