Okay, so you've made a lens or two...
...or 10 or 100!
It's pretty easy, non-techy, and of course, free. Right? Right.
Sure, to make your lens a real knockout it takes some time, but chances are you've already learned the basics and are looking to do more.
Congrats. That's the best place to be. You've already learned the art of making a lens, and now it's just a matter of turning ideas into reality.
But what if you're stuck for ideas? Not sure how else the whole "lens" tool can work for you?
Never fear! There's no shortage of great ideas kicking around this community. So I thought I'd gather a bunch here, and invite you to add to it.
I'll start things off with a mega-list of different lenses worth making. Just to get you thinking. Then you should add your own ideas.
And, of course, get building. :)
Contents at a Glance
49 Lenses to Make...
2. Make a HeroRoll lens, or an Acknowledgments lens, all about the people who have inspired you. Run a list of all the people you want to thank, with a little note next to each saying why. Link to their blogs or books or work or companies. And be sure to let them know they made your HeroRoll.
3. A lens about the stuff you sell. Do you have a table at the local farmer's market? Do you make your own soy candles and sell them on Etsy? Start a lens about your business. Then make 20 more, about each item you sell, and link 'em all together.
4. A lens about the movie you just saw.
5. Or the book you just read. (Be sure to send the link to the author and say thanks!)
6. Or how about a list of the 20 best golf books ever. Or the worst monster movies of all time.
7. A Flickr overview page. Do you have a load of photos up on Flickr, and wish more people would see your pics? Make a lens about your photography philosophy, what you enjoy shooting, what camera you use, highlight your 5 favorite photos ever, your artistic influences. And, of course, link back to your Flickr photo sets.
8. Go ahead, make that cat lens. Or an ode to your dog. Or pet rat. The pet industry is gigantic, and believe it or not, there are lots of people out there who want to hear stories about raising Scottish Fold cats.
9. What did you hack lately? Did you figure out how to make the BEST coffee ever? Do you know all the secrets about surviving NYC subway life? Did you Jailbreak your iPhone successfully? Make a lens about those mini discoveries and successes.
10. Start a Blurb Lens. This one is for your customers, readers, friends and fans. Call it a What I Like About Megan Casey lens (using your own name, of course ;) and invite the people you work with and play with to post their favorite stories about you, or a testimonial or blurb. That way, next time you're looking for a job, or someone Googles you, you've got a pretty cool page full of endorsements. "References upon Request" is for chimps.
11. Here's one of the most important lenses you could make. And it's this: Make a lens for charity. Make 10, make 100. It could be ABOUT the nonprofit, or it could just be a rant about jellybeans. But if you swap your royalty settings over to a charity, your lens will be donating money to a good cause, month in and month out, for free. Doesn't get any better than that.
12. Stay at home moms, you guys are the some of the most creative people out there. Have a trick for reheating pizza? A pattern for pirate costumes? A list of the best animated kids movies? No surprise, those are some of the most popular types of lenses on the whole site.
13. Geeks & Gamers, alert! Another really highly trafficked kind of lens is the video game review lens. Real, honest reviews. What's in your XBox right now? Which Wii game is the best for playing in groups, vs. solo? Does Guitar Hero really teach people how to play the guitar?
14. This probably could have been idea #1, but here it is: Make a lens for your blog. Introduce your work to new readers, highlight some of your best posts, invite comments. Lay out a few welcome mats, and more people will find you.
15. Jobhunters... would you hire you, without a lens?
16. Start a travelogue lens. Did you just get back from a trip to Florence? Talk about the best hotels, your favorite restaurants and sites and funny stories, stick up your photos (or links to your photo albums elsewhere) and voila! You've got a neat
Travel Diary to share with your friends.
17. Post a rant. Do you hate the smog in L.A.? Got a beef with traffic circles? How about that awful international flight, where the plane ran out of coffee!
18. Better yet, post a rave. What's the best customer service you experienced lately? Did that company totally wow you? Was your Bliss facial the best ever? Rave. Say thanks. Recommend the very best.
19. Did I mention the one about making lenses for charity?
20. Look at the little things you do every day. Seem mundane and ordinary? Not to everyone else! For example, I have a pet parrot, I work (more like play) at an amazing internet company, I just finished reading Clay Shirky's Here Comes Everybody, I know an awful lot about how make casual games, I've seen every zombie movie known to mankind, and I'm learning how to do woodworking. Maybe not that interesting to some, but other people might like to hear my combination of thoughts, opinions and expertise. (Wow, I better get cranking on lenses... :)
21. Who are you voting for, and why? I bet in a few years it will be fun for you to look back on this one... Kind of like a time capsule.
22. What have you researched lately? Did you learn that Plasma TVs are terrible for video gamers? How about the difference between a 720 and a 1080 HD TV? Post your findings and recommendations. I bet you'll save someone else a lot of time.
23. Affiliate marketers, make a lens. Not just ABOUT making money. But about your passions. Then you can actually make money, instead of just talking about it.
24. Make a Twitter lens. Who are you following on Twitter? Why? Grab their RSS feeds of twits and mash 'em up into a unique-to-you lens. I had a great time following Twittterers during the SXSW conference, and during the primaries. How about you?
25. Teachers, lenses are a godsend for you. Set up a lens for each assignment. It's a great way to organize a bunch of multimedia for your students, quickly.
26. Make a hometown lens. Where do you live? You probably know all the secret hangouts and hotspots. Talk about them.
27. Support your kid's basketball team, or Girl Scout Cookie sales, or your PTA club.
28. Microfiction. This is a cool kind of lens where you post mini short stories, one per lens, and let people share their feedback. If nothing else it's a good exercise for writers to help get over writer's block.
29. Entrepreneurs, inventors, big idea thinkers. Showcase your new project, your idea, your invention, your business. Before someone else does.
30. Number 30 is whatever you want it to be.
31. Make a lens about your wedding. Need a quick way to share some info with guests? Give them directions with our Google maps module. Link to places to stay. Airport info. What to wear. No, black & white does not mean black tie.
32. Dedicate a lens to your mom for Mother's Day. She deserves it.
33. Ebay sellers, you've heard from me on this before. Make a lens for your stores. Better yet, make a bunch of lenses about your items for sale. WHY do you sell weird Elvis memorabilia? HOW did you get into crocheting miniature bears? Come on, there's gotta be a story there. The more authentic your pages are, the more people buy.
34. I'm no fashionista. I don't read Lucky or People. Which means I'd probably love it if someone helped me out with a roundup of the hottest jeans right now. Or good deals on cowboy boots. Shortcuts to hot stuff sells.
35. Calling all authors! You've invested a ton of time and energy into your book. It's getting published to the world. Please, do yourself a favor and make a series of lenses about your ideas, or characters, or theories. Offer free downloads of your favorite chapters. Link to your book for sale on Amazon. This works, guys.
36. Publicists and editors, the same goes for you. Save your authors the time and make a page for every title you're publishing this season. One click away from Amazon is a pretty powerful thing for sales...
37. Facebook Group lenses. Got a Facebook Group? Maybe you have rules for how you want to run the group, what you expect from groupmembers. FB make it pretty hard to know what to read first. So set up your guidelines page on Squidoo, and post it to your Facebook Group so new members know what's up.
38. Where did you go to college? What did you get your degree in? How did you like the neighboring town? Would you go there again? The world needs honest college reviews. When it's time for your kids to apply, they'll appreciate reading real stories about Tufts versus Harvard versus SUNY New Paltz, and will come away better armed to make a decision.
39. Support local businesses! I just found this incredible new organic pizza restaurant in Yonkers. It's invisible on the web, and impossible to find without a map. You better believe I'm going to make a lens about it, to help other locals find out about it.
40. Start your own Bestseller lists. The top 100 jazz bands of all time. The 50 funniest moments on The Colbert Report. What you think the NYT Bestseller list should REALLY look like next week.
41. Spread the word about a cause that's important to you. Even if you can't tie it into a charity, just talk about it. Do you believe in sustainable farming? Recycling? Think that parents shouldn't spy on their kids email and chat sessions? Talk about it.
42. Or if you're looking for some other points of view, debate it! Make a HeyMonkeyBrain lens and argue your point. It's a load of fun.
43. Make a birthday wishlist. That way your friends and family don't have to guess.
44. What did you have for breakfast today? I know a blogger whose most popular post, ever, was a detailed description of what he eats for breakfast every day, and how he cooks it. Strange but true.
45. Plan ahead. Maybe you're looking to move to a new state. Maybe you're planning a trip to Australia. Organize your itinerary and to-do list and decisions and priorities on a lens. Something that's handy for you might come in handy for others.
46. You know that blog post you wanted to write, but it just doesn't fit in with the theme of your blog? Hey, look, a lens!
47. Write your own Wikipedia entry. Sad but true: Wikipedia doesn't think I'm notable enough. Harrumph. I think I am, and I think you are too. Why not make your own Wikipedia entry... on a lens. And invite your friends to add to it.
48. Of course, there's always lenses about lenses. Squidoo is full of incredible "how-to Squidoo" lenses. Th
There are lots more than just 49!
Post your ideas for types of lenses worth making, below.
Make a lens for charity.
Megan already said it above, but this one it worth saying again. I donated $290 to charity last month thanks to Squidoo.14 points
Make a crafty How-To lens.
Do a step by step, picture by picture lens about how to crochet rag rugs, or how to make masks. If you're selling those things, this is a really good way to show off that you're an expert in the field, and worth buying from.14 points
Make a Top List lens
People love Top List. Make a 'Top 10 Geeky Gadgets', 'Top 10 Ways to Wash your Dog', 'Top 10 Locations for a Sunny Holiday', things like that!12 points
Your personal goals
Make a lens dedicated to something you hope to accomplish within the next year, or at least before you die. Use it to track your progress. For example, document the steps you're taking to eliminate debt, lose weight, get a new job, or write a novel.9 points
Make a lens about your favorite food.
Love cookies? Crazy about spaghetti? Make a lens about your favorite food. You might include your family's recipes and cooking tips. You can also sell some of the necessary cooking utensils on your lens.7 points
Game Walkthroughs, Tips, and Cheats
People are always doing searches for tips and walkthroughs to get past some tough obstacle in a new video game. If you know a few tricks for getting extra gold, or you know how to defeat the Evil Emperor Twitwit, make a lens to help fellow gamers.4 points
Your favorite TV shows...
Track the events week to week and provide updates to people who can't watch the show...
Showcase one of the stars, sell their books and DVDs of movies they've starred in...
An online fanzine!4 points
Get Your Lens Reviewed For Attention!
Log on to SquidTop.Com and submit your lens to Review My Lens.4 points
The one tool or gadget you can't live without.
We all have a favorite tool or gadget we can't imagine doing without. Maybe your favorite tool is an electric can opener. Maybe it's that rusty but trusty old hammer that belonged to your grandfather. Or maybe it's a Bose headset you use tune out the other annoying passengers on airplane.3 points
Make a lens in memory of a lost loved one or pet
A lasting tribute to tell the world how much they meant to you3 points
Learn about the Bible and its promises
Where you can really find true happiness in a crazy world we live in.3 points
Make a lyrics lens
Great traffic and a chance to sell something. Don't make a lens about the lyrics if someone else already has one.3 points
Things Kids Can Make
Origami, how to make a toy boat, paper masks -- school projects and simple toys: kids love to make things, but computers tend to make them forget they can! Create fun projects for them.2 points
Favorite Movie star
Do you love a specific movie star? Write about them. Their life. Their news and products.2 points
Best Nutritional Guide
Nutritional updates out there for all to learn. Places to find quality herbal supplements or a one on one guide to gain your own nutritional path in life!!2 points
Quick, fast cleaning tips
Up to the minute cleaning tips and helpful hints for a variety of cleaning routines!2 points
Your skills
make a lens about what you are best at. show others how to become like that.2 points
Lens about the Nonsense
Yes, everything on earth is possible to be built into "lenses". So, make a lens about Nonsense. I am seriously serious (WOW, language). This is a new theory called the "Theory of Nonsense".2 points
http://www.squidoo.com/squidoofundraising
s your nonprofit organization or charity doing fundraising online? One way you can raise money online is by building a lens on Squidoo.com.2 points
Lenses about gardening
Lenses about gardening tips, saving money on the garden, getting nice healthy plants.2 points
Make a lens about your surname!
What's your family crest? What does your name mean? Were there any famous people in your family tree?1 point
Make a lens on a Local Festival or Event
Is there a nearby annual bluegrass festival, or a matress race, or sandcastle competition, or Irish Fest? Make a lens!1 point
Make a lens to showcase news stories that affect you.
I did this with my missing childrens lenses, but I see so many news stories that I have a strong opinion on. It's on my lens to-do list.1 point
REED DIFFUSER RECIPES
Places you can find recipes for the best smelling Reed Diffuser and cheaper than what is out on the market??0 points
Lenses about Guns.
Yes, there are thousands of different makes, models and calibers of guns available for purchase. Lenses that highlight the differences of these guns will surely be a hit for customers researching future gun purchases.0 points
How to earn money online SAFE!
Here u can read how you can earn money online safe with PTC Sites, U can read To Do's and Don'ts, you can check if a site is paying by easily checking it on the PTC Scam list thats on my squidoo! Just make money at the safe way.0 points
Work with what you've got
Of course, you should work on the lenses you already have going, too. Here's a little roundup of some tips for improving what you've already got. Have fun.-
Do Squidoo: A much requested guide to creating a successful Squidoo lens
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Squidoo Tips From A Giant Squid Organizer
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Welcome! I'm lensmaster bdkz. I'm a Giant Squid Organizer, a Top 100 Giant Squid and a Squid Angel. I have created over 300 lenses, been "Lens of the Day" twice and have had 10 of my lens in the Top 100. Now that I have been with Squidoo for over a...
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Are you a Stay at Home Mom (or Dad) Interested in Earning a Monthly Income?
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Okay, I am sure you are all thinking, "What's the catch?" Don't worry, there isn't one. I promise. I am a stay at home mom and I will show you how Squidoo is helping me earn a monthly income while still being home to take care of my children. What i...
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6 ways to improve your lens, right now!
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You've already done the hard part. You've had a big idea, something you want to talk about or share on your lens, and you got started. Way to go. So, this lens is about what comes next. It's a quick, 30 second overview of just a handful of easy thin...
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GreekGeek's Squidoo Tips: How to Get Your Lens Found
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So, you want to learn how to build good Squidoo lenses (or any kind of webpage) and attract lots of visitors! Here's ten quick steps to help bring web traffic your way. Credentials: I came here with zero web marketing experience, but my first lens was...

