Learn how lensmasters are using Squidoo to change the world
Creating a Squidoo lens can help make a difference in the world or your little corner of it. Would you like to raise awareness and/or money for a good cause? Find a missing child? Tell someone you love them? Get an animal adopted? Show people how to build their business? Save a polar bear? Bathe their cat? Promote your business or website? Make a movie? Write a book? Introduce them to the world of art or even cook with tofu? Sell your product? Well, Squidoo is for you.
I love Squidoo because it allows me to get my message out easily. I don't have to be a cyber-geek to figure out the tools. It's all there for the taking and it is easy and so much fun to do.
There are many lenses that tell you how to create a lens and what each module does. I will defer to them (and give you links to find them). Here I'll share with you what I've learned while creating my lenses: how to create a great lens. One that makes people say, "WOW". And, how to get them to come back again and again. I'll also share the resources I've found that help me get traffic to my lenses and other great lenses on Squidoo. Check them out. See what makes them great. Learn from them. Immulate them.
You have something to share with the world. You know it and I know it. Read this lens, see what is possible, then make it happen.
Before you leave, please sign my guest book and let me know your plans. When you say it out loud or write it down, it's more likely to happen. Squidoo can help you make a difference in the world. Are you up for it?
EXAMPLE: Polaroid Module
Why I Created This Lens
What Gives Me The Right?
Why I Created This Lens
You may be wondering if or why you should follow my advice -- just what gives me the right to put together this lens?
First: People ask me questions about Squidoo and how to create a good lens several times a week. 5 of the people who like my lenses, know the success I've had with them and who I've shared my knowledge with, have suggested that I create a how-to Squidoo lens.
Second: I've been successful and have learned a lot and love to be able to share that knowledge. I became a Lensmaster at the end of March 2007. However, in less than 30 days of going live, my 1st lens, Are You Polar Bear Aware? made Lens of The Day, ranked in the top 100, and a PR3 by Google. Since then, it has continue to be ranked in the top 100 and was named 2nd Runner Up, Lens of the Year, 2007 and Charity Lens of the Year, 2008.
I've had 2 other Lens of the Day awards for Longterm Care For People You Love and Kartick Satyanarayan: Champion of India's Dancing Bears which also won an Honorable Mention in the Squidoo Superhero contest in 2008. By 7/31/07, I had 3 lenses in the top 100. And added a 4th in July 2008 (Saving the Dancing Bears of India) and a 5th in August 2008 (Geeta Seshamani - Savior of India's Animals).
I am a Squidoo Activist (Champion for Charity) and a Giant Squid, creating over 70+ lenses.
Third: I love to teach and creating this lens will reach more people than just answering individual's questions.
Forth: I want to give back to the Squidoo community and help build it and promote it. Squidoo truly is a way to change the world -- by exposing people to new ideas, knowledge, and other people.
In short, this lens is my pay-back to Squidoo and the community that has helped me become successful.
Has Squidoo Got Its Tentacles Hooked On You Yet?
Just How Hooked Are You?
You can tell a true Squidooer by the number of lenses she has. How many do you have? Or, are you still in the thinking stages?
"Check out Squidoo's widgets, like this Talk Bubble. Add them to your lens for more impact."
How To Create A Lens - The Preparation
Taking The First 10 Steps
Lens Creation Preparation
1. Decide on your category (Animals & Nature; Arts & Literature; Business; Shopping, etc.)
2. Check out the top 10-15 ranked lenses -- ALL categories. Check these lenses for url, title, overall impression, content, structure, graphics, resource links, etc. This is invaluable as you will see different ways to create lenses. It will give you ideas for the lens you are creating that you may not get on lenses in your specific category only.
3. Check the top 10 ranked lenses -- in your category and see how different lensmasters present their topic. Check these lenses for url, title, overall impression, content, structure, graphics, resource links, etc.
4. Write down ideas of what impressed you on the lenses you visited and how you can use those techniques, etc. in your lens. Is there something missing from their lens? What would make their lens better? Is there a better approach, structure or layout? How will you make yours different / better?
5. Decide on your approach for this particular lens. Keep in mind that you may want to do more than 1 lens on a topic. Also, selling a product is different than educating about an issue (see Cat Trees... where I'm trying to sell cat furniture and make some money vs Save Feral Cats... where I'm trying to educate and convince people to save feral cats. I also hope to sell stuff on the feral cat lens, which will be donated to Alley Cat Allies, but that is NOT the main purpose of the lens.
6. Determine your content needs and collect those resources (photos, links, information, etc.)
7. Select your url. You may not get the first one you try so be prepared to try different ones.
8. Create your lens. Click here to get started: Create A Lens
9. Select a lens "Title" that is catchy & gets your point across about your lens. People select the lens they want to read, like a book, by it's title.
Examples:
URL: http://www.squidoo.com/polarbearaware
TITLE: Are You Polar Bear Aware?
GOAL: Raise awareness and money to save polar bears.
URL: http://www.squidoo.com/polarbearware
TITLE: All Polar Bear Ware, All The Time
GOAL: Make money selling bear-ware.
URL: http://www.squidoo.com/saveferalcats
TITLE: Saving Feral Cats And Stop Overpopulation Through TNR
GOAL: Educate people about feral cats and TNR.
URL: http://www.squidoo.com/sphynx-the-cat
TITLE: Sphynx Cats: What's Hair Got To Do With It?
GOAL: Introduce these cute hairless cats.
10. Write your intro geared toward your topic/approach but keep in mind that the couple of sentences is what will show up on Google and other places.
Squidoo Newsletters Are MUST Reads
Get These Publications
1. Squidoo Daily
2. Squidu
I highly recommend that you sign up for both. They are critical to keep you aware of new happenings, advice for lens improvement, and announcements of the Lens of The Day.
Check out the Lens of The Day every day you can. You will get ideas for improving your lens and learn a lot about almost everything to boot. These are considered great lenses and my motto is Learn from the best!
What Are Your Pet Peeves About Squidoo Lenses?
Tell Lensmasters What Doesn't Work For You
List your biggest pet peeve about Squidoo lenses you've visited. Give Lensmasters the feedback that maybe you were too nice to leave in their guestbook. List your title, then share an example or suggestion for how to do it right in the details. Then vote on the 1 or 2 that bug you the most. Thanks!
1
Links to completely unrelated topics or organizations.
I found one lens on a topic that had a module listing over 100 links to totally irrelevant articles! It was blatant advertising for his website.14 points
2
Having links that do NOT work!
This I really hate. If you have links, they should be checked to make sure they work -- at least weekly. Don't waste my time.10 points
3
No pictures!
I'm immediately turned off to a lens if I see long paragraphs of text and no pictures or other modules to break it up. Even if a lens is mostly educational or informational, you can still (1) make smaller paragraphs, (2) add relevant pictures, and/or (3) add polls, relevant modules, etc.10 points
4
Lack of Personal Contribution
Whether written content or images, a lens that just looks like a cut and paste job with no personal contribution will not get much traffic or viewing time. People will see right through this and quickly exit. Personal reviews, opinions, stories, images and other content created by the lensmaster are what keep people coming back for more.10 points
5
Too many affiliate links!
Lenses that focus on trying to sell me something without adding value.8 points
6
Too many hyperlinks!
Give me more information in the lens and fewer hyperlinks.8 points
7
Irrelevant , Self-Serving or Canned Guestbook Posts
We've all seen them. These are just plain R-U-D-E, especially when they post hyperlinks to their irrelevant lens or websites. This is like a guest walking into someone else's party and trying to make it all about THEM AND THEIR AGENDA while attempting to steal the guests. A courteous guest will say something nice about the lens and then leave it at that. The ONLY exception is if the lens or site content being mentioned or linked is clearly relevant, and NOT in competition with the lens of the...6 points
8
Star Rating Abuse and Guest Solicitations for Ratings
Part of this really falls under the Self-Serving Guestbook Posts. How many of you are bothered by Guests leaving solicitations for ratings at your lenses? Most of these turn out to be false as it is - I JUST GAVE YOUR LENS 5 *s, COME RATE MINE. That's funny, the number of people rating my lens didn't change after they were here- hmmm, that says they didn't really bother to rate my lens, they're just hoping I'll give THEM 5 stars. That's not a swap at all. It's OK to give a lens 5 stars and to te...6 points
9
Too many Animations
Like the main drag in Vegas at night, this can distract from the content and not allow readers to focus long enough to absorb and appreciate the lens content. Unless carefully done, it can look gimmicky. Just sprinkle in a few, and space them far apart so there will not be more than one visible on the screen at a time.1 point
10
http://www.biggernetprofits.com
http://www.strategieswebmarketing.com1 point
To Let Them Contact You Or Not, That Is The Question
5 Reasons I'm Glad I Let People Contact Me
You Can Make Valuable Contacts
When you sign up, you pick whether or not people can contact you. Your private email address is NOT given out. When a person sends you an email, it is received by Squidoo, and then forwarded to your email address. So you don't have to worry that people will get your email address if you don't want them to. I highly recommend You Allow Contact
5 reasons I'm glad I let people contact me:
1. David Booth from Cabin Fever Art was one of the first to contact me. He has become a good friend and contributes the weekly polar bear cartoon on my lens, Are You Polar Bear Aware.2. I've met people who've sent me polar bear pictures and articles.
3. I've met other people who have contacted me to give me content for several of my other lenses.
4. I've developed relationships with other Lensmasters. We bounce ideas off of each other and answer questions, etc.
5. I've gotten affiliates for my website.
So you can see, I've benefited and maybe you will too. What do you have to lose?
How to Get Good Content for a Lens
How To Get Good Content
When creating a Squidoo lens, the purpose is to educate, inform, convince, or entertain your reader - you get to choose the direction it takes to unfold in all of its glory. But the one thing you don't want to do is be boring.
Being a Squidoo lensmaster means giving good content, and you'll be pleased to know you don't have to be a professional writer to accomplish the task. First, look for ideas that flow well from one module to the next.
Your content should start at the natural beginning. If you're explaining why people need to "Go Green," for instance, start with an introduction about what green means - and then move on to the why and how of it all.
It's easy to find ideas for your content - you can look to the news media, at other lenses, on YouTube, and in your local library. But the #1 rule for generating Squidtastic content is to make it original.
Never ever copy and paste your lens content from another place on the web. If you read a story about the same topic, close the browser and write from scratch (so there's not even the tiniest hint of plagiarism). And put your own spin on the topic if possible - something they haven't read on 12,000 other websites.
Using Squidoo's Bookmarklet To Get Content
One Of Squidoos' Secret Weapons For Lens Building
Content Secret Weapon
The Squidoo Bookmarklet is one of Squidoo's secret weapons for building lenses FAST. I use it all of the time to keep my lenses current.
What is it? It's a tool that you can put on your toolbar. (It literally takes less than 1 minute to do this.) Then whenever you find a link you want to add to your lens, click the Bookmarklet widget. It will bring up a screen where you...
1. Select the lens you want to add the link to.
2. Then it will show you a list of the link list modules for that particular lens. Select the on you want.
3. Then you can either let it add the link and take you to your lens or it can add it and publish your lens automatically.
It is a fantastic tool for adding content and keeping your lens current! To find out more or to get the Bookmarklet, click Bookmarklet
Google Alerts - How To Use Them
For Ideas And Research
How To Use Google Alerts
You can sign up for Google Alerts to get instant, daily, or weekly notification whenever something new appears on the web about your subject matter. The links are delivered straight to your email inbox, so your lens can always have a fresh take on the topic at hand.Be conversational when you're writing a Squidoo lens, just like this lens is! You don't have to be stiff and academic for the Squidoo reader - even if the subject matter is medical or difficult in its own right.
Remember that the average reader reads at an 8th grade reading level, so you don't want to make them stumble through your content trying to figure out what it is you just wrote. Keep it simple, but entertaining and informative and your readers will keep coming back for more!
Star Rankings -- Why Give Them And How
My Philosophy About Star Ratings
Show Em Some Love By Giving Stars
My philosophyI believe that star rating is a way to give people good feedback, otherwise it's not worth doing. I try to be as honest as I can. I've seen enough lenses that I know what I feel is a 5 and I do not give 5's unless I think the person deserves it.
I've seen lenses with 5 stars that deserve, at best, a 3 and I'm appalled. People are embarrashed to be truthful if someone asks them to rank their lens so they gush over nothing. That's not fair to anyone, especially the person who created the lens. You give her a 5 on a 3 star lens and she thinks she's done a great job. No need to do more!
I rate 99% of the lenses I visit. The 1% I do not rank are:
(1) Lenses that say "under construction" -- I'm the only one I've seen do that but IF I found one, I would not rank it because they've said it's not ready. If I felt is was worth a 5 already, I'd go ahead and give them a 5 but that's not likely. I don't want to hurt their star ranking.
(2) Lenses I KNOW are really new and so the person is probably still working on it AND I probably won't be coming back (maybe it's not something I'm that interested in). IF I knew I was coming back, I would rank it because although you can only vote 1 time -- you can change your vote. Say, I gave them a 2 so they get the feedback they need, then I come back and they now deserve a 5, I make it a 5.
You Need A Thick Skin
Sometimes you'll have people who disagree with your message or content and they'll use that as their reason/excuse to not give you the stars your effort and content might deserve. Expect it for sure if you are creating any lenses on politics, religion, abuse of any sort, even endangered species.
There also has been problems in the past with star ratings -- unscrupulous groups voted 1 stars to 5 star lenses to lower their rankings. This is just poor sportsmanship and just plain wrong. If you're like me, you'll put a lot of effort and love into every lens you create so it's hard not to take it personally when someone disses your lens, however, it happens and you just have to get over it. Your lens, if it's a 5 star, will naturally over time get back to that over all rating because most people are fair.
Again, Star Ratings are currently used in the algorithm for overall rankings. However, Squidoo can change that at any time.
Squidooing Cat Caption Contest
What Is This Cat Doing?
Vote for your favorite Squidoo Caption or add your own. Don't Forget to vote and come back to see new entries and vote again.
1
All Squidooed Out
12 points
2
Ommmmmmmmmm...
9 points
3
This is the closest I will get to a mouse today...
7 points
4
Taking A Break Before Squidooing Again
4 points
5
A little nap always helps my writer's block
4 points
6
I'm Hungry...
and I'm not moving until he feeds me4 points
7
Squidoo This!
3 points
8
Dreaming Of Squidooing
2 points
10
One tired pussy squid...
Fried feline, off-line...1 point
11
I need a nap. That mouse was filling.
1 point
12
I am not sleeping I am squiditating.
1 point
13
Basking in the joy of the internet...
And loving every minute of it.1 point
14
He's catatonic waiting for a lensrank change.
Surely those comments by Felix, Catbert, and Garfi more...0 points
15
I know where to get your attention!
0 points
17
0 points
5 Things That Will Get Repeat Traffic To Your Lens
How To Get People To Come Back Again And Again
Give Them A Reason To Come Back!
People will come back only if they have a reason. So, give them one. Here are 5 ways to get people to come back:
1. Have photos or animations that they just have to see again and again -- or show to friends. See Cats Just Wanna Have Fun for examples of great cat photos, many with animation that draws people back.
2. Update often -- Tell them what you've added. See the introduction to Are You Polar Bear Aware? for example of how new sections are listed. (I do not add simple changes like adding pictures to an older Flickr module only whole new sections or major changes.)
3. Give them loads of fasinating stuff. For example Michelangelo's David is so packed with interesting information that you have to come back to see it all. It's amazing.
4. Have a feature that changes weekly. For Example, in Are You Polar Bear Aware? I have a Polar Bear cartoon by David Booth of Cabin Fever Art that changes every Monday. People come back to see what David's done this time.
5. Have a comprehensive list of relevant/helpful links. An example is Senior Long Term Care whose lists are critical for anyone who needs to do long term care planning.
6. Have a contest with a prize. An example is
Calvin and Hobbes. The current contest runs ends July 15, 2008. Check it out and enter the contest while you're there! What's A Group Got To Do With It?
Why Join A Group
I join as many groups as my lens fits into. For instance, if my lens is in the Animals and Nature category, then I first look at groups in that category.
A group is like a club so I feel I should mingle with the members; leave a message on the Group's message/guest book; visit other Lensmaster's lenses and give them feedback, rank them and favorite them if you really like them.
Group Rules
Be sure to read if the group has any rules.
How To Join A Group
1. From your Dashboard, select My Groups.
2. On the top of your My Group page, you'll have a choice of the following:
# Start a Group
# Join a Group
# Most Active Groups
# Movers & Shakers
# Newest Groups
3. Select the one you wish to explore.
4. Select a Group from within this listing.
5. On the group page, read the rules
6. On the right side under the JOIN OUR GROUP, select Add An Existing Lens.
7. This will take you to a selection page to select the lens(es) you want to join the group.
Group Benefits
1. Find like-minded folks. People you might want to get to know better.
2. Find lenses about your topic that you may be interested in visiting.
3. Others who see your lens listed on the Group's page will likely visit your site, thus increasing your traffic.
4. A link back to your lens.
5. Many groups support each other by sharing ideas, resources and links .
6. Some hold contests and other fun things.
NOTE: Many Group pages will have a place for you to list your lens and vote for it. The one with the highest # of votes shows up first on the list, so make sure you vote for yourself (many people forget to do that). That's another link to your page and some people will see your lens there and visit your site and maybe even vote for you.
"Squidoo" means never having to bang your head on your computer in frustration.
Squidoo Stuff -- Show Your Love For Squidoo
WE SQUIDOO - DO YOU? T-Shirt
Price: 24.99 
Captain Squid Fitted T-Shirt
Price: 16.99
Squidoo Activists Magnet
Price: 3.49
Squidoo Activists Sticker (Rectangle)
Price: 3.99
Why Add Pictures To Spice Up Your Lens
Answers To The Questions I've Gotten
Having pictures on your lens is a must. Pictures grab peoples attention and sometimes they even make a point. Keep in mind that they should be relevant to your lens. Polar bear pictures on a lens about tractors won't work unless the bear is on a tractor or connected somehow.Here are a couple of questions I've been asked about my photos and my answers:
Where did you get the great photo on this lens? (face with world map on it) I got it from istockphoto (listed below). I paid $1 and added the writing on it in PhotoShop.
Can I use photos that I don't know where they came from? It's up to you. Personally, if I like a photo and cannot track down the photographer / owner, I use it. I figure if anyone shows me proof they own it, then I'll offer to give them credit on the lens or take the picture off. That's the best I can do. So far, I've never been approached.
What if I just can't find a photo. What can I do? You can use fonts. For instance, change the color of the font and / or make it larger, or both. Scroll through this lens to see how I've done it. Notice, I don't have a graphic in every module, but I try to do something to make it attract attention or eye appealing.
Where do you get your photos? I get lots of pictures from friends and I take some of my own. However, I mostly get them from the sources listed in the next module called "Where To Get Photos Free Or Cheap".
If you have any other questions about photos, ask it in the guest book or send me an email. If I don't know the answer, I'll find it for you. Thanks!
Where To Get Pictures Free Or Cheap
Great Resources For Your Lenscrafting
Where To Get Photos Free or Cheap
I get lots of pictures from friends and I take some of my own. However, I mostly get them from the following sources. Some are free and others are low cost ($1-$2). Share your favorites by adding them to the list and voting. Thanks!
1
Welcome to Flickr - Photo Sharing
Being able to use pictures from Flickr is really a plus for any lens. And it FREE. Be sure to acknowledge to photographer whenever you can.3 points
2
http://www.istockphoto.com
I love istockphoto. They have professional images (photos, vector, video, flash, illustrations) cheap. I've only done photos but I pay only about $1 t...2 points
3
morguefile.com Where photo reference lives.
Morguefile.com free stock photos1 point
4
stock.xchng - the leading free stock photography site
stock photography community - browse our huge gallery for high quality stock photos or share yours with others.1 point
5
AllPosters.com
If you are an affiliate, you can use photos on your lenses, and maybe make some money too.1 point
Excellent Tools For The Lensmaster
Lenscrafting & Maintenance
- SquidUtils - Utilities and Tools for the Expert Lensmaster
- SquidUtils has complementry utilities and tools for Squidoo Lensmasters. Tools include: the advanced dashboard, lensmaster feeds, plus Amazon links and feeds.
- Squidaholic
- Squidoo addicts, listen up!
With one little click you can find out who's talking about your lens, keep up with the latest scoop on your topic, and get all kinds of nifty ideas for promoting your lenses. Not to mention keep an eye on your competition.
Why And How To Favorite A Lens
My Philosophy About Making A Lens A Favorite
Give Em Some More Love
My Philosophy:I favorite all the lenses that (1) I really, really like (2) or have valuable information so I might want to visit again, or, (3) I would recommend to others.
There does not seem to be a limit to how many lenses you can favorite. I think some people hoard them, but why? Spread the wealth! Be generous is what I say. Great lenses deserve the compliment in my opinion.
Your Favorite list, if you make it public, is a way to let people see what you think are good lenses. So, show them some!
How To Favorite:
When you are visiting a lens that you really like just click on Add To Favorites located down the left side of the lens. You'll get a message that says it's been added to your Favorites and you just press "close". It will mark the lens you are on as a Favorite and put it in your list of favorites.
Favorites is "by lensmaster". In other words, you can only favorite a lens 1 time. Your Favorite List is a fast way to find a lens you want to get to but can't remember the name. You can get to that lens quickly by just clicking on the name.
Others can see your List of Favorites (if you allow them to on your Profile) and click to see them as well. For this reason, you'll want to list your lenses as favorites too -- after all, you created them so they must be a Favorite. Right?
Favorites And Lens Rankings
Favorites are currently part of the algorithm for overall ranking on Squidoo so Favoriting a lens helps them. However, Squidoo can change that at any time, however.
How Many Lensmasters Does It Take To Change A Lightbulb?
Do You Have Any Idea?
How Many Lensmasters Does It Take
To Change A Light Bulb?
Add your answers below and vote for the best.
1
None. Lensmasters will Squidoo in the dark!
16 points
2
Light bulb? We don't need no stink'n light bulb.
7 points
3
One, but the bulb won't really shine until it's got backlinks.
7 points
4
One lensmaster + one CFL = World Change
1 point
The Best Way To Learn The HTML You Need On Squidoo
Lenses That Teach You HTMP
Best Way To Learn HTML
I found these links extremely helpful. I did NOT know any html when I started and now thanks to these lenses, I can do almost anything I want on my lenses. They rock!
1
2
http://www.squidoo.com/basichtml/
4 points
3
http://www.squidoo.com/advancedhtml/
3 points
4
My Favourite CSS Tricks for Lenses
The basic tools provided by Squidoo will do pretty more...3 points
5
How To Lens - html sample codes, CSS, alter background colors, fonts, pictures, table of contents for Squidoo Lensmasters
How To use HTML and CSS in lens modules - sample c more...2 points
Cheap And Fast Ways To Increase Traffic To Your Lens
How To Increase Traffic
Ways To Increase Traffic To Your Lens
Below I've listed ways I use to get traffic to my lenses. Vote for the 1 or 2 that you use that gets you the best results. If you have something you use that's not here, please add so we can all learn from it. Thanks!
1
Add Link To and From Your Blog
If you have a relevant blog, link to it and link from it. If it's relevent, people should be interested in both.8 points
2
Join Squidoo Groups
Joining relevant groups -- the keyword is relevant -- on Squidoo puts your lens in front of people who are interested in your topic which means they'll probably visit your site. (See the module on this lens called "What Are Squidoo Groups?" for more details.6 points
3
Send Out Press Releases
If you can make your lens newsworthy, send out a press release and list your url in it. Maybe your lens is the only place that has some particular information or you are introducing a new product and your lens is about it, then you can add the link to the PR you do on your product.4 points
4
List Your Lens On Your Social Networking Page
Most social networking pages (your profile) allow you to list your website. Make sure to to include the full url (example: http://www.squidoo.com/polarbearaware). Make the link live if possible.3 points
5
Use Blog Aggregators -- THIS IS A BIG ONE!
See section called "Use Blog Aggregators To Increase Traffic To Your Lens" for exactly how to do this.3 points
6
Add A Signature To Your Emails
Most mail programs will let you add signature line(s) to your email. That means every time you send out an email, your signature shows up. So you can have your name and a direct link to your lens(es). You can even add a blurb.2 points
7
Create a video about your lens
I created a lens when my Are You Polar Bear Aware was nominated for Lens of the Year. It has increased my traffic. See the video in the module below.2 points
8
Use The Back Of Your Business Card
If you have a business card, it is fairly cheap to print on the back side (you know the side that most people leave blank). Write a small blurb about your lenses here with the url, of course.1 point
9
Submit your lens to Google at www.google.com/addurl
1 point
10
Hold a contest
See <a href="http://www.squidoo.com/creat-a-contest">How to Create a Contest on Squidoo</a>1 point
11
Create videos of your topic or lens
And upload them to YouTube and other video places or TubeMogal which is a video aggregator who will disburse them to a bunch of the video places.0 points
EXAMPLE: Video of a Lens
It is a fairly simple, straight-forward video -- some screen shots and pictures from the lens, a few special effects, and some music. Check it out and let me know what you think. Just to give you an idea of how powerful this is, I had 50 views within 4 hours of uploading the video on YouTube alone. No, that doesn't mean they cam to my lens, but they know it's there when they want to see more.
EXAMPLE: StickyNote Widget
A Sticky Notes Widget! Check it out and add it to your lenses for more impact.
Take All Offers For Lens Promotion
Squidoo's Commercial Offer
Squidoo offered to use a 10-second video from lensmasters in their 1st Squidmercial so I jumped at the chance. The rules were: 10 seconds, wear black or orange t-shirt, hold Squidoo prop (sign) with your lens name written on it. Here is my entry for my lens How To Lose The Wrinkles And Look Younger
10 Second Squidmercial
Watch the Squidoo logo wink
(don't watch me). LOL
1
Squidmercial For Best-Skincare-Cream 3 points
The Best Way To Get People To Come Back Again And Again
Become THE Go-To Place
People will come back for lots of reasons, but the major reason is if you have all the information on your particular topic so whenever a person needs something, they'll come back to you.
How do you become the Go-To Place?
You do it by listing ALL of the facts and resources (including competitors) that a person looking up that subject might want. This means you can't sit on your laurels. You have to continually find and add new information to your lens.
I'm working on making my lens How To Save Feral Cats And Stop Overpopulation With TNR the Go-To place for TNR (trap-neuter-return). It is one of my hot-button issues / interests and I feel so strongly about it that I want my lens to convince people to get behind it. And to do that I have to give them everything they need to make that decision. That means giving them the other side of the argument as well as my side. I list all the facts, stats, organizations from both sides and the arguments for and against TNR.
Millions of feral cats are killed in shelters every year just because they have no "owners." Please visit my lens to see what can be done to stop this senseless killing. By the way, the little cat in the picture is Tara, a feral turned in-door cat. You can read her story in my lens as well. That's How To Save Feral Cats And Stop Overpopulation With TNR.
How To Link Your Lens For Maximum Impact
Give People A Reason To Go To Your Other Lens
EXAMPLE 1: How I link to Cats Just Wanna Have Fun from Cat Trees: The Ultimate Furniture For Pampered Pets.
If you like this site, you should see my cat site. To go there right now, click Cats Just Wanna Have Fun
Here's an example of what you'll see:
The Hip Hop Cat OR Puff Kitty
My Top 100 Ranked Lenses
Am I Doing Something You Like?
I'm including here a list of my best squidoo lenses. 4 of them are or have been in the top 100. Are You Polar Bear Aware? has been ranked #1, Lens of the Day and 2nd Runner Up for Lens of the Year, 2007. Long Term Care For People You Love has been Lens of the Day and number 1 in Health and Medicine. Check them out and see what other techniques I'm using that you could use. Let me know which you like best by voting. Thanks!
1
Are You Polar Bear Aware?
You'll find information ranging from Polar Bear ART to ZOOs and everything in-between. There will be bear facts and photos; cartoons ...8 points
2
Cats Just Wanna Have Fun
Here you'll find funny pictures, videos and stories of cats doing nutty things as well as valuable information on caring for your cat, including behav...6 points
3
Long Term Care For People You Love
More than 9 million people over the age of 65 will need long-term-care this year. Here you'll learn all you need to know to plan for your family's LTC...3 points
4
Saving The Dancing Bears Of India
Here, I'll share with you the tragic story of the Dancing Bears of India and the uplifting story of their ongoing rescue. As you read their story, you...2 points
EXAMPLE: People Lens
A Great Lens To Check Out And Learn From
EXAMPLE: People Lens
This is one of the best people lenses on Squidoo. It is by Kimberly Dawn Wells and it is about her. And, it is absolutely fascinating. She does everything right from graphics to interesting topics -- each section starts with "I Am:" and followed by some aspect of her life.
She includes links to her other sites that give you even more information (i.e. her I AM: Del.icio.us! shows some of her favorite quilt designs). Reading it, you'll not only know what she does for a living, but what she's passionate about, her hobbies, her snowman collection, and her favorite cartoons and artists -- just to mention a few things you'll learn. It's an amazing site.
Today it's a 5.0 star lens with a 4.5 ranking because as I mentioned in my earlier section: Star Rankings: Why Give Them And How, jealous people have obviously given her some 1 stars to bring her rating down. But, you know, you can't keep a good woman down. So, it'll naturally get back to 5 stars again because people like you will go and give her the 5 stars her lens so richly deserves!
So, check her lens out at I AM: Kimberly Dawn Wells
EXAMPLE: Business Lens
EXAMPLE: Business Lens
I'm actually sleeping with the lensmaster of this lens. He's my husband and I helped him to create this lens - his first. But, I think it's a good example of how to create a business lens. It actually gives you a free e-course in the lens AND it promotes it's products without being over zealous with hardcore sales ads.Check it out for both how to create a business lens and because the e-course is worth taking!
Notice his introduction includes the desires of the reader and promises he'll give them that. He also started with 3 lessons of the 7-lesson e-course and other modules, then added a new lesson every 3 or 4 days until he was done, inviting people to come back for more.
How To Take Your Local Business Online
The lens introduction: Here you'll find an on-going ecourse which will examine various ways that you can leverage your current business through the Internet. Perhaps your goal is to increase profits, sales, or store traffic. Or you might wish to find totally new revenue sources to complement your current activities. Or you might even want to trade the hassles of traditional business ownership for the freedom of Internet operations. In the next few minutes, you'll begin to see possibilities that you were unaware of....Click, How To Take Your Local Business Online
EXAMPLE: Health & Medicine Lens
See How To Sell Products On A Lens
EXAMPLE: Health & Medicine Lens
This is one of my latest lenses and I'm happy to report that I actually am getting sales directly from the lens. You'll notice when you see it that, yes, indeed I am selling a product, however, I give loads of information for do-it-at-home folks and to educate people in general about anti-aging skin care and skin products.See for yourself how you can create an interesting lens and sell your product at the same time. Click Skin Care
Check out the great pictures I got for this lens to keep it more interesting and fun.
EXAMPLE: Funniest EVER Lens
EXAMPLE: Funniest EVER Lens
I really enjoyed creating this lens. In fact, I consider it one of my best. I love Calvin and Hobbes and I think it is the best cartoon strip ever. I keep adding to make it more fun. It's loaded with interesting and fun facts, cartoons, pictures, animations and videos.Check it out and let me know what you think. Click Calvin and Hobbes
The Best "How To Squidoo" Lenses on Squidoo
Lensmasters Tell All
Thes lenses will share more details of how to create a lens, what the different modules are for, etc. Check them out. They are full of helpful tips and ideas. If you have a lens or used one that really helped you out, please add it to the list below and vote on the one that helped you the most. Thanks!
1
Participating in Squidoo
3 points
2
Pimp My Lens: Great Lensmastering Tips & Tricks Headquarters
PIMP MY LENS: Great Lensmastering Tips &amp;amp; Tricks! The home for lenses &amp;amp; Info &amp;amp; tips on how to maintain or improve a...2 points
3
http://www.squidoo.com/why/
1 point
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5
How to Add PayPal Buttons to Your Lens
If you're looking for how to add a PayPal button to your Squidoo lens, here's how. Please be aware of the risks involved, as you will have to disable...1 point
6
How To Add Amazon Product Links
It used to be possible to embed the official Amazon Product Links into a lens (if you were an Amazon Associate). However, since the support for IFrame...1 point
7
A Guide to Groups for Lensmasters
Groups are collections of Lens, usually focused on a particular theme or interest. Groups are run by Groupmasters, to maintain and promote them. The a...1 point
8
A Guide to Yahoo Pipes
Yahoo Pipes is a powerful composition tool to aggregate, manipulate, and mashup content from around the web. Simple commands can be combined together...1 point
9
Squidoo Guide: Linking Tips
There are many ways that you can add links to your Lens, improving the experience of your readers. How you add those links often depends on what those...1 point
10
12
Cute modules to spice up your lens
Go beyond the text-module and the link-list module and use some color. These modules are built into squidoo and really make your lens look good. Some...1 point
13
Confessions of a Squid Angel
Being a Squid Angel is a responsibility I take very seriously. Over the past few weeks I've discovered some wonderful lenses and lensmasters, a most d...1 point
14
How To Squidoo With A Lotta Help From My Friends
This lens presents my archive of Squidoo resources: tips for beginners, how-to lenses, articles about Squidoo.com, Squidoo books, Squidoo tricks, insi...1 point
15
A Primer on How-to Squidoo with Tips from a GIANT Squid
This handy how-to lens was originally titled Squidoo for Dummies; however, this special 'how to' lens has been renamed to show my support for the gras...1 point
16
Expanding Your Lens Publishing Power -- How-to Squidoo
Hello Lensmasters! I have prepared this special Squidoo how-to lens just for you! This lens gives you step-by-step directions from a squidoo addict wh...1 point
17
How to Create a Contest on Squidoo
Want to learn how to to raise money for your favorite charity or increase your income, or both? Many lensmasters, myself included, use contests to do...1 point
18
I'm a Lensmaster! What now?
0 points
20
How to Mentor through Lenses
0 points
21
23
"Tiffany - Critique My Lens!"
Quick Note: My Very 1st Rating Was a 1 Star Rating? LOL! Someone has a lens they're ashamed of!Welcome Lensmaster!I get a lot (and I mean a lot) of em...0 points
24
50 Ways To Use Squidcasting
0 points
25
GreekGeek's Squidoo Tips: How to Get Your Lens Found
My suggestions for getting traffic. Experienced lensmasters, please vote in my "best lensrank I've achieved" and "typical traffic" polls-- things we a...0 points
26
Squidoo Tips From A Giant Squid
Welcome! I'm lensmaster bdkz. I'm a Top 100 Giant Squid, a Squid Angel, have created over 300 lenses, been 'Lens of the Day' twice and have had 6 of m...0 points
27
Idiot's Guide to Blogging: Marketing Your Blog With Squidoo
This guest post was submitted by Jerry Low of Web Hosting Secret Revealed. You may want to check out his blog hosting articles. Squidoo %u2013 more th...0 points
EXAMPLE : Black Box
Black Box Examples Below
Wildlife SOS is determined to wipe out the age old tradition of dancing bears from India by 2010.
Great Squidoo Resources Every Lensmaster Should Know About
Must Read And Participate
The following are resources created by Squidoo to help Lensmasters. They do a wonderful job in supplying us with everythng we need to succeed. I'll add more as Squidoo creates them. If you know of others before I do, please add them. And vote for the one that helps you the most. Thanks!
1
http://www.squidoo.com/lensoftheday/
Every weekday, the Squidoo staff selects a lens th more...2 points
2
SquidU | Where lensmasters know best!
Want more tips on how to make better lenses? Check more...2 points
4
SquidDon't!
It's simple: given our pedigree, our point of view more...0 points
5
SquidWords - Free Squidoo Templates
Over 75 Custom Squidoo Templates. Free Tools & more...0 points
6
Squidoo Co-Branding
Squidoo Co-Branding is taking an already successfu more...0 points
7
SquidLens: The Official Lens on Squidoo
WE BELIEVE THAT WHEN YOU GO ONLINE, you don't sear more...0 points
Where To Get Free Content & Other Stuff For Your Lens
Help To Build Your Lens
Obviously, the more you know about your topic and the more passion you have for it, the more content you'll be able to create yourself. However, if you need research, photos, cartoons, quotes, freeware, fonts, graphics, posters, etc. to help you fill out your lenses, there are many places available to you.
Here are a few that I like. I'll add more as I discover them. Please add a link if you know of a good source as well.
I'll cover where to get free articles in another module.
If you know of other places, please add them, then vote on your favorites.
1
TheFreeSite.com is the best place to find freebies, freeware, free stuff, samples, downloads, email, games, free software, fonts, Webmaster freebies, MP3s, sweepstakes, contests, coupons, catalogs, free food
TheFreeSite.com offers the Web's largest collection of freebies and freeware. We offer free stuff including free samples, fonts, games, graphics, mobi...2 points
2
Free Stuff Channel offer best freebies, samples, coupons & webmaster stuff
Free Stuff Channel offers a good Free Stuff Directory, free samples, beauty freebies, free magazines, freeware, webmaster stuff, contests and more2 points
3
Totally Free Stuff
TotallyFreeStuff.com is the largest directory of freebies online. Our freebie list includes free posters, software, t-shirts, mouse pads, clothing, ha...2 points
4
Freesticky.com
FreeSticky is Content &amp; Webmaster Tools for Web Sites !
We are primarily a source of FREE and low cost content that anyone can use to increase...2 points
5
Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Wikipedia (IPA: /%u02CCwiki%u02C8pi%u02D0di.%u0259/ or /%u02CCw%u026Aki%u02C8pi%u02D0di.%u0259/) is a multilingual, web-based, free content encycloped...2 points
Great Lenses On Squidoo Worth Studying
These Are Some Of My Favorite Lenses
Take a look at each of these lenses. You will learn a lot. They all have great content, but a great lens is more than that. Check these out and decide for yourself why they are so good. If you know of some other great lenses, add them to the list. Let me know by voting which you like best!
1
Senior Long-Term Care
As a healthcare professional, I've witnessed seniors and their families struggle with long term care planning issues and the difficult, emotional deci...9 points
2
How To Save Feral Cats And Stop Overpopulation With TNR
Millions of feral cats are killed in shelters every year in the United States. TNR (trap-neuter-return) is a program that is practiced throughout the...6 points
3
Michelangelo's David
The stature and prominence, the importance and influence of Michelangelo's David statue may surprise you!The David statue tells a story, yes, and that...5 points
4
Funniest Calvin And Hobbes EVER!
4 points
5
Bearpaw Boots
Keep your PAWS warm this winter and year-round in these comfortable suede boots with a soft sheepskin lining!Sheepskin is an ideal, natural boot liner...4 points
6
Horse Rescue
This lens is dedicated to all those abused and mistreated horses, mules and donkeys the world over but especially in the UK.2 points
7
The Complete Guide to Functional Fitness
The term Functional fitness has been coined to capture the latest trend in gyms these days, but for very good reason. It's not just another marketing...2 points
8
Would You Trade Your Daughter for a Cow?
The very idea seems absurd, but for desperate families in parts of rural Africa, it's an all too common answer to a present-day economic problem. Thus...2 points
10
That's Bamboo? Wow!
1 point
12
Artists in Residence
1 point
13
15
Cats Just Wanna Have Fun
Loaded with funny pictures, videos and stories of cats doing nutty things as well as valuable information on caring for your cat, including how to bat...1 point
16
The Wild and Wonderful Galapagos Islands
The Galapagos islands is where famous evolutionist Charles Darwin did his studies on natural selection to support in his theory of evolution.1 point
17
Baby & Kids' Freebies ~ Free Baby Stuff
Legitimate baby & kids' freebies, special offers, coupons, deals, samples & helpful resources. I just love freebies. I love finding them and sharing t...1 point
18
Free flowing thoughts from my imagination
I might go off on a tangent or just see how far I can take an idea. Either way, it should be interesting. Part of being a complex individual is not be...1 point
19
Inspirational Poetry, Self Help
I'm a writer; so, I must write. I seek to provide motivation and wisdom through entertainment. My writing conveys my witty personality. I like to thin...1 point
20
Bird Rescue
My passion for birds has been a life long love affair. I will be sharing this passion with you. You will especially learn from this website how to car...1 point
21
RMS Titanic, Ship of Dreams
On April 14th 1912 the most luxurious passenger liner on her maiden voyage from Southampton to New York hit icebergs and sank in less than 3 hours lat...1 point
22
The Spirit Bear aka Kermode Bear aka Ghost Bear
Yes, there is another white bear. It's not a polar bear but in fact it is a rare subspecies of the Black Bear.The beautiful Spirit Bear aka Ghost Bear...1 point
23
BEARS: The 8 Wonders Of The World
There are 8 species of bear world-wide. All are endangered to some degree. Here you'll get facts, photos, videos, and informational links to organizat...1 point
24
Kartick Satyanarayan - Champion of India's Dancing Bears
Co-founder and Director of Wildlife S.O.S.Although Kartick's job titles may sound mundane or safe, in reality, his job is anything but. Here, you'll l...1 point
25
Are You Polar Bear Aware?
Everything about polar bears from Polar Bear ART to ZOOs and everything in-between. There are bear facts and photos; cartoons & jokes; contests & fact...1 point
26
Geeta Seshamani - Savior of India's Animals
Founder of Friendicoes, SECA (Society for Eradication of Cruelty to Animals), andCo-founder and Guiding Force of Wildlife S.O.S.Geeta Seshamani, an En...1 point
27
Buddhist Monestaries in Thailand
Thailand is a great place to visit, especially if you are a Buddhist. The country is full of Buddhist Temples. You do not have to go far from the airp...0 points
More Ways To Increase Traffic
Share Your Best Ideas
More Ways To Increase Traffic
Here are more ways to get your lens out there so people come to visit. If you have some you use that aren't here, please add them. Just because one lens gets more traffic doesn't mean your lens get less. Helping people find Squidoo means more traffic for everyone, especially when we have great lenses!
1
Put the RSS Feed FROM your companion blog on your lens.
When I say companion, I mean the blog should be about the same or complementary subject as your lens. Don't put the RSS feed from your cat blog on your lens about sinks.1 point
2
Advertise your lens on your Blog.
An appropriate blog as I mentioned before.1 point
3
Submit your lens(es) to Google Base.
The url is www.googlebase.com. You can upload one lens as a time or do a bulk upload.1 point
4
Put your Squidoo lens in your Blog Roll on your blog.
This gives you another link and someone can find you that way.0 points
A How-To Squidoo Featured Lens
This lens was created by a first class Lensmaster -- Margaret Schaut -- creator of many great lenses and groups. Check it out for even more information on how to create a lens.-
How to Make Your First (or Second) Squidoo Lens
-
Step-by-step, here's how to get started, answers to clear up some confusion, and all the basics to help you be a GREAT lensmaster right off the bat! There are FAQs, instructions, tips and techniques, common mistakes, some strategies and some technic...
Another How-To Squidoo Featured Lens
This is a another great Squidoo lens created by Victoria Nealy on common mistakes newbies make. Even if you aren't a newbie, check these out to make sure you aren't making them.-
Common Newbie Squidoo Mistakes
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Making a Squidoo lens is easy. Making a good Squidoo lens, well, that's another story. A lot of Squidoo newbies ask veterans to critique their lenses, and most of these lenses are not nearly as good as they could be. (There are exceptions!) Hopefull...
Together We CAN Change The World
Are You Ready To Change The World?
Your Turn To Make A Lens
Have I motivated you to create a lens? What do you love or feel passionate about that you want to share with the world? Come on. Go for it. Tag, you're it!
Click here to get started: Create A Lens
Guestbook -- Please sign
Tell Me What You Think
Here's where you tell me what you think about this lens. Was it helpful? Were you entertained? Did it give you some new ideas? Did it make you want to create a new lens or change an existing one? If so, tell me what you want to make your lens about. Make a commitment in writing here for all the world to see to create a lens about something you love and want the world to know about.
Also, please take a moment and go back to the top of the page and please give me give me some stars by clicking on the 5 stars on the right hand side. And LensRoll Me and Add Me To Your Favorites. Lensrolling makes it easier for you to get back to review the new stuff I add -- which I'll do often! Bear hugs, Frankie
Starving_Artist wrote...
wow, Frankie this is a very generous about of information. I think this lens should be on everyone's favorite list to be used as a reference tool. Really impressive and thanks for all that you do for the animal kingdom :)
Posted October 14, 2009
greenspirit wrote...
Hallo Frankie,
'm so glad I found this lens....I was just about to expire with information from too many sources. I am working on my first lens on a health topic that I feel passionately about...and getting stuck in overload. Your comment on separating campaigning from sales has instantly made me see that I have 2 lenses to make on this one topic...thankyou.
Best wishes,
Poppy
Posted August 03, 2009
beautyschoolslistings wrote...
Hello, thank you for taking the time to inform all of us rookies about the tricks of the trade. There is so much information it is overwhelming but I am a fast learner so I hope to adjust quickly ;)
Posted July 15, 2009
PaulEaston wrote...
Hi Frankie,
I can see you know your subject well - would you be interested in maybe building a lens or 2 for me?
Let me know if you are interested- Contact me here:
http://www.DigitalAWOL.com/
Posted July 02, 2009
Sojourn wrote...
Every time I think I've learned all I can learn, I learn more. Excellent list of resources and some tips I hadn't seen before. Thanks!
Posted June 13, 2009
Must Read Books By Seth Godin
He Tells You Like It Is
Seth, founder of Squidoo, has a great reputation because he knows what he's talking about. He's been there, done it all. He is a great entrenpreneur and an excellent writer. His style is so easy to read and it has little or no fluff. ALL of his writing is worth reading. Try these out and if you've read them, vote for the one you that helped you the most in this Web 2 world.
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Books For Dummies For Your Library
I love the "dummies" books. I've never seen a bad one.
1
Photoshop 7 for Dummies by Barbara Obermeier
I have this one and it is very good. It's helped me to alter, resize and make my photos for my lenses web ready.0 points
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Table of Contents
So, if you want to find something again, just click on the title and you'll be taken right there.
- EXAMPLE: Polaroid Module
- Why I Created This Lens
- Has Squidoo Got Its Tentacles Hooked On You Yet?
- How To Create A Lens - The Preparation
- Squidoo Newsletters Are MUST Reads
- What Are Your Pet Peeves About Squidoo Lenses?
- To Let Them Contact You Or Not, That Is The Question
- How to Get Good Content for a Lens
- Using Squidoo's Bookmarklet To Get Content
- Star Rankings -- Why Give Them And How
- Squidooing Cat Caption Contest
- 5 Things That Will Get Repeat Traffic To Your Lens
- What's A Group Got To Do With It?
- Squidoo Stuff -- Show Your Love For Squidoo
- Why Add Pictures To Spice Up Your Lens
- Where To Get Pictures Free Or Cheap
- Excellent Tools For The Lensmaster
- Why And How To Favorite A Lens
- How Many Lensmasters Does It Take To Change A Lightbulb?
- The Best Way To Learn The HTML You Need On Squidoo
- Cheap And Fast Ways To Increase Traffic To Your Lens
- EXAMPLE: Video of a Lens
- EXAMPLE: StickyNote Widget
- Take All Offers For Lens Promotion
- The Best Way To Get People To Come Back Again And Again
- How To Link Your Lens For Maximum Impact
- My Top 100 Ranked Lenses
- EXAMPLE: People Lens
- EXAMPLE: Business Lens
- EXAMPLE: Health & Medicine Lens
- EXAMPLE: Funniest EVER Lens
- The Best "How To Squidoo" Lenses on Squidoo
- Award Winning Site
- Wildlife SOS is determined to wipe out the age old tradition of dancing bears from India by 2010.
- Great Squidoo Resources Every Lensmaster Should Know About
- Where To Get Free Content & Other Stuff For Your Lens
- Great Lenses On Squidoo Worth Studying
- More Ways To Increase Traffic
- A How-To Squidoo Featured Lens
- Another How-To Squidoo Featured Lens
- Together We CAN Change The World
- Are You Ready To Change The World?
- Guestbook -- Please sign
- Must Read Books By Seth Godin
- Books For Dummies For Your Library
This work is covered by copyright and can not be reprinted
in any matter (physical or digital) without prior written consent.
Copyright 2008 Frankie Kangas All rights reserved.
by Frankster
Hi. I'm Frankie Kangas, aka Frankster. I love everything about Squidoo. So far, it has allowed me to raise awareness and money for Polar Bears; share...
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