The Squidoo Learning Curve

Jagged Peaks and Deep Valleys or Gentle Inclines and Paved Roads?

For some, the Squidoo Learning Curve has been a road with gentle inclines and peaceful valleys. They traverse it with ease, picking up new ideas along the way. For others following the Learning Curve is akin to scaling a mountain. There are sharp, jagged peaks and deep valleys. Once they scale the first peak, they slide into the darkness below. At this point, one of two things can happen: They look at the next peak and say forget it, or they draw in a deep breath and start climbing.

The amount of experience we bring with us determines which path, or a variation of the two, we find ourselves on. Personal goals, degree of determination, and time determine whether or not we can still call ourselves a lensmaster on our first anniversary. I joined Squidoo on March 16, 2008. I have sat on the top of jagged peaks and celebrated, and cried in the valleys below, but I'll challenge the next peak and the one after that. I have what it takes, not necessarily the knowledge or the skill, but a mouse. Help is just a mouse click away.

The purpose of this lens is to catalog my learning curve, and give hope to floundering lensmasters on the verge of giving up.

You Can Do It!

The Beginning

I signed a contract for the publication of my first book, My Mother's Shoes in June of 2007. As with most soon to be published authors, I knew a web presence was important. I can type a-mile-a-minute and can get a word processing program to sit up and beg, but all I ever used the internet for was e-mails and basic research. I knew nothing about building a website.

I spent the summer contemplating the mysteries of the universe, visiting family, and basking in my eminent success. I couldn't build a website until I decided what name I was going to publish under. No one can pronounce Belekis and I would still be teaching when My Mother's Shoes hit the bookstores... It's a humorous mystery, but some scenes... I needed a pseudonym. I finally settled on Elizabeth Jean Allen, a variation of my maiden name.

Building the website wasn't as hard as I anticipated. As I had little to put on it, I posted book reviews and local current events. I was proud of my efforts, but other than a few friends and family, no one saw it. I couldn't even access it without typing in the URL. Google didn't know Elizabeth Jean Allen from Adam.

By the time February rolled around, I was ready to panic. A web presence was still an illusion and time was running out. Until I had a book in hand (or a picture of the cover), I had nothing to work with.

I bounced from one website to the next hoping for inspiration, but my mouse kept clicking back to bird websites and I would get caught up...

INSERT LIGHTBULB

I love birds and I managed to build one website without blowing up my computer, why not another? South Carolina Birder was born.

I built an awesome website but again, no traffic. I was researching ways and means of promoting a website or blog when I stumbled across Squidoo. It didn't cost anything and it was only a single page. It shouldn't be all that hard...

Let's Review

Look back at the paragraph you just read. What tools and techniques were used?

Bold Font
italic
Insert a Link
Highlight a word or sentence.

I didn't use any of these techniques on my first lens. I'd been on Squidoo for over a month before I discovered N376's lens, Basic HTML for Squidoo. It is featured in the module below.

Basic HTML for Squidoo

Basic HTML for Squidoo

You can use basic HTML in a few of the lens modules. Mostly used to create hyperlinks (they are the "live links" to other sites). Though there are also other uses for HTML. If you find yourself in need of quick tutorial on how to do it, her...

INSERT LIGHTBULB

As you can see, I'm not through the mountain range yet. How to insert a picture in the middle of your text is covered in Super Advanced HTML Tips and Tricks to use on Squidoo. Randell does a wonderful job of explaining it, but I'm not ready to climb that mountain yet.

Super Advanced HTML Tips and Tricks to use on Squidoo

Super Advanced HTML Tips and Tricks to use on Squidoo

These html tricks for Squidoo are not really that super advanced. But they are super cool! Anyone can do this, Yes, you too! This lens would not be possible if it were not for the groundwork of other lenmasters: specifically, Magicality and N376 so t...

My First Lens

By the time I found Squidoo, I already had a website, Elizabeth Jean Allen, and my blog/website, South Carolina Birder. South Carolina Birder has individual pages for each bird I had researched as well as pages on attracting birds, flight, birdfeeders etc. Taking one of the birds I had already researched to build a lens made sense. My favorite bird of prey is the Red-tailed Hawk. It was the first page I put on my website/blog and my first lens on Squidoo.

I made a lot of mistakes, the biggest one being the URL. I didn't think beyond the first lens. Rather than select a URL that matched the lens, I used southcarolinabirder. I regretted it almost from the start, but once I started building the lens, I wasn't about to go back and start over.

I used basic modules, Text, Amazon, New Polaroid, E-bay, Links, and a Guestbook. I pulled the pictures from my own collection and from Wikapedia. Be careful when taking pictures from other websites. Most are copyright protected. Don't use them without permission. You're risking a lawsuit if you do.

I used the Link List to connect the lens to my websites, but have since replaced it with an RSS feed to my blog, South Carolina Birder. Overall it turned out pretty good. It wasn't fancy, but I was proud of it.

I made some mistakes that I've since gone back and fixed. I didn't personalize the guestbook and I let Amazon select the books for the page. I select my own books now and I usually ask a question in the guestbook. I've found that by asking a question, I get more responses. I know some lensmasters don't bother with a guestbook, but Squidooers like to leave comments. Many will not rate the lens if they can't comment on the content.

There is one more thing that bears mentioning. References. Give credit where credit is due. If you gathered information from books and other websites, note that in a text module at the bottom of your lens. I know most lensmasters don't do this, but copyrighted material is copyrighted material.

Let's Review

1. Select a URL that is related to your lens topic.

2. Make your own selections on the Amazon Module. Make sure it's related to your topic.

3. Personalize your guestbook.

4. Don't use the default title on any of the modules.

5. Give credit where credit is due. Reference information taken from websites and printed material.

6. Add pictures, but don't use copyrighted photos without permission.

Photographs and Pictures

There are several sites that have copyright free photos. Triathlontraining's lens Free Images and How to Use Them, is an excellent source. The link is listed below.

Free Images and How to Use Them

Free Images and How to Use Them

This is a listing free image resources to use on your lens or website. Also, it includes several detailed How-To sections on how to add the necessary HTML to control and enhance the images in your pages (or lenses). Examples included. If you do fi...

Use Posters to Add Pizzazz

Webmasters Make $$$

Choose Your Modules With Care

Utilizing the Blackbox Module

I have been building lenses on Squidoo for over a year now and one of my favorite modules to use is the Blackbox. It's a small module, but it can pack a punch. Until recently I assumed that most people were using the blackbox in a similar manner. Whe...

Quality Content

The Red-tailed Hawk was published on March 16, 2008. The highest overall rank reached was 256. It has been rated by 58 people and has had over a thousand visits thus far. The visits come from a variety of sources, other Squidoo lenses, my blog, Google, Yahoo, MSN etc. There is an average of 10 to 20 click outs a week and I've made $53.96 from that lens alone. It took three hours to build and takes about ten minutes every week or two to update it.

The point I'm trying to make is that a lens doesn't have to have a lot of "bells and whistles" to be successful. The key is QUALITY content. The lens is organized in a logical manor, visually appealing, and provides thorough and accurate information.

Once I realized that I didn't need to "know it all" before I could build a quality lens, I started doing what I do best, research and write. I have over a hundred lenses now. I admit they may not be the snazziest, but I'm learning something new everyday. With each new skill mastered, I go back and add to or fix what came before it. I'll learn how to insert dancing angels...eventually.

It's Time to Review Again

Quality Content!

Quality Content!

Quality Content!

I can't say it enough. Without it you'll be left with a handful of nothing.

Speak Your Mind! Build a Lens!

"Ah oh! The doubts are creeping in."

It happens every time. Half way through building a lens, I start to doubt myself. Do I have enough material? Are my pictures any good? Who would be interested in this? Am I wasting my time?

I've deleted lenses at this point only to regret it later. DON'T GIVE UP! If you thought it was a valid topic before you started, it still is. Finish it. When we buy a car, we don't determine its valve based on the bumper. We look at the whole car and we take it for a test drive. Once you've reached the half-way point, you've already invested a lot of time. Finish it. If you still have doubts, have a friend take a look at it. Let it sit for a day or two. Recheck your data. Find some new pictures... Just don't delete it.

Every author hesitates before signing on the dotted line. Their work will no long be their own. IT WILL BE JUDGED! What if it's found unworthy? I had the contract for My Mother's Shoes for two weeks before I finally picked up the pen and signed it. I'm happy in the classroom and I'm a good teacher. Writing was a hobby, something I did for fun. Did I really want to put it out there for the whole world to see? What if no one liked it?

Unlike a novel, a lens can be changed, upgraded, even deleted. Give it a chance. You may be pleasantly surprised.

You Published Your Lens!
What now?

Promoting Your Work

The first month I was on Squidoo I built a lot of lenses. I found the Forum fairly early on so most of my lenses were rated, and I was getting comments. I celebrated when I hit the 50 visits a week landmark. When a lens is new, a few visits will have a drastic impact on its rank. However, that initial jump is temporary. Lens rank is calculated using several parameters, not just the number of visits in a week...links, back-links, click outs, visits, sales, ratings...the list is endless.

I've learned a lot about promoting a lens in the last few months. Some I've tried and abandoned, others are a part of my publishing routine. I don't do as much as some, but more than others. The determining factor for me is time. There are not enough hours in the day to do all that I want to do, so what I do has to count.

In the modules below I will catalog my post-publishing routine. Pick and choose. What works for me might not work for you, and there are things I don't do that you may want to do. Just set up a routine and follow it. Add to it as time and experience allows.

Tell the World!

Building Traffic

Internet Marketing

Most people build lenses on Squidoo for a variety of different reasons. For some it's a venue for sharing their passions. For others it's a means of making money or promoting their online business. But what good does it do to build a beautiful lens i...

Building Traffic on Squidoo

I love Squidoo and I spend a great deal of time building and improving my lenses. I love to write and to share my thoughts with the world. Some of my lenses are just for fun. Others are a means of sharing my passions and interests. People join Squid...

Organic Traffic is Essential! Give your lens a jump start by submitting them to the search engines rather than wait for the bots to find it.

1. Goggle:
http://www.google.com/addurl/

2. Yahoo:

https://siteexplorer.search.yahoo.com/submit

3. MSN Live:
http://beta.search.msn.com/docs/submit.aspx

Ping your Lens!

Blog Ping for Squidoo Lenses will notify a number of blog search engines that your lens has been updated. Ping your lenses everytime you update.

Blog Ping for Squidoo Lenses

Join a Group or two or three...

Not only do groups give you some of those all-important backlinks, they are an excellent venue for getting to know other lensmasters. Squidoo is a community. Get to know your neighbors. I've made some life-long friends through Squidoo.

The Totally Awesome Groups

Totally Awesome Lenses Headquarters

Totally Awesome Lenses! To me The Rainbow symbolizes our hopes and dreams. They are beautiful and they always make me smile. Squidoo is like that. Some lenses give us a reason to smile, while others are thought provoking. We can learn about our his...

Nature and the Outdoors Headquarters

Nature and the Outdoors I love the outdoors and have a deep appreciation for the nature around me. It doesn't matter how stressful my day, a short walk through the park or an hour tending the flowers in my garden, and my world rights itself. The...

Social Networking Sites and Directories

There are a lot of them. By posting your lenses on them, you get back-links as well as more exposure, but there is a catch. If you post lenses on these sites, you are joining another community. Spending time on the site is essential. I have lenses on several of them, but not all. I cannot do justice to them all, so I've selected a few to use routinely and add to the others occasionally.

My List

Isle of Squid
All of my lenses are posted on the Isle of Squid. Its a popular site.

Lensroll.com
Lensroll was one of the first sites I stumbled across. You are limited to just two postings a day. I routinely post on it, but not until my lens has been published for a few days.

Squidom The Kingdom of Squidoo
I just discovered Squidom, The Kingdom of Squidoo. I've put some of my lenses on there but I haven't had time to finish the list.

Stumpedia.com
As with Squidom, I'm not utilizing this as well as I should. I intend to rectify that.

Squiddit
Posting your lenses on Squiddit is quick and easy.

Squid Directory
I'm not using this site as much as I should. I will get all my lenses posted on it soon.

Squid Point
I have a lot of lenses on Squid Point. I will be putting the rest of them on as I update them.

I usually add my lenses to the social networks and directories as I update them--a few each day.

Do You Dig Your Lens?

Then Dig it!
Dig-All News, Videos, and Images

You'll Dig my Lens

Do you Blog? Do you have a Website?

Use your lenses to promote your blogs and websites, and use your blogs to promote your lenses.

Link Them!

The Bumpy Road: The Ups and Downs of Everyday Life

Sometimes we need to vent. Sometimes we need to step back and laugh, and other times prayer is the best answer as we traverse the bumpy road of life.

Fetching RSS feed... please stand by

Visit the Lensmaster Lounge.

Visiting the Lensmaster Lounge is vital. If you're new to the Forum, introduce yourself and post a lens or two. Post occasionally and visit regularly.

Read other lensmaster's lenses, comment on and rate the ones you like. Odds are, if you visit someone's lens, they'll stop by yours as well. Get to know your fellow lensmasters. Offer praise when warranted and lend a helping hand when needed. Squidoo is a wonderful community. Become a part of it.

Write Articles

Building a high quality lens or website is a major accomplishment, but with the number of websites on the internet, few people will find your lens or website without help. Article directories have literally thousands of readers worldwide. A well written article with a link to your website or lens in the bio can feed thousands of visitors to your website.

Many of the visitors to free article directories are looking for articles to display on their website. That's added publicity for your writing as well as your website or lens.

I also submit articles to Associated Content. There are three advantages to using Associated Content, the upfront payment, performance payments, and they can be linked back to your lenses as well.

Some of my recent articles:

Why do Birds Sing?
Has the Penny Outlived its Usefulness?
Keeping Your Budget on Track

The Squidoo Learning Curve

Jagged Peaks and Deep Valleys or Gentle Inclines and Paved Roads?

The Beginning

Let's Review

Basic HTML for Squidoo

Super Advanced HTML Tips and Tricks to use on Squidoo

My First Lens

Let's Review

Photographs and Pictures

Free Images and How to Use Them

Use Posters to Add Pizzazz

Choose Your Modules With Care

Quality Content

It's Time to Review Again

"Ah oh! The doubts are creeping in."

Promoting Your Work

Building Traffic

Ping your Lens!

Join a Group or two or three...

The Totally Awesome Groups

Social Networking Sites and Directories

My List

Do You Dig Your Lens?

Do you Blog? Do you have a Website?

The Bumpy Road: The Ups and Downs of Everyday Life

Visit the Lensmaster Lounge.

Write Articles

Do you have a lens that that offers tips, help, or guidance to your fellow Squidoo'ers?

Add it to the list!

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Please pick your widget size and display. Then click "Make the Widget" to get the code that's just right for you.

Voila: Just copy and paste this code into your own site. Have fun!

Oopsey! Please login to Squidoo in order to add this module to your lens.

Opinions Please!

Did you learn something new today?

Yes! I'm a newbee and need all the help I can get.

sittonbull says:

CCB says:

DianiaLee says:

MrMarmalade says:

Aquavel says:

Yes. I can build an awesome lens, but needed a little help in promoting my lenses.

littleliz says:

Joan4 says:

Susan52 says:

RambosDad says:

JaguarJulie says:

How long have you been on Squidoo and how many lenses have you built?

About the Author

Quality Content!

by ElizabethJeanAllen

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