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Who wouldn't love to have more readers, buyers, and sneezers on their lenses? (The viral marketing sneezers, not viral illness ones...) Online promotion is an art. The rules are always changing. In order to keep up and come out on top, you need to be willing to put yourself out there, step outside your comfort zone, play by the rules, hang in there for the long run, and commit to lifelong learning. If you're ready to give it your all, follow these tips for increasing traffic to your Squidoo lenses.
Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done
 Polish your lens
Before you send your lens out to the world, make sure it looks great. Lenses are almost always works in progress, but just because you're not 100% finished doesn't mean you don't need to freshen up your lens before blurbing about it online.
There are some basic techniques you can use to jazz up your lens before distributing the link. These are things that EVERY lensmaster should be doing!
As unfair as it is, web surfers make snap judgments about you and the quality of your promotions based on how your lens looks. These opinions can be fiercely negative. Just 20 minutes will help you bypass most of them.
I recommend:
Submit your lens to search engines
One of the most popular questions I answer through our bug reporting system has to do with Google and other search engines. Contrary to popular belief, Squidoo doesn't have a secret partnership with or any knowledge about how Google runs their search engine business. We wish! We're out there, the same as anyone who puts up a website, constantly trying to do the best by Google and give them what they're looking for. While we offer a lot of great tools they love, the best thing you can do is be proactive in your own lens promotion.
I recommend: Many search engines have an "add url" page for their site. This can help you get a jump start on getting listed.
Read about your topics, talk about your lenses
Online, like is always looking for like. Fashion bloggers are always looking for new fashion stuff to blog about. Business writers are always looking for new article topics. Recipe fanatics are always looking for great new pasta dishes. Whatever your niche, keep an eye out for opportunities to talk about it. When you find blogs and articles that allow comments, leave a short note and link to your lens.
I recommend: - Sign up for Google Alerts for the top keywords that suit your lens. This will notify you of blogs, articles, and websites that were recently published and indexed. By keeping up with these daily, you'll maintain a consistent marketing message.
- Look for other lenses that fit your topic. Find them through similar groups, the forum, and Squidoo search.
Blog about your lenses
Blogging is a hot way to get the word out about your lenses, and there are so many options for doing it. Many lensmasters incorporate their lens links into their personal blogs, and some have blogs just about using Squidoo. (Bonus, when you blog about your lens, post a Tweet too!)
I recommend:
Write about your lenses
Article marketing is the process of getting visitors through articles you write about your niche topics and then distribute across the web. An article is just that - information in article form that teaches the reader about your topic. It's more than just a lead-up to a link. Write articles that are keyword rich and comprehensive.
I recommend:
Keep an updating schedule
Schedule time to update your lenses and add new info. Seek out new news, links, conversations, articles, images, videos, and opinions to add to your lens. New content gives readers and search engines a reason to return.
I recommend: - Use stuff you find on Google Alerts
- Get related links and news from Squidaholic
- Keep an eye on industry websites and blogs
- Make it easy for readers to send you news
- Block off time in your calendar for updates and commit to it.
Try bookmarking and news sites
Every lensmaster has their own opinion about whether or not social bookmarks and news sites are effective ways to promote your lens. Every lensmaster has different niche topics to promote, so test these sites for two or three months to see which two or three are most effective for you. There MANY link lists and bookmarking sites, and more popping up eacn month, so this is just a very short list to get you started.
I recommend:
Try social networking sites
If you're already on Facebook, MySpace, Friendster, etc., adding links to your profile can be an effective way to promote your lenses. (I've found that if you're not active on these sites, you're better off putting your effort elsewhere.)
I recommend:
Build a Squidoo fan club
Registered Squidoo users can become your fan or add just specific lenses to their favorites list. When they log in and view their My Favorites tab, they can get updates that you send out via SquidCasts. SquidCasts are short blurbs about your lens that can be used to announce additions and changes, pose questions, or encourage feedback. To post one, click Cast next to your lens of choice on your dashboard.
I recommend:
Tips & Tactics
Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide
- Start slow. If Squidoo is a hobby, you may not need (or be interested in maintaining) 40 websites, blogs, and link lists where your lens can be found. Master one blog and Facebook, for example. Then each week add a new site or process for promoting your lens.
- Pick your 5-7 favorite techniques and use them consistently for 3-6 months. This will create reliable places where readers can go to find out about your new updates, and help you create a following.
- When proofreading your lenses, read them aloud word for word (cover up the next word if you need to). This will help you find mistakes you misread in your head. Better yet, have someone else read it aloud.
- When signing guestbooks, offer something of value. Kudos, a tip, something you read about earlier, whatever. Posting a link and run will almost certainly get you marked as spam, and/or banned for good!
- If you don't have any relevant lenses to link to in a comment box, use your lensmaster page (http://www.squidoo.com/lensmasters/YOURUSERNAME). It will be less spammy than something totally off base.
- Give readers a reason to contribute. Use polls, guestbooks, and duel modules to encourage conversations. People will often go out of their way to add their two cents.
- Be patient! The web can be volatile. Sometimes, it just takes a while to get connected. Sometimes it happens in a flash. Spend your time networking and promoting, not looking for where you are and aren't yet linked.
- Don't give up! Schedule a time at least once per week to add content to your lens, sign guestbooks and comment on blogs, network with friends, or write articles.
 Recommended Solution Providers | Back to top |
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Promote your Squidoo lens with bumper stickers.
Give friends a handy magnet with your URL.
Send postcards, notecards, or greeting cards; all showing how to find your lens.
Wear t-shirts, golf shirts, sweat-shirts and jackets with your lens address.
You just may be amazed by the opportunities to talk about and promote the products on your Squidoo lens! (By lensmaster flowergardener.)
A lensmaster supported service where you're free to blog about your lenses, day in, day out, with no fear of getting booted. (By lensmaster loyalis.)
A lensmaster driven site that offers an advanced dashboard and website stats. (By lensmaster thefluffanutta.)
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 Best Sites to Learn More | Back to top |
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On this lens, you'll find some links to places you can submit your Squidoo lens URLs to search engines, directories, social bookmarking sites, and other web 2.0 sites. (By lensmaster fefe.)
Fifty ideas for using Twitter to promote...stuff. Many of which could apply to your Squidoo lenses! (By lensmaster bdkz.)
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. (By lensmaster GreekGeek.)
How to become a Squidoo somebody in six easy steps! Our savviest lensmasters know that sometimes, promoting outwards starts from within. (By lensmaster Susan52.)
A work.com article on how to promote your Squidoo lenses through your blog. Complete with links to blogging services and examples from lensmasters.
Lensmaster and guest article author jeffwend lists 16 places to find traffic for your Squidoo lens.
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 Best Blogs and Forums | Back to top |
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Squidoo's official blog.
Squidoo's weekly newsletter for and by lensmasters.
Our lensmaster driven forum for asking, answering, sharing, learning, and promoting.
Sign up for news updates, lens ideas, and special opportunities from Squidoo.
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