Promoting Your Lenses

Even though Squidoo lenses can show up relatively high in search results within the Squidoo platform, as well as with the major search engines, don't be satisfied with an "If you build it, they will come" approach to lensmaking. Once you've built a lens, be sure to share it -- with friends, family, colleagues and other people online.

Here are just a few ways to do so. We'll continue to offer additional tools and resources on this topic as Squidoo continues to develop.

Link to Your Own Lenses
If you maintain an outside blog or web site, consider linking to your lenses -- and vice versa! Interlinking your various web projects can help you develop a true web presence, not just a series of different web pages in different places. Personally, I link to my lensmaster profile page from the left-hand column of my blog. And if I build a new lens I think is especially interesting, I post a blog entry announcing its debut. Here's an example of another lensmaster who did just that.

Another good way to do this is to follow the example of lensmaster Tim Manners. If you look at his Reveries magazine online, check the right-hand column for the About Us link. Tim links to a lens that explains all of his projects within the broader context of his professional life. Consider making a Squidoo lens your profile page!

(And if you have more then one lens on slightly similar topics, you should consider linking them together within Squidoo. Your lenses are automatically linked via your lensmaster profile page, but you can make connections more explicit in the lens itself.)

Reach out to the Blogosphere
If you build a lens on a topic that's of interest to a number of bloggers and other web writers online, consider emailing them to let them know about your lens. You might get a mention. I did this recently after making a lens about subscription models in the publishing industry. I emailed three book bloggers to see what they thought of the idea, and a friend of mine expanded on the idea in his blog.

If you do do this, be somewhat savvy and sensitive about it. Don't email anyone and everyone -- don't make a pest of yourself. Start with bloggers you already have a connection with -- people you already know. Make sure that your lens resonates with the work they're already doing online -- and that it offers them ideas and tools to build on what they're already doing. Don't just ask them to blog about it. Ask them what they think of the idea, whether they have feedback and whether they have other resources they think you should include.

Something else to consider is to let people know that you've linked to them -- especially if you've done so offering commentary on their site or service. Last night, I emailed a publisher to let them know I'd just added a brief review of a recently published book to an Amazon module. That won't get a lot of leverage, but it lets people know that people are paying attention to them -- and it increases people's awareness of you, your lenses and Squidoo. (Interestingly enough, someone from the publisher just emailed me back, recommending another book.)

Wear the Badge of Honor
We offer a number of different buttons and banners you can use to spice up your existing blogs and web sites. Just enter your lensname online, select a button style -- and add the code to your sites. We also give you the tools you need to make your own buttons and badges. If you whip something up -- like these samples by lensmaster Donna Maher -- be sure to let us know. We'll share some with the Squidoo community!

Invite Far and Wide
Using the Refer a Friend, Get $5 link on your My Lenses page, you can invite friends and family to join you in Squidoo. Encourage them to make a lens about something they know about and love. If they sign up via your invitation link, you'll get credit. And when they earn $15 in royalties, you and your friend will each get $5. Don't be shy, help recruit additional lensmasters. The more, the better.

Zonks!

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