Promote your Projects: Tips from Luckycharms
This week we're picking the brain of top lensmaster luckycharms. Learn how you can use Squidoo to push traffic to your other websites and products.
Squidoo: Luckycharms - your lens "How to Write a Powerful Article that Gets Read" is one of the top lenses in Business and has performed well for you for some time. Why did you decide to write a lens about this?
luckycharms: I initially decided to create this lens to promote a product I have that helps people write quality articles. I ended up adding more and more to it to make it a valuable resource. I send my clients to this lens when I suggest to them that they write articles to bring more exposure for their business. I was actually surprised that it took off so well. You never know what people will be interested in.
Squidoo: What background or education do you have on writing articles?
luckycharms: Creating this product really helped a lot in terms of giving me more experience in writing articles. I did a lot of research to create the product, and I have also published a lot of articles. This experience allows me to see what things people are interested in, what kinds of titles get people to read the article, and what things will encourage people to click on the link in your resource box to get people to go to your website to find out more information.
Squidoo: Did you have to do any additional research to create your lens?
luckycharms: The specific research is I read a lot of ebooks about writing articles, and then also the results of publishing my own articles. I also took the approach of the whole point of writing the article is to instill confidence in the author as an expert in what they do, and to inspire the reader enough to find out more about the subject matter of the article. By the time I came to create the lens, I had already done all the research I needed - for the time being.
Squidoo: How does this lens help push traffic to your website?
luckycharms: I have links in the lens that allow people to find out additional information about specific points in the lens. That way I can keep it brief, yet informative, and allow the serious information seekers an easy way to get more information as they read the lens.
Squidoo: Why would someone want to write a lens based on one of their areas of expertise?
luckycharms: It is a powerful, yet easy way to brand yourself as an expert in your area. I see one purpose of a lens to be a lot like an article, especially when it comes to business. The lens is a great way to display brief points about your expertise and then add supporting resources, such as books you found helpful, links to your website or blog, or white papers you have written. If your purpose it to brand yourself as an expert, I have found it most useful if you put a bit of yourself in the lens instead of making it nothing but links to Amazon, or a list of sites. Leave someone with something to think about after they read your lens. My test for this kind of lens is "Would it be something I would send my clients to in order for them to find out more about me and my services?"
Squidoo: Tell us a little about yourself.
luckycharms: Ok, 30 second commercial time.... I am a consultant who does Internet Business Development. What does that mean? I help businesses establish an online presence that performs for them based on the goals of the business. A business' web presence should be an asset that can be sold should the owner decide to leave the business. I approach my consulting like I approach life. Let's have fun and see what we can create out of this! On the personal side, fun consists of trying new things, travel, snowboarding, cooking, reading, meeting new people, and exploring what makes my mind tick the way it does.
Lessons for Lensmasters:
1. Promote your products with related articles and information
2. Place multiple links in your lens to refer visitors to your product
3. Engage your readers with your personality - don't be too sterile
