This week, Squid Angels Blue Dolphin Crow, Connie, Flaming Lacer, and Daoine weigh in on the little things that make a big difference to them. Take it from the pros. These gals know what makes a great first impression… and what makes for happy readers.1. It all starts with a good first impression
2. Fixing up the basics
3. Content IS king!
4. Like goes with like
5. Variety is the spice of life
6. Let your passion shine through
7. Who are you and how can I contact you?
8. Final thoughts
Fixing the small things on your lens is quick and easy. It takes only minutes, and has the largest return on investment for any changes you can make. What are you waiting for!.
~Kimberly Dawn Wells
SquidU Review Newsletter Editor
~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~
1. It all starts with a good first impression
~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~
The introduction to your lens is like the first chapter of a book. It lays the foundation for what comes next and what the reader should expect. It is also an important first visual impression that encourages your visitor to stay and play, or move on to another search result. Relating to your readers early helps them stay interested in your topic.
Flaming Lacer looks for: a refined intro
The Introduction should be just that – short, sharp and to the point. I don’t like to see all / most of the lens content in here and I particularly don’t like to see it all in bold. It is hard on the eyes and aesthetically unpleasant
Daoine looks for: personality
The easiest way to put your mark on the lens is to tell us why you’re making it – what does the topic mean to you, do you have a funny anecdote to share in your introduction to the topic, etc.
Blue Dolphin looks for: understanding of the subject
Many times I will come across lenses that are full of info, however, they are only tackling that info from a very general point of view. When this happens I can tell whether the lensmaster is truly passionate about the lens or is merely spouting out generalized info hoping to attract a following. It is also important to me to be able to walk away from a lens with a feeling of solid understanding and comprehension. Therefore, I look at how successful the lensmaster was at teaching me their passionate subject so that I have an immediate appreciation for it.
Connie loves to have fun:
I love catchy titles, tongue in cheek humor, creativity and originality. I love stories and information that is obviously unique to the individual.
~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~
2. Fixing up the basics
~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~
Squidoo gives you a great template to work with, and it’s your job to fill in the blanks. When blanks get missed, they sometimes create voids that work against you.
Flaming Lacer looks for: proper titles given to the modules
Default titles are just plain lazy in my opinion. If you don’t care enough about a subject to give the modules a proper introduction, then leave it alone!
Flaming Lacer also loves a great: lensmaster biography
I do like to see something in here, even if it is a general bio for all your lenses, it gives me a feel for the person and how/why they are dealing with the subject. I prefer to see an image (not necessarily a photo) because it makes the lens look more cared for. A specific bio for that lens gets extra points as it is indicative of the Lensmaster’s interest in the topic.
~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~
3. Content IS king!
~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~
If your lens has content that readers can find anywhere, there’s no compelling reason for them to return to your lens to find it. Your visitors can get words and short blurbs anywhere. Images and other visual breaks in text add jazz and make the content easier to digest, and a variety of modules give you lots of opportunity to get your point across.
Daoine looks for: original content
Your own original content goes a long way. Again, what is your personal take on the topic? What did you really think of the book you’re promoting? I will even forgive a few spelling and grammar errors if I can tell that you’re writing your own content, sincerely, from your own perspective. (And that’s saying a lot, because I’m a proofreader.)
Flaming Lacer looks for: eye candy
Give me more than just text, please! And, are there AT LEAST 3 modules in addition to the guest book?
Blue Dolphin looks for: balance
I look at the lens before I read it to see if all of the pieces appear to harmonize in a graphical way. I also look for balance between the written material and the sales modules. I really enjoy those lenses that blend a passionate subject within a variety of sales modules. This enables me to enjoy their subject matter without being distracted too early by attempts to commercialize the lens.
Connie asks for:
Spelling and grammar… Use the dictionary, Please!
~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~
4. Like goes with like
~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~
It’s tempting to add moneymakers and asides to your lens, but if they don’t relate to your topic, you can dangerously dilute the power of your lens and leave would-be customers severely disappointed.
Daoine: moneymakers that are relevant
Every module in your lens should have relevance to your topic. Don’t put affiliate links in to something unrelated. Don’t add Amazon and eBay modules with any old product just for the sake of having them. If your lens is on green cars, and the only product you can find to sell is a book on glove compartment maintenance, explain in the description section of the moneymaker module that green cars require more glove compartment maintenance than any other, therefore you’re including a book to help readers learn to do their own maintenance.
~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~
5. Variety is the spice of life
~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~
You asked for more modules and Squidoo provided! Using more than just the guestbook, text, and link modules adds color and visual design to your lens. Plus it gives readers a variety of ways to learn about your favorite topics.
Flaming Lacer’s five fabulous tips for great lenses:
1. A good variety of modules which are suitable to the subject. Interactivity via Polls, Plexos, You Tube, etc. is always a plus (where it is appropriate). Sometimes I feel modules have been put there just because the Lensmaster thinks they are a must-have, even if they don’t add to the lens
2. Appropriate images – they help break up large blocks of text and make the lens more attractive visually but again, only if appropriate.
3. A good flow to the lens, a logical progression of information and content. Monetized modules should be appropriately placed so that they follow the natural rhythm of the lens.
4. Length of lens - I don’t have an issue with long lenses (I have a tendency that way myself!) but I don’t like encyclopedic lenses. If you have that much content – split it! Viewers lose interest after a while.
5. Visually attractive – spending a little time to make sure your modules are properly formatted and look good is always worth it, viewers prefer it and will spend time browsing a lens that is pleasing and easy on the eye. Technical wizardry is not necessary – it doesn’t win or lose ‘points’ and should only be used if it adds to the lens.
~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~
6. Let your passion shine through
~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~
It’s easy to see when a lensmaster has passion. There’s a special spark and giddiness to their writing. When you’re passionate about your topic, a lot of the other things take care of themselves.
Blue Dolphin looks for: the lensmaster’s ability to transfer their passion to me.
I am truly disappointed if I come away from reading a new lens without having any new observations, understandings, and/or actual passion for the lensmaster’s topic. I find that lenses that have a story foundation to them are much more popular and also much easier to remember and appreciate. A lens, to me, is such a beautiful platform to really excel at igniting little sparks of passion within everyone that stops by for a visit.
Daoine looks for: sincerity
This can be as huge as creating a lens to help parents cope with premature babies because you’ve been there too. But “smaller†sincerity goes a long way too – it’s the difference between creating a shopping lens on a specific type of jewelry because you love and wear it, and picking the biggest selling product on Clickbank to make a lens about, and using well-known tricks to lure search engines and readers in.
Connie loves to see: passion
I love lenses that are about something that is important to the lensmaster. I love to have my heartstrings pulled hard enough to make me laugh, cry, or say Awwww! Better yet, entice me to click on a link to see more…
~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~
7. Who are you and how can I contact you?
~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~
Connie wants to see:
1. the contact feature enabled…I hate to become engaged in a lens only to discover there’s no way to contact the author!
2. that the bio is completed…and especially like to see a photo included: I like to see the face of the person I’m reading about.
3. a guest-book included… I love to be able to communicate
~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~
8. Final thoughts
~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~
Daoine adds: write for your reader, not the search engines
It’s that sincerity thing again. Bolding every single keyword is irritating to readers. It’s not worth the tiny blip in the search engines you might get. If you’re desperate to bold something, write a proper heading and bold that. Also not worth the search engine dribble is spelling something four different ways so that people searching for it under different spellings will find your lens. Be consistent and respect your reader.
Blue Dolphin wants to be engaged!
I love it when a lensmaster has the ability to draw my attention in such a way that I will not stop reading their lens to take care of my chores!
