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Hello lensmaster!

Since the birth of Squidoo, there have been sites like SquidUtils and Lensroll.com. But what exactly are they? What do they do for you? Can you trust them? Learn more about these third-party “support sites” with an interview from MysticMama.

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Q: MysticMama, you’re our new Support Sites Mentor! What are Squidoo support sites?
A: Squidoo Support Sites are sites, tools & utilities that have been specifically designed for Squidoo lenses &/or lensmaster. Since Squidoo is so popular & Squidoo lensmasters are so creative, there is a plethora of different types of support sites. Support sites include tools like SquidUtilities, Ning Groups like RocketMoms, blogging sites like Squidlog.net, Lens directories like Lensroll.com, & much more… from blog radio to the SquidU forum & SquidU Review.

Q: That’s a lot of lensmaster-driven love! Which support sites do you have listed on your lens?
A: I’m trying to get as many of the different types of support sites listed as possible, so lensmasters have one place where they can find whatever kind of support they need.

As I keep researching & finding quality & helpful sites, I will continue to add more sites & types of sites. I’m also working on companion lenses that will go into greater about the different types of sites, specific sites & some tutorials & links to tutorials.

I will also be checking the quality of the different support sites & removing any sites from my lists that encourage behavior that is against Squidoo’s terms of service. I want to be able to point lensmasters links to sites that are actually helpful & won’t jeopardize their Squidoo accounts.

Q: How can LMs use support sites to achieve greater success on Squidoo?
A: As long as creative lensmasters keep developing these great sites, the possibilities are endless. I think that some of the most amazing & helpful sites are the Ning Support groups like RocketMoms & a_willows Fresh Wonders. These groups offer everything from peer support & teamwork to lensmaking tips & weekly assignments to inspire creativity.

Q: What brought YOU to Squidoo?
A: I’ve had a Cafepress shop for my artwork & designs for around 5 years now. One day I received an e-mail telling me that Squidoo was a great way to promote my Cafepress store. I followed the link and it was love at first sight.

Q: We definitely love to hear that! What is the one thing you’re most proud of on Squidoo?
A: What makes Squidoo stand out from the crowd is it’s sense of community. When I first joined Squidoo, so many lensmasters reached out to me to make me feel welcomed & offered me help, support & encouragement. Now that I have been here for a while, the thing I’m most proud of is my ability & opportunity to reach out & welcome, help & support our newest members. To be able to give back to the community that has given me so much, truly is a blessing.

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Thank you to MysticMama for her time and all her work to bring you the best information on these wonderful third-party sites that we love so much. Visit her at Support Sites Mentor.

Enjoy the companion services!
~Kimberly Dawn Wells
YOUR Community & Charity Organizer

Hi lensmaster!

Do you have what it takes to be a Citizen Squid Mentor? Our Mentors are expert lensmasters who volunteer their time to help you succeed in specific areas of Squidoo. Lakeerieartists is our First Lens Mentor, and can help you perfect your very first lens. Trekkiemelissa is your HTML & CSS Mentor. She can help you add nifty code to your lenses. LindaJM is your Image & Video Mentor. She’ll help you add photos and videos to your lens. And there are more!

Are you interested in becoming a Citizen Squid Mentor? Here’s what we’re looking in Mentors.

1. A commitment of 4-months plus.
It’s nice to have our Citizen Mentors available to work with the community for a bit longer, so lensmasters know who they can go to for questions and answers. If it works out, you might even be able to join us for longer!

2. An hour or two a week.
Once your mentor lens has been created, it’s mostly a job of managing incoming questions. Most mentors report only a few new questions a week, since new questions get added to your how-to lens. Occasionally, you’ll be given the chance to write articles to appear in newsletters and on our blog.

3. Must work well with others.
Not only will you be working with lensmasters to answer questions, you’ll have to work with me. Ha! And the rest of our large community. We’re looking for volunteers with a soothing customer service voice and patience in helping new lensmasters.

4. Leaders wanted.
We’re looking for people who aren’t afraid to get out there and make things happen. Many assignments involve meeting new people, creating something brand new, and stepping outside your comfort zone. Are you ready?

How can you help?

Every once in a while we add a new Mentor to our mix, to even further help lensmasters with specific niche areas of lensmastery and promotion.

We’re currently seeking three new mentors to add to our list of professionals. Could you be next?

SEO Mentor: help lensmasters promote their lenses by selecting the right tags, generating authentic backlinks, and participating in directories, forums, user groups, etc. The right person will work with our Social Promotion Mentor, jeffwend to compliment the total marketing and promotions process. As the SEO Mentor, you’ll be familiar with all the policies we have regarding what are and aren’t kosher promotion techniques.

Tools Mentor: help lensmasters master the basic tools of Squidoo, such as lens ratings, lensrolling, groups, the forum, and lens exports. This mentor will be able to help users read their traffic and payment statistics, edit their workshop settings, find front doors, and access all our helpful resources.

MoneyMaker Mentor: help lensmasters get the most out of the moneymaker modules, such as eBay, Cafepress, and Amazon. The right person for this job is a master at using the modules, and understands the best practices for selecting items to display, using the modules on a lens, and keeping them relevant to the lens topic.

Charity Mentors! help our charities master the finer points of Squidoo and answer questions from charities to help them make lenses that are complete and ready for publication. Volunteers spend about 30 minutes to 1 hour a week answering questions and pointing users to the right direction.

ALL applicants:
* Must be knowledgeable about getting started with and using Squidoo
* Must be able to communicate kindly with lensmasters
* Must be able and willing to answer questions one-on-one with users
* Should be able to write short articles and how-tos from time to time
* Should be an active lensmaster and active on forums
* Should be willing to do self-promotion as a Mentor

Once selected, most new Mentors will take over the lens of a previous mentor, or create a new one from scratch, so they can showcase info and answer questions. There are a lot of great resources out there already, so chances are you won’t even have to develop your own stuff from scratch - just use the featured lenses and links modules to point to all the great resources. But you should be able to answer questions and look up info if a lensmaster asks you directly. Of course, I (Kimberly, your Community Organizer) am always available as a resource.

Ok, I want to apply!
To apply visit the Citizen Squid Mentors lens and leave a note in the guestbook at the bottom. Include your contact information, the position you’re applying for, and tell us what makes you the best person for the job.

Our most successful lensmasters know that by helping others, they learn twice as much. By helping others be better, they enjoy extra exposure for their own lenses. If you’re looking for a chance to help others learn about Squidoo and create amazing lenses, this is a great place to start.

See you as a mentor!
~Kimberly Dawn Wells
YOUR Community & Charity Organizer
PS - want to know who your current Citizen Squid Mentors are?

Along with a group of new Giant Squids, a group of Giants recently met the criteria and joined the Giant Squid 100 Club! To new lensmasters, the idea of creating 100 lenses, much less 100 really really GREAT lenses, can be daunting. We asked these new 100 Clubbers for their advice on finding great new lens ideas and using tools on Squidoo. Here’s what they said!

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Mickie_G - Giant since April 2009
I got most of my great lens ideas by revisit WIPs, joining groups like RocketMoms, and participating in challenges.

trekkiemelissa - Giant since January 2009
We all like movies or music or have a hobby. You can write about all of those if that is what interests you. You can even write product reviews of items you have previously bought or write about items you really like to have. This is a great way to do some research on something you really want.

mysticmama - Giant since July 2009
Being involved in the Squidoo community is key to success. The best advice I can give potential Giants is to get involved in the Giant Squid Challenge. Being involved with activities like RocketMoms, Senior Squids, Factor Y and Giant Squid School is also a great way to get ideas for lenses that you might not have even thought of trying on your own.

missbat - Giant since July 2008
Make lenses on what you’re passionate about: your hobbies, life experiences, tips/how-to’s and local places you love to visit. What you know about is a great way to think up future lenses. I’m addicted to the Text module. I try to write all the copy on my lenses, as I love to write. Talking about something in your own words draws in visitors!

hlkljgk - Giant since July 2009
Well, my inspiration seems to come from everyday experiences, so I suggest always having a notebook handy to ensure you remember those ideas while out and about.

BevsPaper - Giant since July 2009
There are a couple of niches that inspire my lensmaking. I also love Challenge lenses from groups I belong to.

Sojourn - Giant since July 2009
I find lots of ideas by browsing through merchant online stores in my affiliate programs. There’s some really cool stuff out there!

sandyspider - Giant since July 2009
I would not have made the 100 club if it were not for joining the Challenge group and RocketMoms. These motivated me to move forward.

NanLT - Giant since July 2009
Think about what you know and what you are interested in, and expand on it.

Dkprincess6 - Giant since April 2009
I can only repeat what’s been said over and over, write what you know and have fun.

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100 Club isn’t that far away. You can do it, one lens at a time.

~Kimberly Dawn Wells
YOUR Community & Charity Organizer

As you know, September 30th marked the end of the third quarter, and a deadline for new Giant Squid nominations! Every quarter, a new round of really great lensmasters meet the criteria and are awarded Giant Squid status.

We asked our newest Giants three questions:
1.when did you learn about the Giant program and decide it was for you?
2.what are your favorite topics to write lenses about?
3.what’s next for you on Squidoo?

Here’s what they had to say!

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wysiwigs
I decided to go for Giant to help our 501c3 (Epic Farms).  We were already a Squidoo charity, but I thought becoming a Giant might be a good idea.  Interestingly enough, right after I decided there was a blog post encouraging charities to go for Giant (so I knew I was on the right track :o)

I love making the horse lenses, although I have fun making the others too. I am thinking seriously about going for the whole 100, but in the vague and distant future, of course! :o)

OneFootPutt
I learned about Giants about a month after I joined.   I knew right away I wanted to be a Giant, but I also knew it would take me a while to get there.  After joining Factor Y in August, I knew I would apply in December, however, during one of my Squidu posts in September, Ener-G pointed out I was 3 away from 50, and so I made the push to apply in September.
My favorite topics to write about are Cub Scouts, Books for Children, Golf, PTA, Family Vacations. It may take another year, but, I think the 100 club is next.

Heather426
I had seen the Giant badges but had no clue how you got one until I joined Rocket Moms and Bonnie pointed out the page by Megan on becoming a Giant. I think I decided as soon as I had about 15 or 20 lenses since it seemed doable at that point…and besides, the addiction had set in…

I like to write about Angels, Astronomy, Travel, and Cooking, and I like to make niche gift lenses. Next I am going for Squid Angel, and Giant 100…and more interaction with all my new Squidoo friends!

Laniann
When a_willow was forming her WiWon Team. I knew then that this was a chance to be among and learn from the best lensmasters. I like to write about animals, saving our environment, and costumes. Next, I’ll apply what I’ve newly learned to my lenses and aim for the 100 Club.

_Joan_
Mimi (GrowWear) invited me to join her team for the Giant Squid Challenge, and I was crazy enough to give it a try!

My favorite topic to write lenses about is music (especially gospel choir, but other kinds, too) and plants (edible weeds). Next, I think I’ll try more music lenses! I still have stuff to say about gospel music, natural foods and natural health, pop culture stuff, and maybe other stuff.  Who knows what tomorrow will bring?

macs
Within a week of joining squidoo, I was approached by Michelle of the WiWon Giant Squid Challenge Team. I was hooked after that! My favorite topics to write lenses about are parenting special needs children, photo effects, and recipe lenses.

What’s next for me on Squidoo? Hopefully the 100 club!

kimmanleyort
At first I could not imagine creating 50 lenses since I spend quite a bit of time on them. But once I hit 30, which was late July I started to think it might be possible. After receiving an email from, I think, Robin, I calculated that if I made 3 lenses per week I could probably do it. That seemed doable to me.

I live by these lines - “I want to inspire and be inspired.” and “The meaning of life is to see.” My interests are photography and the environment so I love especially to write about people who have inspired me in these areas. I also like to present ideas or visuals that help people see things in new and different ways.

First of all, I want to represent the Giant Squids well by creating quality lenses and encouraging fellow Giant Squids and newbies. I am talking to others about a Book Club and I want to review my current lenses in light of all the great things I learned in Giant Squid School.

CherylK
I learned about the Giant program about a year ago.  My favorite topics to write about are cooking and travel.  What’s next? Hopefully, Giant 100 club. Would love to contribute more lenses 100% to charity, too.

Wir55
 I learned about the Giant Squid program almost as soon as I started out on Squidoo.  I decided I wanted to try it almost immediately.  My favorite lens topics are either tennis related, or Science related.

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There you have it! Becoming a Giant Squid isn’t impossible, as you’ll see. If you have questions, learn more from RMS, your Giant Squid Organizer and Mentor. In fact, more and more Giants are doing even more, and becoming part of the Giant Squid 100 Club! Learn more about the 100 Club in our next SquidU Review.

~Kimberly Dawn Wells
YOUR Community & Charity Organizer

Companies used to promote their wares based on brand. Manufacturers were in charge of getting the word out about their products. But in the last few years, retailers have taken over.

Starting with Target, and recently WalMart, stores are taking the reins and controlling consumer perception by matching and promoting related products. Putting together a first aid kit? Target has Band-Aid brand bandages, a Hello Kitty brand ice pack, and Neosporin ointment. Making breakfast? WalMart has General Mills cereal, Eggo waffles, and Tropicana juice.

A one-stop store putting together your shopping list. What a [profitable] concept!

What does this mean for your lenses?

The obvious way to sell products is like with like. Dozens of sunglasses, 50 designer handbags, or all the best Wii games. But what if you mixed up your products a little and created an outfit instead of just a list of hats? Or a road trip fun kit instead of just a list of DS games?

The shopping list concept works because it helps buyers create a visual. First they see the components of a party. The chips and dip, the corn-on-the-cob grill rack, the cactus margarita glasses, and the fancy lawn chairs with the footstool. Then they see fun they’ll have with friends showing off their new patio furniture, kicking back with outdoor speakers, and enjoying a game of volleyball. Suddenly you’re no longer selling plastic flatware; you’re selling an event.

Squidoo lenses are the perfect places to sell events. Imagine a cross-country road trip where the kids are entertained with all the best educational toys. Imagine walking into a party wearing the perfect accessories for your little black dress. Imagine being the envy of anyone who’s ever hosted a Superbowl party. Now those are some events readers are willing to buy!

Everyone has an event in them. No matter how small of a deal you think it is, someone out there will benefit from your knowledge.

Happy brand-building!
~Kimberly Dawn Wells
YOUR Community & Charity Organizer

Hello lensmasters and savvy non-profits!

Not only does Squidoo offer a selection of Citizen Squid Mentors to help you with everything from images and video to lens promotion, we also have a great group of volunteers ready and waiting to assist with all your charity partnership needs.

They are our Charity Mentors, to your rescue, and today we have a short interview with j_barnhart4 and SusannaDuffy to help you create better charity lenses.

Question 1: What is one important thing charities need to do on Squidoo in order to be successful?

j_barnhart4: I think the most important thing a charity can do is get their name out there. Join groups, add your two cents in the forums, be proactive but not overbearing. Present yourself as a caring group and not just somebody looking to make money.

SusannaDuffy: You need to show people why they should donate to you. So first make an interesting and useful lens, explain who you are and what you do. Why do you do it? How do you do it? Have your lens critiqued to ensure it’s the best that it can be.

Question 2: When you go to a charity lens, what details are you looking for?

SusannaDuffy: Details of your organisation. Are you genuine? Show me some photos of your organisation and photos of what you do. If I’ve come across you on the web, how do I know you’re sincere? Convince me.

j_barnhart4: I look for the soul of the charity. Who’s running it? What have they done with the donations they have collected? How is that charity really contributing? I love to pictures of the charity in action.

Question 3: If a charity were considering joining, but wasn’t sure, what encouragement would you give?

j_barnhart4: Give it a shot! Making lenses is easy and there is a ton of support. Someone is always willing to answer questions and the charity mentors are always available. Don’t be afraid to go that extra mile in the name of your charity.

SusannaDuffy: Jump in. There’s plenty of people to help if you need advice. Squidoo has a warm and encouraging community of lensmasters all happy to assist each other.

Bonus: Which is your favorite charity on Squidoo?

SusannaDuffy: Big Cat Rescue, a non profit educational sanctuary with clear and open information readily available about what they do.

j_barnhart4: I like to donate money from my lenses to the Diabetes Research Foundation. Diabetes run in my family and I hope that a cure is found soon. I also have to give a shout out to one of the more proactive charities on Squidoo, A Day of Hope. Christopher Scott is very outgoing and active on Squidoo. He is a genuine, caring person and I applaud the efforts that he is making for his charity.

Thanks ladies - these are all simple, helpful tips to turn any charity into a Squidoo superstar partner charity.

For more information on how the Charity Mentors can help you, or to apply to be a mentor, visit the Charity Mentors headquarters.

Make it a fulfilling day!
~Kimberly Dawn Wells
YOUR Community and Charity Organizer

In 2003, Pendleton, South Carolina had a hockey team fewer than 3,000 people. Some high schools are larger! But one lensmaster is proving that your hometown doesn’t have to be big in order for you to have a big impact on it.

OhMe joined Squidoo in July 2008 and took no snail’s trail towards becoming a prolific lensmaster. Within a year she had achieved Giant Squid Status and become a sweetheart regular at the SquidU forum. One passion of hers is building lenses about her hometown, Pendleton. My momma always said, if you’re going to do something, do it well, and OhMe is the best.

She’s so great, in fact, that the Town of Pendleton proclaimed her the Queen of Squidoo.

I asked OhMe where she got ideas for lenses. As you can see from her lensography, she has created lenses to support businesses, events, historical periods, and tourism. I won’t share her secrets about the lenses she’s currently working on, but I will say that Pendleton is pretty darn lucky to have a lensmaster who cares so much about promoting their area.

Plus, we have to give props to her proud sis, Joan4 for organizing her proclamation lens and being an all-around prolific lensmaster and Angel herself.

Three cheers for Pendleton’s Queen of Squidoo!

What can YOU do for your hometown on Squidoo?

~Kimberly Dawn Wells
YOUR Community & Charity Organizer

Lensmaster, have you ever sat down to your computer with a blank list of lens ideas? It happens to all of us, and one savvy lensmaster and super business woman has an incredible answer: the Carnival of Squid, by SusanVillasLewis.

Every day is a special day for someone. A birthday, an anniversary, a day to shop for holiday decorations or search for baby names. It’s a day to do something special, there should be a special lens for every day. The Carnival of Squid is a monthly guide of popular holidays and events that searchers are looking for and lenses are begging to be written about.

Carnival of Squid: September 2009

Not only will you learn about special events such as Horrors!! (Stephen King’s birthday on September 21st) and Choose your Favorite Color Day (September 15th), you’ll quickly build a catalog of lenses that will enjoy popularity for years to come.

Personally, I’m hoping to see some great Favorite Trail Mix Recipes (August 31st) soon!

In fact, to celebrate the start of my favorite season - autumn - on October 1st, 2009, I’ll be selecting one awesome lens from the Plexos on September’s Carnival lens and sending the lensmaster a treat. Ready? Set? Make a lens!

Happy trail mix, er, trails.
~Kimberly Dawn Wells
YOUR Community & Charity Organizer

Hello Lensmasters,

Before you were born, your parents obsessed over what they would call you. From babies to virtual hockey clubs, names are a special right that can only be applied with careful consideration. Learn how some of our lensmasters are making a name for themselves by helping you make a name for your pet project.

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What’s in a team name?
If you haven’t gotten in on the Fantasy Football craze, you’re already behind on the game. Sports fans spend millions of hours each year picking the best of the best to be on their team. Never mind Favre is playing for his former rivals; he can be on everyone’s fantasy team. Of course, once you’ve selected your line up, there’s still one important task at hand.

Mac33 misses nothing. What’s missing from the current selection of fantasy sports team lenses? Ideas for Fantasy Team Names!

How did Mac33 come up with the unique idea for this lens? “I paid attention to the stats on my other fantasy sports lenses. Variations of ‘team name’ were showing up in their keyword stats and I figured it would make a good supporting lens topic. So I documented all the ways I used and saw others use to come up with good team names.”

Mac33 says naming your fantasy sports team is important. “A huge part of every fantasy sport is trying to top the other players through trash talk, hype and a winning record. It’s also good to have a strong identity for your team and yourself. A commenter on the lens submitted “Victorious Secret”…that’s a brilliant name for a girl’s team. If I was a girl I’d name my team that every year!”

What’s in a city name?
Quipping Queen is the queen of more than just quips. If you’re looking for a laugh over a city name heartier than Hell, Michigan, look no further than her Funny Place Names lens.

“Living north of the 49th parallel, (where it’s frightfully cold nine months of the year while the remaining three months we’re bothered half to death by the blinking bugs, boisterous beavers, not to mention badly-behaved bears), leaves one with plenty of time to ponder pithy things like peculiar place names. Let’s face it, all a Canuck has to do is pick up a road map to find nutty nooks and crannies — especially in Newfoundland & Labrador which is home to such potty place names as:
# Run-by-guess
# Bleak Joke Cove
# Calves Nose
# Nancy Oh
# Little Looping Harbour”

How did the Queen collect all these? “Well, if truth be told, I combed the Internet for a few moons in search of strange place names. I also picked up a book by Douglas Adams and John Lloyd called, “The Deeper Meaning of Liff - A Dictionary of Things That There Aren’t Any Words For Yet.” Inside there were maps of the United Kingdom, North America, and Asia plus a host of odd place names (which became the subject of this equally odd book). Funny names tickle my funnybone, so that’s why I keep my eyes wide open all the time for out-of-the-way place names like: Berriwillock, Grimbister, Scrabster and Skoonspruit. Besides this pleasant pastime gives me a wonderful excuse to avoid my regal duties which tax my nerves and my sanity!”

What’s in a dog name?
Many dogs get their names from their circumstances, such as Lucky, Brownie, or Spot. But if you really want to find the Best Dog Name, Greg has the pulse on giving your pup a moniker.

“I had (still have) a Blogger Blog devoted to naming dogs. It received quite a bit of traffic, but most of the articles were not original and came from ezinearticles. After a while, I was so annoyed by the poor quality and un-originality, that I began writing my own original articles. I love animals and decided at some point that there was a need to at least give people some ideas when choosing a name for their new companion and family member. Plus dog names are a real hoot!”

As for Greg’s least favorite dog name? “There are so many to choose from…..I guess the worst in my mind is the name Butch. Personally, I find this name unimaginative and I associate it with a mean old mutt who once bit me on the right arm when I was 5 years old (for no real reason, I might add). But actually I have not yet discovered the real worst dog name. Thanks for the idea for a new lens -hah!”

What’s in a baby name?
Deciding on a baby name can be a stressful part of pregnancy, but finding a fun name that fits can be easy with jewelkid87’s Tips for Choosing a Name for your Baby.

Jewelkid87, aka Bethany, offers such suggestions as “consider what the initials will spell,” “choose something that fits the last name,” and “remember how it will sound all together.” Radio DJ Justin Case has probably had his fill of name jokes, as has Larry Lawrence. (Although these tips wouldn’t have helped The Wedding Singer’s Julia Guglia.)

You can trust Bethany, she even helped name her sister’s child!

What’s in YOUR name?
A teen recently told me his mother regularly Googles family members to monitor their online behavior. Even if you’re not hiding from mom, it’s possible for things to come up online that you don’t want everyone to see. A potential boss running into college party pics? Enough said! JessicaM has the pulse on finding and removing personal info you don’t want to have online.

How to Remove Personal Information from Internet & Public Data Sources

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Fun, furry, and fabulous names are just one topic of millions that you could write about on Squidoo and use to become your very own star. Or create names for stars. Or write about superstars that already have names. See, the ideas really are endless!

Have fun,
~Kimberly Dawn Wells
YOUR Community & Charity Organizer