What is a lens? It’s many different things. It’s a small look at the world. It’s a list of your favorite things – in my case, Kay Archtops. It’s a way to share your non-profits mission and a a way to turn your fans into fundraisers!
Listen to what Seth Godin has to say about Squidoo here:[audio:http://www.johnhaydon.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/10/godin-squidoo-1.mp3|titles=Seth Godin on Squidoo]
Below you’ll find a basic “how-to” guide for your fans – essentially a starter guide from SquidU.
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Great Squidooing, FAST!
Before you start – bookmark SquidU- their Citizen Squids and moderators are very generous with their help and assistance.
You found the “make a lens” button.
On any lens, you’ll see a button like the green one, shown here. It will say something like “Make your own page like this” or “Make a travel lens.” It might not be green, like this one, but it will be pretty obvious.
When you click on that button, you’re on your way to making your first lens.
Note: Above, I’ve shown what the whole browser window looks like (using Internet Explorer). For the rest of the screenshots, I’ll only show the Squidoo part. You won’t see the blue bar at the top.
It Might SEEM Hard, But It Isn’t!
Step 1: Sign up
(Only if you’ve never made a lens before.)
If you’ve never made a lens before, this will be the first page you see.
(Note: You’ll probably have to scroll down to see all of this on your computer screen.)
It’s very easy to sign up for Squidoo. In this picture, you can see how I’ve filled in the form.
TIPS
If you click the orange “continue” button, and the page doesn’t change, look for a box near the top telling you what the problem is. It might say, for example, that the Username you’ve asked for is already taken. If so, choose another, and try again!
Be sure to check the boxes for the Lens of the Day newsletter, and the weekly Tips and Tricks, if you’d like to receive these by email!
Show Off Your Pet!
Squidoo Your Pet: I did mine!
And Other Animal Pages Too!
Nobody knows your pet like you do, but maybe they should!
The Thor-acle - I’m Thor and I’m Completely Perfect. You don’t know me, but you will! You don’t like bulldogs, but you will! You think I’m ferocious, you think I’m too big? You’ll be stuck on me before its over! Thor on Wikifido Cr…
SquiZoo:: The Zoo on Squidoo Step 2: Welcome!
Now you’re ready to get started.
When you see this screen, you’re ready to get started.
Click “Create a lens” and get your juices flowing!
Tell a Story!
Title and Tag your lens
This is where you decide what your lens will be called. First, what’s the official URL (address) of your lens going to be? Maybe you’re thinking of “www.squidoo.com/cats.” Try it, but you may find that it’s already taken. If so, you’ll see a warning box at the top of the page, and you can type in a different url. You might try “i-love-cats” or “pet-cats” or something like that.
Here you can see how I began filing in this page.
Make a Point!
And scroll down a little…
You’ve chosen a url and a title. Now scroll down for a few more options.
Before you click that orange “continue” button, be sure to indicate whether your lens is one someone would be happy viewing at work, or around their kids, or whether it’s for adults only.
Try Something New!
More about you!
Now you need to enter a bio, to be displayed on the right side of your lens. If you’re feeling stuck, it can be very simple: “I’m a cat lover from the midwest.” But you should write something, so people know that the lens was created by a real person! If people see the “Hello world” bio, they’ll figure you abandoned the lens in the making.
Make a Page YOU Love!
Scroll down on that page a bit…
Scroll down, and you’ll find a few more options.
Here, you’ll choose whether you’d like your lens to benefit your favorite charity, or whether you’d like to receive cash when your lens makes money. Take a minute to browse the available Squidoo charities.
Choose a “payout” amount — the minimum amount that will make Squidoo send money to you or your charity. If your lens earns less than that amount, your money will be kept safe until the next month.
When you’re all done with these choices, click the orange Continue button.
Debate an Issue!
A few more steps… This Changes Quickly with New Additions
Now pick your template. (if it looks different, the process is still the same)
A “template” is a set of “modules” that you’ll use to make your lens. If this is your first lens, that probably sounds scary. But don’t worry! Just take the first option, and it will become clear as you go through it.
Scroll down once again…
Do you want to MAX your lens?
This is also something you don’t need to worry about right away. If this is your first lens, you can just choose “Max” and leave it at that. Later, it will be easy to change that setting, if you want to.”
Explain a Mystery
Here’s your lens!
This is your lens “workshop” page. Now you can start entering stuff!” But first, look over the right-hand side. There are a lot of settings over there. Later, you might want to change some of them.
You can edit the tags that the lens can be found under, and the overall topic for the lens. Now scroll down and look at more stuff…
Expose a Danger!
Scrolling down…
Scrolling down, you can see some additional settings.
Here you see some lens statistics (your lens rank will be *last* at this point). You can also change your bio and your payment options later, by using the edit buttons here.
TIP
You can add a picture to your lensmaster profile right now, by clicking the orange edit button under your name.
Share a Favorite!
Here are some favorites!
Shine A Light: Rolling Stones New Movie
- We all have too many experiences of the Rolling Stones to ever see anything that surprises us… and we know too much about Scorcese’s style to be shocked by his approach. However, we love them both. A new film by Scorcese about the Rolling Stones…
1963 Corvette Grand Sport 
Lovely, Lonely and Haunted Lighthouses 
Amish Quilt Racks, Quilts, Quilt Shelves & Quilt Clamps An important task…
Before you go any farther, you should scroll to the top of the screen, and find where it says “My Account.”
When you mouse over, it will open some options, like you see above. Go down to “preferences” and click.
When you get to the preferences page, on the right side, you’ll see “Allow contact: OFF”. You should immediately change that to ON by clicking the orange “edit” button.
No one will ever see your email address, but Squidoo will be able to forward message to you, like love notes about how great your lens is, invitations to join groups, requests for interviews from newspaper reporters (it happened to me!), and more. Don’t miss this step. It makes a big difference!
Now people can contact you! Yay!
P.S. Did you happen to notice that the lensrank is higher in this screenshot? That’s because I took that screenshot later, when the lens was a day or two old. It goes up quickly!
Dress Up Your Page!
Now click your back button.
Back to work!
So, let’s get started really making a lens! On the first “module” at the top of the page, the introduction module, click the orange edit button.
Here, you’ll type an introduction to your lens. Tell us what it’s about, and why we might want to read it!
You can also add a lens photo here, from your computer. Click “browse” and choose a photo.
TIPS
Don’t forget to click “upload”!
And make sure the photo is under 1 megabyte, or when you try to load it, nothing will happen.
Talk about Food!
Salt :: The Gourmet Guide - The BEST barbecuing secret around, natural sea salts with incredible flavor, high potency minerals naturally! Prepare your meats, vegetables and marinades with flavorful earth salts- no one will know how you do it! “Until recently salt was…
Wow! Not Your Grandma’s Gingerbread Men!!! 
Limoncello di Capri 
Organic Heritage Amish Popcorn! Yummy Fabulous! 
French Alps Travel & Cooking: La Bérarde 
Be Yourself!
A final few tips.
See those buttons at the top? Add module, Reorder Modules, Discard this Draft, Keep this Draft, and PUBLISH? When you’re done editing, be sure to click “Keep this Draft” and then “Publish!” Without “Publish!” no one will ever see your wonderful work!
Also see Anatomy Of A Maxed Out Lens
