Archive for December, 2007

I just launched a new lens called IM Crash Course: A Newbie’s Guide to Internet Marketing. IT’s to plan my endeavors with a site I’m building where newbies will learn all about Internet Marketing in bite-sized chunks. Instead of shelling out $197 for a full course, they’ll have individual topics they can buy or by-pass.

With a plexo text list module, I’m able to announce the site to my list, direct them to my lens, and get them to add their personal input into what type of product creation should be on my to-do list. I’ve also used plexo with another lens I created called Tiffany - Critique My Lens!

This is great because people can add their lens and “get in line” for their critique. Some people voted their lens up ahead of others, so I had to save the lens orders by bookmarking them in my own favorites places in order of when they signed up, but it’s still a great module - imagine - other people adding content to your lens!

Finally - it’s happened. My PLR Ever Site is receiving Google Traffic!

I’m very excited.

Those of you who participated in the Ever Challenge - check your stats this week and let me know if you’re seeing Google traffic, too.
tiff

This doesn’t include the sales it made from Amazon modules within the lens itself - these are the direct affiliate commissions I earned through my own text links.

Questions? Comments?

Remember - you can link to any page within Amazon, like a search page where you’ve searched for “toddler toys” - so that your visitors gets multiple opportunities - see how I did this in the introduction section on my Top Toddler Toys lens.

Tiff

In my now infamous debate about Jonathan Leger’s golf lens case study, Donna had a question about a comment I made - where I told Jonathan to disable the description so that vsitors wouldn’t see the competing URL and type tht into their browser.

Before I give the explanation, let me reiterate that I deeply respect Jonathan and am, in fact, one of his $7 script customers! I in no way meant to disparage him or his attempt at creating a lens - in fact, I praised him for doing better than 99% of the people out there.

Someone gota little irritated thinking I was attacking him, which I wasn’t. She (not Donna) said that “most people” aren’t making money on Squidoo. True - and most entrepreneurs who try, can’t earn 6 figures with Internet Marketing period. But I do, I can, and I’m willing to help teach you how - so that’s all this was - a tutorial using Jonathan’s case study as my example.

Okay, back to the original question at hand - to disable your description. Let’s say you find a great YouTube video to put on your lens. Only problem is, they’ve (smartly) added their own URL to the description, which will show up in your YouTube module. We don’t want that - we just want the video, the title, and the rating.

Do the following:

1.) Log into your dashboard and into the lens you want to edit.

2.) Choose to Edit the YouTube Module.

3.) Click Display Options

4.) UNcheck Description.

5.) Save

6.) Republish your lens.

That should do it!

Hope this helps.
tiff

Jonathan Leger posted this post about his recent experience on Squidoo.

One of my list saw the post and wanted my thoughts on it, so I thought I’d post it here.

1.) Jonathan’s golf lens is okay - needs more content, but okay nonetheless. I’m a golfer and a writer and a Squidooer, so trust me on that

2.) I wouldn’t pay for traffic to a Squidoo lens - that defeats the whole purpose of using web 2.0 FREE traffic strategies - especially the untargeted Trafficzap traffic he sent. Why pay for that? I don’t get it I can understand the PPC where you bid on keywords and phrases, but I still wouldn’t do that personally.

3.) He’s right about it not mattering whether or not you rank well on Squidoo (in your category or otherwise). I used to think it did. When I first joined - I thought all that mattered was being #1. Now I know otherwise. I learned that all that matters is how well it does in Google, which is the whole purpose. I gave up worrying about #1 or top 100 a long time ago now.

The thing is, how many real golfers are you going to have within Squidoo itself? The ones who ARE there are people with golf lenses of their own - so why would they click through on your links? You’re the competition.

The key to making a Squidoo lens work is to get it found organically within Google. In fact, I sold 4 golf lenses that I had created to someone because I wasn’t into the niche right now. I was making ClickBank sales, too. I created the lenses and they all had awesome content that was picked up by Google. The people who found my lens were looking for good, valuable free content by conducting a Google search.

When they landed on my lens, they got a taste of at least 3 articles that were helpful. Because they were valuable, and not 150-200 word blurbs like some of the modules on Jonathan’s lens, the reader developed trust with me - and possibly took my recommendations, feeling comfortable enough to click my affiliate links and buy.

Here’s my critique of Jonathan’s golf lens and why it didn’t live up to his expectations:

1.) His introduction is weak. The reader doesn’t care that you like to play golf - they want to know how the lens will help THEM (that’s why they came to “FREE Golfing Tips” - the URL of the lens). In the introduction, he tells them in the second point to go buy a guide to learn more. How about giving them some FREE golfing tips first?

2.) The video is good - but disable the description so that your readers don’t see that competing URL and replace your lens URL with your competition in their browser.

3.) 3rd module - asks for a charity contribution. I’m all for charity, but hey - what about those FREE golf tips I was hoping to see? I might click out by now - so far, all I’ve seen as far as free golf tips is a video from someone else whose URL I can see.

4.) 4th module - talks about his new “pricey” golf clubs. It’s not a FREE golf tip, and in fact, talks about something possibly out of my budget - but okay, it’s golf related.

5.) 5th module - still trying to sell me something from Amazon. (”So you say you have some FREE golf tips on here???”)

6.) 6th module - Funny Golf Quotes. Okay…now I’m getting annoyed if yours is the URL I clicked through to - even if you DID manage to get me from an organic search engine result.

7.) 7th module - more selling to me. No FREE golf tips

8.) 8th module - EUREKA! We hit paydirt - I got a FREE golf tip on not stressing. Oh wait a minute - no such luck - he’s just telling me to watch someone else’s video on it. No free golf tip yet

9.) 9th module - more selling - this time from Callaway.

10.) 10th module - AHA! A real, genuine, FREE golf tip. It ends with a link - but it’s still a tidbit of good information. More, please!!

11.) 11th module - a golf news feed.

12.) 12th module - links to other golf sites

13.) 13th module - guestbook

14.) 14th module - blog feed for other blogs.

Jonathan, your direction is all wrong. Don’t get me wrong - you did 99% better than most people who give Squidoo a shot. It’s a good-looking lens and I know you meant well when you added all of that content - but do you see now how distorted it is? Even if there were 1,000 golfers within Squidoo - your lens doesn’t do what it says it’ll do - provide FREE golf tips. The title even says Great Golf Tips. They’re not. You’re just trying to herd the herd on to something else.

Web 2.0 and socialization is all about being a good peer. Providing useful content.

This critique is in NO way meant to disparage Jonathan or his attempts. I just wanted to clarify because this will help people focus on their own direction for their lenses. Jonathan’s doing great - he just needs some guidance in this area. In fact - look at what we’re doing here: Jonathan posts a blog about his experience, a reader of mine reads his blog and emails me about it. I then post in my blog about a possible solution or reason, and everyone involved can comment on it!

This is web 2.0 at its finest.
tiff