Is anyone here connecting their ezine to an online lens? Do online lenses work? Do you know what they are? Well, they are topics for discussion that are like blogs, but incorporate a lot of special links and features. They are actually designed to draw traffic to you as an expert in a particular area rather than you having to go out and look for it. You might call it an "un-Marketing" approach to marketing. You can learn more about it by going to Squidoo. I think it is a pretty clever concept. What's more, it's absolutely free! But, do they work? Acording to many of the folks currently using them on Squidoo, online lenses are the Web 2.0 way to build your business.

I know a lot of folks are into various promotional options with regard to ezines. There are all manner of content providers out there. There are places to go to download content for your ezine. There are places to go upload your content for others to download. But, did it ever occur to anyone that a lot of this content delivery and sharing is working backwards? Just do a Google search on just about any subject. Is what you got exactly what you wanted? Probably not. Why not? Because Google is simply addressing your need to locate certain "words." It's not really addressing the "need" behind them. And, that is totally understandable. But now, there is a concept called "online lenses" - which is actually attempting to address the "needs" rather than simply the use of words. Well, how should enzines take advantage of this Web 2.0 concept?

If you would like to see an example of an online lens, I invite you to take a look at mine at CDMM.

Lamar Morgan
CDMM
Creating a buzz for business in the boardroom

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Lisa,

I have been on Squidoo for less than a week. Almost daily I see my lens ranking climb. I do not really understand why. Does that mean more and more people are reading my post? I really do not know. I have, however, updated my post numerous times - mostly by adding or changing modules. I do not know how long Squidoo has been on the Net. However, I feel it safe to say not too long. Why? Because they say they are still in their beta stage.

Squidoo strikes me as being a depository to the Net the way Wal-Mart is a retail store. It's a one-stop shop kind of resource. Most folks who shop at Wal-Mart do so to buy more than just one item. They can buy groceries, clothes, hardware, etc. Whereas Wal-Mart is all about low prices, Squidoo is all about topics or "lenses." Squidoo focuses on subjects rather than just words. If you have ever done a Google search on a particular word, you probably did more than one search on the same word. Why? Because the initial search did not provide you with the answer you were seeking. Why? Because Google is simply responding mathematically to finding words. It cannot know what your real "need" is. I believe Squidoo is attempting to address the needs behind the words. That is why when you look at the typical Squidoo page, you find so many different options - what Squidoo calls "modules" - present per lens topic to help you. Links to Amazon.com regarding specific books on a lens topic can be found there. Pictures on the same lens topic via Flickr can be found there as well. Links to a blog, RSS feed or podcast on the same lens topic can be there as well. New modules seem to be added all the time.

Who makes all this possible? Squidoo and the person who created the lens. That person could be you. This is all about you and your expertise and how you decide to present it to the online world through the resources of that world...through one location that is connected to many others.

Think about this. Your home page is connected to other webpages within your website. That is what makes your website work. Right? That's all well and good. But, that does not tell the rest of the online world where you are or what you do. Something needs to happen OUTSIDE your website. The rest of the online world needs to know not only that you are alive and kicking, but where you live. A Squidoo lens is designed to make things happen OUTSIDE your website. A lens is not only outside your website to begin with, it is connected to a great many resources outside itself designed to focus on your lens. And, therein lies it's power.

Squidoo is definitely a Web 2.0 kind-of-thing. In fact, if you go to Squidoo you can learn a great deal about Web 2.0. It's one of the lenses.

Lamar Morgan
CDMM
Power Networking

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Lisa,

There is actually now quite a buzz being created over on Ryze about "lens making" over at the Refreshing Marketing network. Lisa Boyd is has start a lens on Ryzer on Squidoo. If you do decide to create a lens - say on ezine creation or management - do let Lisa Boyd know so she can add your lens to hers. The more the merrier. Believe it or not, I believe the Las Vegas Chamber of Commerce has shown some interest. Those folks over at Squidoo must be doing something right.

Lamar Morgan
CDMM
Power Networking

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