Wednesday, March 6, 2013

Publishing on Squidoo – Design Your Profile



Before building your webpage on Squidoo, you’ll have to set up an account.   

Today, we’ll walk through the initial steps of publishing an article on Squidoo.


This begins with designing your online Squidoo profile.  

So let's begin!





Design Your Online Image



Part of marketing yourself online is designing your professional image.  Let’s not leave it to chance.   



We want to create a well-thought out profile that both interests readers, and is one we can then use across the entire online spectrum should we decide to do so.  You want to plan for online continuity.



So where does one begin?



Start the process by first thinking about your by-line. 





Pick a Lensmaster Name



The first thing you’ll be asked to do when signing up for Squidoo is to pick a lensmaster name for your account.  This is how your articles will be authored.  



Note:  Remember, articles are called lenses on Squidoo.   Article Authors (you and other Squidoo writers) are called lensmasters.  Your Lensmaster name will be your by-line.



Think about this a minute before you jump in, and consider the ramifications of your Lensmaster name choices. 



Do you want to write under your own name?  Often times this is a good idea, especially when you want a professional following. 



Will you be linking all over the web and want to use one name for the sake of clarity?  Using your name, company name or product name lends itself well to this scenario.



Are you offering a service that you want to brand? 



These are all good reasons for using a recognizable name for your Squidoo account.



Your second option is to choose a “pen name” on Squidoo.  



If you’re plan on picking option two, consider how this name appears to others. 



Say you pick the name “Cutie12345”.  Will your work be taken seriously?  Do you care?  If you’re planning on writing comedy or sweet stories, this name may be perfect.



Before you go online to sign-up with Squidoo, come up with several account names that you’d be happy to write under and become recognized by within the Squidoo community.  By having several names to choose from, you’ll have reasonable options when you get to the Squidoo sign up page.





Write a Personal Profile to Use on Squidoo



Next, you’ll want to write a profile statement that you’ll use on Squidoo and possibly even on other online accounts. 



Draft a statement telling your audience who you are in an interesting or entertaining manner. 



Profile statements are as unique as the individuals they represent.  Just tell the readers a little bit about yourself in a brief and succinct manner. 



Are you a professional or a hobbyist?  Are you a businessman or a grandmother of five?  Do you live in Romania or Pittsburgh?  Do you have interests that you’d like to share?



Once you have a direction and feel good about your profile, save it in RTF (Rich Text Format) and you’re ready to move on.



Don’t forget to spell check your work. 




Do You Want to Use Profile Photo or an Avatar on Squidoo?



There are no hard and fast rules when it comes to using a profile photo versus an avatar.  Choose whichever option you’re most comfortable with using while recognizing you’ll be interacting on an international online website.  The only rule is to pick a photo or avatar that helps to brand your work successfully on Squidoo.  Be memorable!



 

Have Your Article Ready



Lastly, you’ll want to have the article you’ll be publishing on Squidoo saved in its final draft form and ready to go.  Make sure you have a catchy title.  You’ll be asked for it as soon as we start the process.  Think about key words or key phrases you’ll use to describe your story.   You may want to write them down too.





Is Everything in Place?



You’ve got some ideas for a Lensmaster name.  You’ve pulled together a pretty good profile statement.  You’ve chosen a profile photo or avatar to represent you on the Squidoo site.  You’ve written an article that you want to place online.  Everything’s been saved in RTF format. 



It sounds like you’re ready to take the step.



Gather your work together and the next time we come together, you’ll be publishing your article on Squidoo.  Sounds exciting, doesn’t it?



I’m looking forward to it.  





 Want to See a Squidoo Profile, Avatar 
and Lensmaster name? 
 






 

Sanne on Squidoo - Design Your Online Profile











No comments:

Post a Comment