Squidoo: Squidoo Lens Design - Tropical Rainforest

Here I am following the framework I developed for Squidoo lens design:
7 Top Strategies for Lens Creation.

1. Purpose of the Squidoo Lens

The main purpose of my Tropical Rainforest Squidoo lens
was to share something of my experience of walking
in the Mt Glorious rainforest in Brisbane early one
misty Sunday morning.  My subsidiary purpose was to
promote rainforest conservation.

2. Concept of the Squidoo Lens

I envisaged that visitors to the lens could experience
something of the rainforest if I simulated my rainforest walk
in the design of the Squidoo lens.

3. Lens Design to Meet Concept and Purpose

I had created an Animoto video using the photos I had
taken on my walk so I decided to include this video
to set the scene and also communicate three dimensional
elements (e.g. the video gives perspective to a photo
of a valley within the rainforest).

So I invite readers of the Squidoo lens to first view the video
to get an overall sense and perspective on the tropical
rainforest.  The video set to Vivaldi's "Four Seasons" can
be viewed here:
Rainforest Walk

The core of the lens is designed as a walk through the
rainforest with large photos sequenced in the order in which
I viewed the rainforest.

4. Keyword Research

I undertook keyword research for my tags by using the
Google Adwords Keyword Tool. This tool provided plenty
of keywords that I could use. Of particular note are the
long tail keywords I used throughout the lens
in module titles, sub-headings and module text.

It is worth noting that the tropical rainforest lens is
being found on Google via 600 keywords, many of them
long tail - such as "what threats are the rainforest experiencing".

5. Develop Content

The content flowed from my purpose and lens concept.
So I started with the video and then made my large photos
as the centerpiece of the lens.

I also wanted to provide links to resources on rainforest
conservation, so I used a combination of the "Links Module",
You Tube videos (including a featured Daintree Rainforest
Conservation video), RSS module (feed from Rainforest
Rescue Australia blog) and "Featured Lens" module.

6. Source Images

Sourcing the photos was not a problem because of the photos
I had taken on my walk.  What I learned out of this though is
the value of taking my camera with me whenever I go on
a work trip and these photos have been featured in many
of my lenses and Animoto videos.

7. Revisit, Refine, Link and Promote

I frequently update the Tropical Rainforest lens as it is one of my top
ranking lenses, regularly in the top 1,000 lenses.
Updating is made easy by having a links module, featured
lens module, RSS feed and an endless list of keywords for
changing my tags.

Key Lessons:  You can experiment endlessly with your
Squidoo lens design.  Decide at the outset (where possible)
what your purpose and concept are - and then be creative.
Build up your stock of photos of people and places to
provide fresh, original content for you lenses - you will
be so glad you did.




Related Posts:

Top 7 Steps for Squidoo Lens Design
Long Tail Keywords and Deep Indexing of Squidoo Lenses
Squidoo: Animoto for fun and traffic
Video promotions made easy


 *********************************************
Ron Passfield is a Top 100 Squidoo Lensmaster and
Giant Squid100. He provides free resources
for Squidoo marketing on his Squidoo authority
site:
http://www.squidoo.com/squidoomarketingstrategies

To learn more about Squidoo Affiliate Marketing
check out:
http://www.squidooaffiliatemarketing.com

Subscribe to Ron's free Squidoo Marketing e-course:
http://www.smsecourse.squidoomarketingstrategies.com/

Ron is the author of the e-Book:
Squidoo Marketing Strategies

*********************************************

Video Promotions Made Easy

I recently took 26 photos on my walk in the rainforest
on Mt. Glorious in Brisbane. These photos have become
the basis of a new Squidoo lens and animated music video.

Tropical Rainforest Squidoo Lens

With the Squidoo lens, I wanted to create a sense of walking
through the rainforest surrounded by the sights of this timeless
place:

http://www.squidoo.com/tropicalrainforest

Each photo module contains a picture that is 500px (width)
by 375px (height) (which fits perfectly in the module frame).

The process I used to create the photo modules was:

1. load the photos to a folder on my computer
2. load the images from the computer to Flickr
3. click on a photo on Flickr to display the 500X375 image
4. save the enlarged image to my computer
5. upload the images to my website
6. add each image to a module, hyperlinked to my authority lens

The result is a sequence of enlarged images that give you a sense
of walking the path amongst the tropical rainforest plants.

Creating an Animated Music Video

Well, creating the Tropical Rainforest lens was exciting but
developing the animated music video was something else:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I5GFirR6mTo

This proved to be a breeze using the latest in video
technology from Animoto:

http://animoto.com/?ref=tzolcekr

(If you use the link, you get discounted access at the rate of
$25 per year for unlimited videos; you can make 30 second
videos for free but then you can’t download them).

The steps here are:

1. upload images to Animoto.com
2. identify the two or three images you want to highlight
3. decide what music track you want (yours or theirs)
4. press “create video”
5. upload to your computer and/or YouTube (press a button)
6. press remix as often as you like to make alternative videos
7. admire your handywork

Animoto has their own stock of images which you can purchase
or you can use your own photos or free images from other
sources.

I also used Kevin Riley’s 97 page ebook which gives you
a screenshot by screenshot description of how to create
your animated music video. The ebook helps you to identify
appropriate keywords and sources (free and paid) for images
and provides detailed guidance on how to create and upload
your music video:

Recipe for Quick and Easy Production of Hot Promo Videos

(Note: The Animoto affiliate program does not provide income
for the affiliate marketer. What it does do is give your referrals
a $5 discount and extends your "paid" access to video creation
by 3 months per referral. You are also able to load your own
photos to Animoto's stock and earn commissions from the
sale of your photos.)