Squidblog

Savvy donors are paying close attention to where their money is going. Who can blame them? With tighter wallets and move hype about misleading charities, choosing who to give to, and collecting donations, is getting more challenging.

One great way to build trust on your Squidoo lens is with testimonials. The best testimonials come from people who have had a need for your service, were helped by it, and have written their own statement about how your organization helped them.

Short testimonials can be placed on your lens, and rotated from time to time. Truly powerful testimonials come in the form of a lens. Getting your volunteers to build a lens for you does more than increase your exposure. It shows wary donors that people trust you enough to stand up for the good work you do.

A fun way to increase your testimonial lenses is to tie it into your program. Create a lens for each animal you adopt out and fill it with a brief bio and fun photos. Make lensmaking a part of your fund drives and event recaps. While having one charity lens gives you a presence on Squidoo, dozens show donors you’re here to stay.

Ready? Set, build!

If you’re not on SquidU, you’re missing out. Our peer-driven learning center is the social hub of our most active and profitable lensmasters. This week, we’re looking for a few smart lensmasters to share their expertise.

* Where do you get celebrity photos to use on your lenses?

* How can I add interactive trivia to my lens?

* How can I give proper credit to Creative Commons photos found through Flickr?

* Can I create columns to display content on my lens?

Not only is SquidU the place to share your knowledge with others, it’s the place to learn what is and isn’t working for other lensmasters! So the next time you have a question, start at SquidU.

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PS - are you a wizard at creating new lenses? Do you work well with others? Do you want to help new lensmasters be their best? We’re looking for a First Lens Mentor. Learn more and apply.

This just in from your Giant Squid Organizers…

Do you aspire to be a Giant Squid? Or perhaps you’re angling for a spot (you audacious thing you) in the Giant Squid 100 Club?

Good news. Your Giant Squid Greeters are here to help you along the way.

Greeters are a group of veteran Giants who have volunteered their time and energy to help motivate and mentor lensmasters who care about making top-notch lenses for their applications to the Giant Squids program. In a surge of school spirit, they’ve come up with a tournament of sorts to get you off the sidelines and in the game. It’s a “fun run” to see which team makes the most, best new lenses and turns out the most new Giants by June 30th. So if you’re thinking of applying to be a Giant Squid in the next few months, find a Greeter, pick your team and do your best.

You’ll have your pick of Joan’s Jolly Judicious Jetsetters, JustBon’s Blue Ribbon Squids, Kab’s Fab Squid Squad, Rajays Rocking Squids, and Willow’s Wonder Squids. Orange pom poms not included.

We’ll be waiting for you at the finish line.

Every month we get an awesome letter from Operation Helmet with an update about what they do, what they represent, and how they’re working hard to solve problems.

Doc Bob graciously lets me post it on our forum each month. You can read it here.

Do you have a newsletter? Be sure to post it on your lenses so volunteers can get the important info they want about how you’re taking action in their communities. It’s a great way to make special announcements, thank volunteers, and promote your goal of creating more lenses on Squidoo!

Today we’re updating our main Squidoo.com homepage with a new design. In homage to the cool simplicity of Popurls and Alltop, the idea is just to make the Squidoo.com page an easy portal to our best lenses, the top 5 in every category. We wanted introduce new visitors to good stuff and let our product (your lenses) tell the story.

Because really, Squidoo.com is not the homepage that matters. Instead, we think of each and every lens as a homepage — your own personal landing page about your topic and opinion and passion and content. Treat them as such. Care about the first impression you make. Write introductions. Upload photos. Welcome people kindly and succinctly and personally, and point them toward information and content you feel good about stamping your name on.

When you run your lenses as if each and every one is just as important as (or more than) the Squidoo.com homepage, we all win.

VISA claims to be “everywhere you want to be.” How about you? Are you everywhere your donors want you to be?

Do you have a lens on Squidoo?
Since donors are on Squidoo, you need to be on Squidoo. Make sure your lens is up-to-date with all the details about who you are and what you do.

Do you have Squidoo on your website?
Donors looking for an easy way to help will be excited to know they can create lenses to generate money. We even have great buttons and banners you can use.

Are you active on the forums?
SquidU has a place just for non-profits to riff back and forth, share ideas, promote new projects, and encourage lensmasters to create new lenses. Join us at the Non-Profit Nook and be the next one to start a conversation.

Are you on Twitter?
While not directly Squidoo related, being on Twitter is a great way to communicate with donors and volunteers in a casual way, which is how most donors prefer it. Plus you can create TWTTRSTRM lenses to keep the conversation going.

Are you on Facebook?
You can connect with Squidoo users on Facebook and vice versa. Click on the My Profile tab of your dashboard and scroll to the bottom for more details.

These are five easy ways to be where your donors are. Go get that donation!