So we've been given new guidelines for creating product lenses. That is something I found really funny while reading it because if I come to a page that's made after those guidelines, chances are that I'm going to close it without reading more than the introduction and would buy the product I choose elsewhere.
What's allowed : everything personal.
What's not allowed : pushy, buzz writings.
Allowed : your personal story. Yes, you've received a Rubix Cube when you were 10 and you still enjoy playing with it. Here's Rubix Cube new model: the Rubix TouchCube, it is electronic and works well. Wow ! What a pleasure to see that this "toy" has evolved over times. That's ok for me. But one line doesn't make a whole lens. So before you can add your Amazon Spotlight module, you have to find lots of content...
And adding content means interesting content. However, on Squidoo what's now required is "amazing" content (don't know what amazing content means but well, never mind, HQ's plans are strange sometimes).
The type of content HQ now wants to see is personal. And when it comes to personal you just keep me off your page. Well, when I say personal I mean : private. I don't want to know that you wake up every morning at 6 and have headaches and that you definitely need to drink 8 cups coffee before being able to open an eye, that you go to the bathroom and do your hair and then, only take your Rubix TouchCube and play with it.
I don't mind that the day you discovered about this new toy the rain was pouring and that you weren't able to get out doing your daily footing. I don't mind that you received dozens of useless gifts that you stored in your cellar before playing only with this unique game.
What I want to read is:
- What your Rubix TouchCube is able to do.
- Does it work fine?
- Does it come with a warranty?
- How long does the battery last?
- Product dimension please.
- Price of course.
- Add the story of the Rubix Cube and then I'll be happy.
Not allowed/not recommended. Now lens titles aren't supposed to include "best of", "top X" or even the year. Wow ! Great reference... since I can't know which year the lens relates to, how will I know if it's up to date ? How will I know before having to read the entire lens (and probably waste my time) know that the products has been updated and where I can find its latest version?
HQ provided us with some examples of titles. Another joke. "My Favorite blahblahblah". Yeah. People are surely looking for keyword phrases starting with "my favorite". And guess what ? Since the publishing of the new guidelines lens, a bunch of lensmasters added "my favorite" to their lens title. Now you'll find thousands of lenses beginning with "my favorite". This is beyond silly.
We're recommended writing about things we love. I don't want to share the things I love, I want to make money selling products ! And if I want to share the things I love, I won't be making a product lens.
Their new wish is seeing us writing about the things we can't live without. Oh my... do you really think that I can't live without that all automatic coffee maker? Do you really think I can't live without that last iPad ? Actually, I can live without all of them, but I want some money to buy something I really love to own and only one lens won't provide me with the amount of money I need for it. So I build more lenses to make more sales to get more money to buy that ONE thing I want !
So if nowadays they find out that our lenses have been built just for selling a product, they'll lock it. If they find out that we didn't add a personal story, they can lock it. If they find out that we're using the same template, they could lock it (hey guys, I love my templates, and that's the way I want my lenses look like !) If they find out that we use "best of" or "top" or "year" too many times in our lens collection, they can even lock our entire account !
My personal life is private and I don't want to share it with the world. So although I can sometimes go personal - especially when explaining how kids enjoy playing with Legos for examole - I won't be adding more "personal" content. That is my private life and I don't want you to enter my private life nor do I want to enter yours. Your private life doesn't interest me. That is a fact!
Now that we've been provided a bunch of new guidelines, chances are that we're going to see only such lenses in the top tier... Oh no... Still empty lenses and Squidon'ts dance in the top tier, still HQ even recommends visitings almost empty lenses.
As usual double standards... Do as I say, not as I do.
Posted by Squidoo Angel Prosperity66
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