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When You Sell Books
Online
The nice thing about selling books with the Amazon
module is that they go with every lens. It doesn't matter if your lens is about pickling beets; there's a
book out there that will go with that topic. It may be that the books you pick don't discuss the same topics
as your lens, but are used to complement the topic. For instance, you might be talking about homebrewing, and
you have an eBay auction that is selling bottling equipment. Then you add an Amazon module that talks about
starting a home business or homesteading, along with books on brewing.
Create a list that is varied and interesting. If
they're all about homebrewing, they'll read a few titles and skip the entire module if they're not
interested, leaving you without a sale. You increase your chances for a sale when you use the Amazon module
creatively to complement your lens topic, not just to create a highly-targeted
topic.
Selling Other Items Online With The Amazon
Module
If your topic is parenting toddlers, you can opt to
sell toddler items online with the Amazon module, as well as books that discuss the psychology of a toddler
or how to make your kid super smart. There are so many different things that Amazon has in inventory that
it's not a hard thing to find a few to list. You will want to have a good range of prices so that visitors
who read your lens will find something that fits into their budget. If you only advertise high-end products
and your reader is not rich, you'll lose a sale. Better one low-end sale than no sale at all. Make it easy
for them to find something that they like and that will fit into their budget. Also add a few high-end things
on the chance that someone will be persuaded to buy one of them, resulting in you making a higher
commission.
The CafePress
Module
This module is the best of both worlds. If you
don't have a CafePress store, you can still sell items from the CafePress Marketplace. They sell promotional
items like cups, t-shirts, mouse pads, and other imprinted material. If you do have a store, you can
concentrate on selling your own products. Either way, you can use this module to create income from a Squidoo
lens. It can work differently depending on whether you have your own store to promote or want to promote
someone else's products, but it's still pretty easy to set up.
It Has An Automatic Pick
Option
If you don't want to spend too much time setting up
a CafePress module, you have the option to “Let CafePress Pick” the items you'll be showcasing in your lens
via a keyword match. You enter the keyword, and it pulls up items from its marketplace that fit that
description. It's not an incredibly sophisticated search engine, so you may be limited to just a few short
words. It can take a bit of time for it to pull up items too. You earn a commission for the products that
sell, even when they're not your own. You might not make as much as if you were selling your own products,
but it's still a good way to create income streams very quickly through Squidoo.
When You Sell Your Own
Items
Making a CafePress store is very easy. They even
have a free basic option. You can set up a sample store with some t-shirts or mugs and then use these items
to market on your Squidoo lens. You will need your Shop ID to show the shop's content. If you want to add
individual items, you'll have to enter the URL for each individual product on CafePress and enter it into the
CafePress module. That can be a bit labor-intensive, but it allows you to create a lens that is customized
and far more interesting.
Match The Niche
The whole purpose of this exercise is not just to
throw up products that are in your store; you want to match or complement the niche topic on your lens. The
more targeted your lens is, the better the chance that someone will bother to read or look at your links and
offerings. If you go way out in left field, people just will not understand what you're trying to offer them
and will walk away. If you're talking about computers, for instance, you can sell custom mouse pads in the
CafePress module, which is a perfect complement. Don't offer them the T-shirt that says “Party on!” because
that's just jarring. People will think your lens is broken or you're a bit weird. Check to see what your lens
displays to keep things like that from happening.
Money From
Referrals
Squidoo has a referral program to get people to
sign up other writers who want to create Squidoo lenses. There is no tiered program, like other affiliate
programs, but there's no reason you can't make money with your affiliate referral programs too through
Squidoo. Just keep in mind that referral income works either as a sign-up bonus, a commission-based bonus, or
both. There are always rules for how you make the referral bonus, and you won't get paid until you meet the
requirements for a payout.
Squidoo's Referral
Program
As a referral program, it's not that glamorous.
There are no tiers. It's a simple sign-up bonus, and there is a requirement that limits the payout of that
sign-up. The people you refer have to make at least $15 in income from their lenses before they will pay you
$5 for the referral. In terms of income, it's not a very strong program when compared to other affiliate
program referrals. However, it's worth a plug or two.
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