Part 5 in a continuing series on What Web 2.0 Means for Your Church
So what’s Squidoo? It’s another player in the exploding world of web 2.0 sites, though it has marketing guru Seth Godin as CEO. Check out recent features from the New York Times and CNN.
The basic idea is that computer-generated search isn’t good enough. Squidoo gives self-proclaimed experts (which Squidoo calls lensmasters) the chance to build a single web page (which Squidoo calls lenses) telling people whatever it is they need to know. So you’ve got the personal knowledge of experts instead of the shotgun approach of Google.
For example, why stick with Google’s results on dog modeling when you can ask someone with dog modeling experience? Or say you want to know more about the cartoon superhero The Tick? Or the defunct ska band Five Iron Frenzy? Or the self-promotional practices of one Kevin D. Hendricks? OK, I admit it, all those lenses are mine. But you get the idea. Squidoo puts personal knowledge to work.
The fun catch is that you can also make cash. Each lens has text ads and referral links to e-commerce sites. So Squidoo can earn some dough, which they share with you or the charity of your choice. Not a bad deal.
Squidoo and the Church
So what does this have to do with the church? For starters, Squidoo is an exceptionally easy way to set up a web page. You can add pictures, text, photos, RSS feeds—whatever, and it doesn’t require skill other than working a mouse. It’s also all about informing people. So you can build a lens to tell people whatever you want:
- The merits of infant baptism
- An overview of your church’s ministries
- Everything a visitor to your church needs to know
- Details of an upcoming event
- All about your pastor
- About all the bloggers in your church
You get the idea.
Squidoo at Work
Here are some examples of how folks have put Squidoo to work.
- Church! @ Bethany
- Leesburg United Methodist Church
- Messiah Episcopal Church (I created a lame lens about my church just to show you how it could start)
- Starting a New Church
- Multi-Site Church
- Church Marketing Sucks (yeah, I whipped up a quick CMS lens, too)
Squidumb
Not everybody gets it. Or likes it. I get that. It’s yet another thing to update that can quickly be out of date. It can also be full of less than scrupulous people who are just out to make a quick buck—of course that describes a vast chunk of Internet users in general.
Bottom Line
It’s just another tool. It could be helpful. It might not be. You’ll have to figure out how to maximize the benefits for your church.
But if you do decide to use Squidoo, sign up here. We can both earn referral cash ($5 for me and $5 for you when you earn your first $15. Of course I haven’t earned anything yet, so it could amount to nothing. But if it amounts to something I’ll donate it to CFCC.) And let us know. We could set up CFCC as one of the charities you can send your Squidoo earnings to. If there’s enough demand we’ll look into it.
Greg Nilsen
April 13, 2006
Glad you could catch up with the rest of us…
Mathias
April 13, 2006
IE 6 Crashes on your Bethany link.
Operation Aborted
Never seen that in IE before
Mathias
April 13, 2006
Actually several of them crash. I think it’s the ones with google maps in them.
Anonymous
April 14, 2006
How Your Church Can Use Squidoo
Squidoo is another of those Web2.0 thingies on the web. The good folks at Church Marketing Sucks have posted some ideas about how to make use of this tool for your church.
Matt Payne
April 14, 2006
Thanks for the links! I created them when Squidoo was in beta. I think it has potential but I haven’t seen great results yet. I have noticed that by linking from the squidoo lens to our church web site and my personal blog that Google ranks them a lot higher. They are adding modules monthly so it continues to evolve.
Klif
April 14, 2006
…I was all “OOH OOH, Someone else on the internets dropping the FIF bomob?! What’re the chances?” until I remembered where I was.
Center for Church Communication
May 12, 2006
CMS Lens Chosen as Lens of the Day
The Church Marketing Sucks lens on the web 2.0 site Squidoo was chosen as the Lens of the Day today. Squidoo’s Editor in Chief Megan Casey called Church Marketing Sucks a “very smart and thought-provoking blog.” She went on to…
Center for Church Communication
May 19, 2006
Church Marketing Sucks Web 2.0 Series
Web 2.0 is yet another techno buzz term that’s popping up everywhere. Our Church Marketing Sucks blog just finished a series exploring web 2.0, sorting out the hype and figuring out what it means for churches: What Web 2.0 Means…
Center for Church Communication
July 4, 2006
Support CFCC with Squidoo
You can now support the Center for Church Communication through the web 2.0 site Squidoo. We’ve been added as one of the charities you can choose to donate some or all of your Squidoo earnings to. When you’re editing your…