Today, you will do 3 things simultaneously. Yeah, hard work, I know!

You will:

* create another lens (it’ll be quicker now that you know how)
* promote your first lens
* start networking with the Squidoo community

Step 1: Create your second lens

This is just a repeat of yesterday’s process. Make sure you link back to the first lens, and do this for every other lens you create in the network.

Step 2: Promote your first lens

Here are some quick and easy steps you can take to set the ball rolling, and bring visitors to your Squidoo lens network:

* Do you participate in online discussions, either on forums or via email? Mention your lens during conversations. Include it in your signature file. Drop them into your forum posts.

* Do you have a mailing list of your own? Point them to your lens. I sent out a short note to my list, which is primarily interested in online marketing, with this SUBJECT line: “It’s NOT about marketing, but it’s FUN…”

Over 100 people visited my lens! Many ranked my lens. Within a day, my lens rank had soared to #691

* Do you send out many email messages? Include a short blurb about your lens, and throw in a link to it.

* Do you publish blogs or websites? Do a short post about your lens, and link from it to Squidoo.

* Do you publish a newsletter or magazine? You might mention your Squidoo lens in it too - with a link to your lens homepage.

The more people you tell, the more people will see your lens. And if it’s good, worth talking about, news will spread fast - and you’ll be flooded with visitors.

* Ask visitors to rate your lens. You may do it in your introductory module, or somewhere within your lens. When you are sending out email invitations to your lens, or blogging about it on your own site, make sure to include a short note asking them to RATE your lens, if they liked it.

* Depending upon how many people email your lens to friends, using the EMAIL link near the top of the page, your lens gets a higher rank. You can invite your visitors to email your lens .

That’ll do for today. Tomorrow, you’ll do some more promotional activities that’ll get visitors arriving at your lens - and bringing their friends along!

Step 3: Start networking with the Squidoo community

Join the SquidU community by registering here: http://www.SquidU.com

This is a diverse group of passionate, devoted and even evangelistic Squidoo fans. They are helpful, responsive, and knowledgeable. And like most passionate people, they are quick to jump to conclusions and argue/attack vehemently what they perceive as ‘abuse’ or ‘misuse’ of the service.

I’ve had my fair share of run-ins with members. If it happens, brush it off. These folks are good at heart. They just let passion rule at times - and that’s not so bad, is it?!

Another way to network is to browse around Squidoo. Run a search on ‘tags’ you’ve used on your lens. When you find a high ranked lens related to your topic, rate the lens - and then contact the owner to invite him/her to drop by yours and rate it too. You both benefit.

The “CHD Social Media Challenge” is a project to spread Congenital Heart Defects awareness. There are 4 mini-tutorials and 1 firesale making up the ‘challenge’. You can join in and help too - click here to see how.