I almost decided to skip Not Your Variety Orchid, lens #14, published 6/12/10. I’m a little embarrassed by it. But then, I should show my oopses as well as my successes, right? That’s how we learn.

What This Lens is About

Orchids and flowers with faces. No, I wasn’t under the influence.

Excerpt

I don’t know why, I just think flowers with faces are hilarious. So if you want a humorous gift for someone that I guarantee will be utterly unique, check out The Flower With ‘Tude Shop. The caption on the T-shirt reads, “HEY! Who d’ye think ye’re calling PANSY?!!!”

Since this little guy would be pretty lonely by himself, I’ve gathered a brief anthology* of vegetable and floral humor from around the net.

Why I Made This Lens

My Mom suggested it.

Things I Learned Making This Lens

Make funny enough copy, and people read any amount of fluff. And vice versa.

Don’t delete your stupid lenses. Okay, it’s always third tier, but it’s always third tier. Unless you really feel it reflects badly on you, let them be.

I also learned the Greek word for the mental disorder that makes people see faces in inanimate objects.

Things I DIDN’T Learn Making This Lens

Don’t always do what Mom suggests.

Why more people favorited/rated this one than some of my best lenses.

SEO. What kind of URL is “http://www.squidoo.com/killerorchid” ?!!

Lens Stats and Milestones

As of today: Lensrank #76,696, 16 ratings, 6 favorites, 1475 lifetime visitors.

Best lensrank achieved: #2058 (you’re kidding!). Lifetime earnings: $5.54.

Link:

Not Your Garden Variety Orchid

My long-neglected lens #13 was Web Flotsam: Viral Videos and Funny Memes, posted on 6/6/07. (Too bad it wasn’t a year earlier — 13 and 6/6/06?) It was a good idea, but I didn’t know what I was doing when I made it, so it’s never been successful. Now, with extensive revamping, it may be.

What This Lens is About

Many famous funny videos, memes and major humor websites that people have been sharing since the beginning of the web.

Excerpt

Carson Williams’ famous Christmas lights display synched to Trans Siberian Orchestra became a Christmas 2005 viral video sensation — not to mention a Budweiser commercial. Like many viral videos, it launched a trend — many people now do this!

Why I Made This Lens

I wanted to share the humor sites and early memes that entertained me and friends in 1994-1995, when the web was new and gangly. More recently, I’ve been adding the modern popular memes and videos that attract more notice nowadays.

Things I Learned Making This Lens

People don’t vote on Plexos. People also don’t click on long lists of links. This lens had good content, but didn’t present it well. Now I’ve divided it into logical sections: Viral Videos, Movie Mashups, Flash Mobs, etc. I’ve trimmed out some of the less-funny stuff and added some full-sized video modules to attract quick clicks.  Organization is key, especially on a lens this long.

Last year I tried an experiment: giving an annual award to the best viral video. People like awards and badges. But I didn’t publicize it. This year I tweeted the winner hoping for a RT, and also emailed the site. We’ll see if I can get a little viralness of my own going with that award.

Things I DIDN’T Learn Making This Lens

Originally the title was, “Web Flotsam: A Connoisseur’s Collection.” That has NO keywords in it — nor does the url, “web flotsam.” I was similarly ignorant with tags. I did zero keyword research in an incredibly competitive niche — there are MILLIONS of web humor and funny video sites. I wasn’t even using jargon like “viral video” and “meme” when I started; I was calling it by my pet name “web flotsam.”

It would’ve been better if a) I’d done SEO and b) I had focused in on a narrower topic. Web humor is too broad for a short lens.

Lens Stats and Milestones

As of today: Lensrank # 30,723, 8 ratings, 2 favorites, 1406 lifetime visitors.

Best lensrank achieved: #3004. Lifetime earnings: $4.13.

Poor little lens. It deserved a kinder fate. Let’s see if it does better now that I’ve fixed useless tags and headers, done basic SEO, reorganized the content and added more video.

Link:

Web Flotsam: Funny Viral Videos and Memes

Related Lenses:

Funny Signs :: Student Bloopers