Following the hype and anticipation surrounding IZEA’s new blog sponsoring program, rumors and speculations end with the launch of SocialSpark in April 2008. Prior to the launch, some bloggers were already aware of the features of the new platform. However, the real thing was not quite the same when bloggers actually got their hands on it.

The first time I set eyes on the SocialSpark site, I was overwhelmed by the number of options and controls on the front page. In contrast, PayPerPost had a simpler interface and there were fewer things to distract you from getting opportunities. Though, I was slightly apprehensive the first time, I did get the hang of it after a few clicks here and there. After I completed signing up and my blog was verified, I went straight to my own public profile to make sure I had done things properly. Besides offering sponsored posts to bloggers, IZEA introduced blog sponsorship that paid bloggers for advertisement links on their blog that earns on a daily basis. Another interesting feature is the expansion of the bloggers’ social community. Unlike PayPerPost, bloggers are now equipped to interact directly from the site itself. Just like any social network, you can look for friends and accept friendship requests from other members. Moreover, you can rate bloggers and their sites through the prop/drop feature in the public profile.

At the moment, I still have 16 friends in my network since I barely have the time to look for any. I did promise myself I would get down to it during less hectic periods. It is reassuring to find so many bloggers out there who seem to be in the same position as I am. One of the friends I made is a mom like me and I immediately gave her a prop. It was my way of saying I know what it’s like.

Since getting verified on April 18, I have taken 15 opportunities. As expected from any new program, there are still glitches in the system. However, IZEA’s efficient ticketing system ensures that problems are resolved as soon as possible. Some glitches make me worry since I had a few problems submitting posts. But I am certain these will all be working smoothly soon enough. Some bloggers do complain that the offers are a bit lower than they hoped for. But for me, it’s still icing on my cake considering that I am doing quite well at PayPerPost at the moment.

For all those working hard for IZEA to make Social Spark a success, I have only one thing to say — Good Job!

This is a sponsored post.

Tags: IZEA,PayPerPost,social network,Social Spark
Categories: Get Paid To's (GPTs) programs, Online Earning Opportunities
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After months of blogging and making decent money from it, it has now become a way of life for me. Even my 3 boys help me watch out for campaigns or opportunities if I have to be away for a while. They also give me ideas for topics on my blog. I admit it hasn’t been easy when I started. Finding topics to write about while my youngest baby asks me for help with his Xbox 360 games was a bit difficult. It was also frustrating waiting endlessly for opportunities for a blog with no Page Rank. When they do come, the pay was so minimal compared to the other opportunities given to those with higher page ranks. In time, I learned to take it with a grain of salt. Minimal income is still income nonetheless. I was confident something will happen to turn everything around soon.

I believe my wait is finally over. Izea’s long-awaited SocialSpark launched its beta phase. I registered my blog immediately. The system was a little more complex than PayPerPost but I was eager to start knowing that the Izea team worked hard on the new system that improves on all the chinks that PayPerPost had. Izea combined the features of a paid-to-blog model with a social network. Now, they have definitely created an authentic community of bloggers and advertisers coming together to widen further the horizons of the blogosphere. With SocialSpark, there are 2 ways to earn money from a blog. You can earn income by taking opportunities from advertisers and writing about them in your blog. Or you can earn through blog sponsorship. Blog sponsorship works for niche blogs that focus on specific categories such as technology, health, or entertainment. For this option, an advertiser can choose a blog that deals in his area of business to market his products or service. Aside from making money, a blog can also exchange posts with other blogs for free to improve traffic and increase followers.

More than the improvement on its features, SocialSpark is set apart from PayPerPost and other get-paid-to-blog models by its code of ethics. Under the code of ethics, bloggers are required to include a disclosure badge on the sponsored posts to make sure that readers know that the content is being paid for. This elicits trust from readers and avoids the appearance of impropriety. Second, every participant in SocialSpark is viewable by the public. The public is made aware of transactions between advertisers and bloggers to keep the community transparent and honest. Third, there are no restrictions on how a blogger wishes to write about the product or service, subject to an agreement with the advertiser. Thus, bloggers are encouraged to take opportunities that they believe represents the principles that the blog adheres to. Finally, each sponsored post now carries the “no follow” attribute to avoid penalties given by search engines. Almost all blogs doing sponsored post were penalized by search engines within the past year with a substantial reduction in page rank. It has been the major concern in the blogosphere for so long which Izea now has resolved. Moreover, SocialSpark now utilizes RealRank as a major criteria to segregate the opportunities that blogs are qualified to take.

I’m still learning as I go along. And I look forward to meeting new people and learning more from the community. I finally see a brighter future for my blog as Izea ignites a revolution in the blogosphere with SocialSpark.

Tags: blog,bloggers,extra income,IZEA,paid to blog,PayPerPost,Social Spark
Categories: Anything Under The Sun, Online Earning Opportunities
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My eyes begin to water while I stare motionless at the LCD screen of my laptop. If I start drooling, people around may just have to lift me together with the chair to rush me to the hospital. These cataleptic moments of mine are exactly the reason my friend suggested I join PayPerPost to take me out of the doldrums. Writing reports for 10 years now in a company dominated by Cruella de Vil has taken its toll on me. Not even imagining the boss to look like Shrek’s wife, Fiona, can make me smile these days.

Look who’s smiling now? My blog just got the nod from PayPerPost. I guess I owe this life-saving wake up call to a friend whose previously comatose existence was likewise revived by PayPerPost. More than the money, the opportunity adds a bit of zing to a monotonous life. White-collar jobs do pay the rent. But doing it for years can turn anyone into a zombie sometimes.

Show me more… »

Tags: ,blog,bloggers,PayPerPost
Categories: Anything Under The Sun, Freelance Writing, Online Earning Opportunities, Technology & Internet
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