PublisherSpot

Updated - 20/06/2008

Go to www.socialspark.com

The challenge faced by most publishers when it comes to traditional advertising networks that pay based on conversions, clicks, or impressions is that the publisher still has to be concerned with how well the paid advertisement performs. The advantage offered by paid post services removes this barrier. So long as the publisher meets the requirements of the advertiser, they are guaranteed payment.

IZEA is not new to paid posts, having already run the sometimes popular PayPerPost network since 2006. In many ways, SocialSpark is an extension of PayPerPost, operating on much the same model. Publishers still take opportunities and get paid to write paid reviews on their blogs, but SocialSpark adds a social networking element into the mix as well.

SocialSpark specializes in blog marketing and blog advertising. Publishers browse through an extensive marketplace filled with advertising opportunities, selecting the ones that pique their interest. By the same accord, advertisers can browse through the blogs that have registered with SocialSpark to see if there are any blogs that are of specific interest to them.

With the original PayPerPost, the only advertising opportunities consisted of writing paid posts. Bloggers would write these posts based on the requirements of the opportunity, which could include minimum word counts and specific linking requirements. With SocialSpark, IZEA expanded on this concept by offering no fewer than three different types of opportunities.

• Sponsored Post: This would be the same as the original paid post concept. Advertisers make specific requests as to what they would like to have included in a sponsored post and then publishers are able to browse through these opportunities to accept the ones that they like. Typical payouts range from $5 to $30. The vast majority of opportunities fall into the lower end ($10 or less) of this range.
• Blog Sponsorship: Instead of paying to have a dedicated post on a publisher’s blog, advertisers can also choose to take the route of blog sponsorship. Payment is on a per-day basis. Blog sponsorship typically consists of a pop-up ad and a text-based banner at the bottom of the web browser. This ad would be shown to every visitor to the blog over the duration of the blog sponsorship. Offers range from 30 cents to $5 per day with the majority falling in the $1 range. There are far fewer opportunities for blog sponsorship than there are for sponsored posts.
• Spark: This last set of opportunities is not comprised of paid advertisements. Instead, it provides a venue where SocialSpark users can suggest post ideas to their fellow bloggers. Naturally, most of these “ideas” are not out of the kindness of their hearts. Most bloggers who post a Spark are looking for links back to their own sites. Many of these opportunities come with a “Blog U Back” designation, meaning that the person who posted the original opportunity will blog about the person who accepts the Spark.

For all three types of SocialSpark opportunities, there is a rating system in place called Props. If a publisher in the network likes or recommends a particular opportunity, they can give that opportunity a “prop.” If a publisher dislikes or disapproves of a particular opportunity, they can alternatively give it a “drop.” Props increase the rating whereas drops decrease the rating; a large numbers represents a highly recommended offer. The Props system is one part of the social networking aspect of SocialSpark.

Other social networking aspects include the opportunity to create profile pages and send internal messages to other SocialSpark users. The network is still highly geared toward advertising and marketing opportunities, but the social side allows publishers to interact with advertisers (and vice versa) in a more casual environment.

The SocialSpark control panel is comprised of four main sections.

• Marketplace: This is where all the sponsored post, blog sponsorship, and Spark opportunities can be found. Listings can be sorted based on “Props” rating, opportunity name, payout offered, and type of opportunity. The listing can also be filtered based on qualifications and status. It is also through the Marketplace section that users can browse through other blogs and review the SocialSpark code of ethics.
• Community: This is the social networking aspect to SocialSpark. Members are able to browse through the profiles of other users, read the IZEA blog, visit the IZEA discussion boards, and check out the RockStartup Reality TV show.
• Account: Publishers come here to manage their blogger account (including adding new blogs to their profiles), manage their financial settings, and review the message center where messages can be received and sent to other SocialSpark members.
• Help: Both the blogger and advertiser FAQ can be accessed from this section. It is also here that publishers can submit a help ticket.

Most of the pages on the SocialSpark website are very colorful and filled with information. Because of this sense of clutter, it can sometimes be a little challenging for novice users to navigate to the areas that they desire. A cleaner interface may be in order.

The registration form for SocialSpark is a lot shorter than the forms found on most other advertising networks. The application form consists of a field for an email address, a password, and a confirmation of the password. It is also here that applicants need to agree to the SocialSpark Terms and Conditions.

Upon filling out this three-field form, applicants receive an email message that is meant to confirm the ownership of the email address provided. At this point, the account is created. There is no approval process at this point.

That said, the account cannot actually be used until more information is provided. After logging into the system, publishers must create a user profile. There are five sections to the user profile: basics (profile name, date of birth, short biography, etc.); avatar; interests, send me stuff (shipping address and clothing size); and lifestyle (marital status, children, education, career). Not all of these fields are required and some can be set as private.

The next part of the equation involves managing the blogs that will be associated with the account. Multiple blogs can be managed from a single account, each of which will contain a name, an RSS feed, tags, a category listing, tags, and a description. Ownership of the blog is verified by placing a 1x1 pixel image on the site. For certain opportunities, it is also necessary to have the IZEA ToolKit (ITK) installed. This is a small piece of Javascript code that must be placed on the blog. This script is there so that SocialSpark can collect statistics about the blog.

To open a service ticket with SocialSpark, publishers access the IZEA Support Center. After selecting the nature of the question, the website asks the user to review the FAQs to see if their question has already been answered. After this, the user must enter a related keyword to see if the question can be found within the FAQ and Support Center. Only after this has been bypassed will an actual support ticket can be submitted.

If the question is submitted during the normal work week – the support department operates during regular business owners (EST) Monday to Friday – an email response can be expected within 24 hours. When outside of the regular work week, a response is typically received on the first regular work day following a weekend or holiday.

Support tickets can also be tracked through the SocialSpark Support Center.

Payment is sent via PayPal and there does not appear to be any set schedule for receiving the funds. Publishers simply log into their account and navigate to the “cash out” section to withdraw funds from the SocialSpark account into a PayPal account.

SocialSpark does not offer a referral program at this time. The company representative says that this is something that they are working on and they hope that it will be a feature they can offer soon.

SocialSpark is a natural progression from what IZEA started with PayPerPost. The expansion beyond the paid post paradigm (with blog sponsorship) dilutes the brand somewhat, but the inclusion of the “Props” rating system is a great addition. Getting approved and browsing through the advertiser marketplace is incredibly easy.

Because there is no need to optimize ads or worry about their performance, SocialSpark may be a good option for beginning bloggers, especially those who run blogs with relatively low levels of traffic. In this way, even the sub-$10 opportunities could prove to be more lucrative to these publishers than traditional ad networks like AdSense. Larger sites will likely not find as much value in SocialSpark.

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