UPDATE: SocialSpark site is still in BETA. A BETA service means that the site has some problems and glitches, and thus these relies much on community feedback. It is often useful to suggest ideas on how to improve SocialSpark and report any problems with their service. You can do this with their customer support (Customer Love) or through their IZEA boards.

Probably the newest paid review site to hit the town is SocialSpark. I think this site is a spinoff from IZEA’s PayPerPost. PayPerPost has probably the largest network of bloggers and IZEA had been convincing PPP bloggers to signup with SocialSpark as well.

PPP Charm

PayPerPost is perhaps the biggest source of paid reviews with a huge network of bloggers working to get some paid opportunities; I’m not wondering so much if SocialSpark had gotten its charm from PayPerPost. I’ve checked my account and there seemed to be a thousand of registered members bloggers and advertisers.

payments released for each post in SocialSpark

SocialSpark is truly a handsome Web 2.0 design website; at first I was intimidated by its looks. It looked like a site made for those circle of professional bloggers. I got all my blogs approved, but I did not start taking any of its listed opportunities.

Like PPP, SocialSpark is getting to be an attractive work opportunity for work-at-home moms.

Opportunity Reservation

When the opportunities at PPP got dry, I started to revisit SocialSpark. I tried bidding to some of the posted opportunities. Within a month, I got an email informing me of a reserved opportunity that I had to write for my blog. If PayPerPost gives only a few hours to finish a reserved opportunity, SocialSpark gives 12 hours for a blogger to write a reserved opportunity slot.

SocialSpark is unlike other paid review sites. Here are some notable changes:

  • In-post disclosure widget is always a requirement for every SocialSpark opportunity: Some of my posts have that in-post disclosure badge installed at the end of the post. An example of it is a post that I made for promoting SocialSpark to advertisers.
  • All available opportunities do not need a blog with good pagerank; however, having a good traffic is a big factor in getting qualified for opportunities: All the opportunity links require “nofollow” links. Advertisers who decide to post opportunities often like blogs that contain a good traffic, so Alexa and RealRank ratings are important. To the blogger, a “nofollow” post does NOT hurt any page rank.
  • Advertisers can post opportunities then handpick their bloggers, or post opportunities that meet an Alexa or RealRank rating requirement, or do both: This arrangement it is quite a mix between PayPerPost and SponsoredReviews paid review sites. If an open opportunity does not qualify a blogger, then this blogger can request for a slot by writing a compelling message to the advertiser to request for a slot.
  • Meet other bloggers and make friends with advertisers: SocialSpark introduces a new concept in paid blogging by making it a social network. Bloggers can make friends with other bloggers and advertisers; advertisers can do the same. However, I have yet to encounter someone who is successful in getting good traffic and establish good relationship with other bloggers from SocialSpark.
  • I’ll blog about you and then I’ll blog you back: Since there is a social element to this paid review marketplace, bloggers can blog for each other at no charge. This is done by posting out sparks together with the necessary requirements.

Payouts

Like PPP, payouts from SocialSpark can be taken out through Paypal. This time, a SocialSpark blogger gets to decide when to withdraw funds from the account out to Paypal.

The site is still in BETA, so there are always changes and some problems that need some fixing up. If I were to pick an additional income for blogging without losing pagerank, then SocialSpark is my best bet.

Watch Out, SocialSpark Members: Don’t Get Your Accounts Suspended!

Be sure to read the SocialSpark’s code of conduct. It has been revised recently to discourage bloggers from soliciting props. Comments that ask a slot from an advertiser’s opportunity are also forbidden. Too many friends added in one’s account at one time can also get one’s account suspended.

Don’t Take US Opportunities, If You Live in the Philippines

I had this experience months ago when I decided to write some opportunities that require US bloggers to blog about it. However, I got rejected after a manual review of the post because of my location. I lost $30 of effort. It really pays to follow instructions! The next time you see US opportunities, don’t spend extra effort writing for these even if you are qualified or included in the advertiser’s blogroll. Don’t hope that reviewers might miss out checking if you are a US blogger or not because they are already keen on it.
SocialSpark is the sister site of PPP; you can still write about SocialSpark with the PayPerPost badge below.

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