Are you a blogging addict like me that is looking for a social network that can help you make a couple of extra bucks. Well, let me tell you about a website that I recently joined up with. It is called SocialSpark and it is turning the blogging world around and around. Now, before we get too deep in this post, let me make sure that you understand about SocialSpark. It is not just about writing post for promotion of other products. It is also a social network that allows for you to help promote other people and their websites. In some of these cases, these same people turn around and help promote you on there websites. This creates linkings and helps you in Google PageRank, Alexa, Complete, and RealRank.
Izea who operates PayPerPost, Zookoda, Bloggers Choice Awards and RockStartup is the masterminds behind SocialSpark. IZEA is venture funded by Inflexion Partners, Village Ventures, Draper Fisher Jurvetson and DFJ Gotham Ventures. Having this kind of juice behind them allows for them to make it the best site that they can. And not only do they have the opportunity to, so do the members of SocialSpark as it is a community based network. It is the members that get to vote on peoples websites, their blogs, and even them.
SocialSpark requires the following 4 codes of ethics: 100% Audit-able In-Post Disclosure, 100% Transparency, 100% Real Opinions, and 100% Search Engine Friendly. Lets take a brief look at all 4 of these groups.
Disclosures are required to be on all sponsored post for SocialSpark. There are actually 3 types of opportunities through SocialSpark. Whether it is a Sponsored Post (one that pays you), or a Blog Sponsorship (where you are the advertiser), or a Spark (where you write a post about another member's website or blog), they will advise you which needs to carry an in post disclosure like the one at the bottom.
SocialSpark believes in keeping people honest and makes all post public and visible to everyone. If you do not want someone to know that you are working with a particular advertiser, then you might not want to work with that advertiser at all because any and everyone will be able to know that you wrote that post.
SocialSpark believes that you should pick sponsored post that you feel comfortable about. This is not just a place to add some extra money in your pocket, it is a place where you put your stamp of approval on it and it you are just writing to write, it can come back to bite you in the rear. Make sure that you pick things that are suitable for you and your website.
Lastly, in the code of ethics, SocialSpark has each post carry the "no follow" attribute so as not to affect search engine rankings. This is designed to protect bloggers and advertisers from search engine penalties based on paid linking. Bloggers and Advertisers participating in the marketplace agree not to circumvent this practice and manually remove the "no-follow" attribute.
With all that said, I joined SocialSpark because it has the community network feel that I am so use to here. It is a great feature about these sites and Izea has made sure that SocialSpark is just that; a community. Stop by and check them out today and see what you think.
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