In My Bag

Every little bit I receive emails from people who are interested in making money from blogging. I used to reply to each email individually, taking the time to write out the pros and cons of blogging, what companies to work with, tips for increasing traffic, etc. But after a while, it got very tedious and time consuming to write the same things over and over again. So I created one version of information on paid blogging, and saved it to send to every person that emailed me. I always make sure to mention that I’m open for questions, so that if what I sent them doesn’t answer their particular question, they can always ask me specifically.

One paid blogging company I tell people about is SocialSpark. SocialSpark is owned and managed by the same people who run PayPerPost. SocialSpark works a lot like PayPerPost, but with a few key differences:

• Posts are required to have in-post disclosure
• All links in posts will be no-follow
• Posts are search engine friendly

Behind the scenes, SocialSpark differs from PayPerPost in that the amount paid for an opp depends largely on supply and demand. This is good and bad, depending on how you look at it. For example, an opportunity might initially pay $27.50, but if a lot of people request a slot for that opportunity or take that opportunity, the payout might drop down to $7.00 or even $5.50.
Also, instead of being paid thirty days from when you make money, you are able to “cash out” your balance once it reaches $20.00 or more. This has both advantages and disadvantages, depending on how you look at it.

Overall, I really like SocialSpark. If an opportunity isn’t immediately available to take, you can request a slot, which means you’ll be in line on a first-come, first-serve basis for openings that might occur later on. For advertisers, there is an option to allow anyone who qualifies (based on traffic, blog categories and the like) to take an opportunity, or force bloggers to request an opportunity. Bloggers also have the option to contact advertisers at any time, and bloggers and advertisers can work together to create and execute one of a kind opportunities.

I also like the choices available to bloggers:

• Sponsored Post: typical opp that has a set payout
• Blog Sponsorship: a splash type advertisement bloggers can place on their websites and be paid per day for
• Spark: free “opp” that allows bloggers and even advertisers to help boost each other’s traffic and find new things to write about

Browsing the marketplace in SocialSpark

I have been using SocialSpark since the end of March, and am quite happy with them. There are bugs every now and again, and the social networking aspect of the site is annoying in terms of the numerous friendship requests I receive from total strangers every day (members have this misconception that more friends equals better ranking and eligibility to take better paying opportunities), but that’s easy enough to ignore.

My public blogger profile — very social networkingish!

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