If I Ran SocialSpark

So, I was reading this article on DragonBlogger.com about what he would personally change about the IZEA services. First off, I should say that DragonBlogger has been a huge help to me this month; my first month writing sponsored posts. His articles have helped me to know what to expect from, how to use, and where to find sites that will connect me with sponsors. When I saw a "spark" opportunity listed by him, I knew I wanted to take it.

As I mentioned, writing sponsored posts is a new thing for me. As I thought about what I would change, my first thought was DragonBlogger's first thought as well. I want to get paid faster! When I write posts for Blogvertise.com (which I learned about from DraggonBlogger, by the way) I get paid right away. When I write for AssociatedContent I get paid right away. When I write a paid post for Blogvertise, I supposedly get paid 30 days after the post is approved. I wouldn't know, since I haven't been writing for them for more than 30 days.

My experience with SocialSpark is a little limited since I am still new. I have only done 3 paid posts with them so far, the rest have all been free posts in exchange for links or free services. I should probably mention that I don't think I would have any paid post opportunities at all if I hadn't followed the instructions in this article written by - guess who - DragonBlogger. I started taking "Spark" Opportunities, which are the non paid ones I mentioned, because he said that it would help me gain an active presence. Looks like it worked. I'm making more money than I thought I would be, I would just like to see my paycheck sooner.

I'd really like to know how to qualify for more opps. I'm sure someone out there knows the secret, but I wish the details were easier to find. So far all that I can manage to find is that I need to work on making my blog more popular. There has to be more to it than that, right? Well, don't ask me because I can't seem to find an answer on the site.

Another thing that I would change, speaking from my limited experience, is that I would make it easier to find personal support. Initially, my blog was approved. After taking only a couple of opps, I was sent an email telling me that my blog was no longer approved because it appeared to be only for sponsored content. I scoured the page for a way to contact a real person to make my argument. Eventually, I submitted a trouble ticket explaining that only 4 out of 150 posts on my blog had been sponsored. Submitting the ticket worked. The next day there was an email waiting for me saying that my blog was re-approved. Since then things have been running smoothly, but this little hiccup stressed me out for a minute there!

Lastly, I find the site hard to navigate. Sometimes I come to a section of the site and I don't know how I got there. Then when I leave, I can't find out how to get back. I feel like I am pretty intuitive. I mastered the BlackBerry Bold 9000 with ease, so a website should be a snap. I can work a Windows Mobile device, so that means that I can think like a computer and that I have robot dreams. I don't think that a site layout should stump me the way that the SocialSpark site does. It looks pretty though, I do enjoy that.

Oh, one more teeny tiny thing. My profile picture is all stretched out. I don't like that very much.