The Raging Tech

SocialSpark Friends: Gator-byte.com

Tags: Blog, comment love, Pro Writing, SocialSpark

SocialSpark: How I Survived Google Spanking Me

As you’ve probably noticed by now, I often write content that is sponsored, and I am pretty open about disclosing such things. At the bottom of most sponsored content, you’ll notice a small blue bubble that will say “Sponsored by” and then the advertiser name. However, some folks didn’t take kindly to any of my content being sponsored, and said it wasn’t cool that I write the same quality of content whether it’s sponsored or not.

Ever since I got my page rank slapped down to zero from it’s former beauty of 3, I had been totally killed on the sponsorships I could take. I’ve previously written about how I’d be taking a break until I could work out sponsorship again. Well, that time has come, as you might have noticed. I have signed up for SocialSpark, which may prove to be the revolution for which the blog monetization game has been eagerly waiting.

SocialSpark uses a system called RealRank, based on actual page views and traffic to your site. It’s also a fun social network that gives bloggers ideas, or “sparks” on what to write about when you’ve got writer’s block. It hooks up bloggers with advertisers and other bloggers, and lets you comment, vote, and leave feedback for each other. Think of it as a MySpace for blog owners, only without all the crap.

You get a friends list, as well as a “fav 9″ to highlight your favorite bloggers. You can send messages, invite people to be your friend, give “props” to those people you like or opportunities that you like. You can see the stats on a blog you’re interested in advertising on if you’re an advertiser.

My favorite part of this system is the pure distinction between blogger and blog. You can give props to a blog instead of directly to a blog owner, which is especially great for people who have more than one blog.

SocialSpark requires 100% in-post disclosure, 100% transparency (no games, man!), actual blogger opinions - they don’t tell us what we should like or dislike, and I only take the opportunities I think are appropriate for my blog and my readers. Sign-up is easy, and payment goes out to your PayPal account, so if you don’t have one of those already, be sure and sign up for one.

It’s free to sign up, even though it’s still in beta, and if you have a blog or are an advertiser looking to spread the word about your product or service, give SocialSpark a try. I’ve never regretted being a part of SocialSpark, and so far it’s been a blast!

Tags: blogging, Google spank, Page Rank, PR slap, review, SocialSpark

Grilled Cheese for Algernon

One of my best friends and colleague’s wife is a nutrition major at the university where I work, so she’s pretty crazy about how many carbs and nutrients are in what her friends and husband eat. She often makes neat sugar-free or low-carb snacks and sends them to work with her husband. I enjoy it because I’m diabetic and it’s not bad for me.

So it’s no surprise I thought of her when I saw this blog, Grilled Cheese Sandwich with Pickles (on low-carb bread, as the blog’s subtitle suggests). It’s the generic, run-of-the-mill daily blog you might expect to find in a blog community like SocialSpark. GCWP stands out with good recipes and low-carb food information to help you live a healthier, better life. Plus you get to read fun insights into someone’s life, which is always entertaining. Check it out.

Tags: Blog, Food, low-carb, recipe, SocialSpark

Stay at Home Parents: Make Money with SocialSpark

A short while back, my blog’s Google Page Rank was “spanked” - zapped to zero. This totally ruined my ability to make money with my blog - one of my major sponsored dropped out. The company that was hooking me up with sponsors, Izea Inc., now has a new site called SocialSpark, a social network centered around bloggers and potential blog sponsors, and most importantly gives us freedom from Google’s Page Rank system.

That being said, I realized today it’s a wonderful opportunity for a stay-at-home parent or pregnant mothers, or elderly people who are confined to the home. You can literally work from home, be your own boss, and if you write well enough and drive enough traffic to your site, you can earn some decent extra income.

When I was participating in PayPerPost, I made upwards of $900 in two months time. For a parent, that could mean more money for diapers, doctors, and formula, or a babysitter. As long as you can type quietly, this is something you could easily do while the kids are napping - although you may be napping yourself when they quiet down! Check out SocialSpark - still in Alpha, but you may be able to get an alpha key from someone and sign up your blog today.

SocialSpark is a great way to hook up your existing blog to an additional income stream. If you blog for fun or are trying to make it professionally, be sure and check them out. If you have any questions, feel free to e-mail their support team.

Tags: Blog, Google Page Rank Spank, Izea, paid blogging, SocialSpark, sponsor