It’s been more than two years since the initial release of our premium blog monetization platform, SocialSpark.com. Today marks the beginning of a new chapter in SocialSpark’s history: the roll out of version 2.0.
We’ve listened to your incredible feedback via Get Satisfaction, Twitter, and our company blog and have completely rewritten and redesigned the SocialSpark application from the ground up with that feedback in mind. We’re really excited to introduce the basics to you today, and we hope you like it as much as we do.
The purpose of early registration is to migrate publishers to the new platform so advertisers can start making offers. You will not see any Opps day one; it will be a few days before we start doing any of that. This is the first step.
SocialSpark v1.0 Users
If you are already registered as a blogger with SocialSpark v1.0 you can login with your same email and password. You will see the blogs you have already claimed. You will need to go in and update your information, allow Direct Publishing and authorize Google Analytics (see below).
What’s New in SocialSpark v2.0
Simplicity
We have stripped out everything that isn’t needed. The new experience is lighter, faster and focused on matching advertisers and publishers in the most efficient manner possible.
Direct Publishing
Advertisers have asked for a way to check content for factual errors before it’s published, and publishers have asked for a simpler way to include required elements like our Disclosure Badge and required links in their posts. The solution to both is Direct Publishing.
With the power of OAuth and other platform-specific publishing mechanisms, we are able to accept content directly through the SocialSpark interface and publish it upon approval, with all of the required links, disclosure elements, and ad tags automatically included behind the scenes.
Your content will never be edited by anyone else – only you decide what gets published to your blog. This process also ensures that your post will never be rejected for payment after it has already been published. Nothing goes live until both parties are satisfied. Once it goes live payment is guaranteed. This is the same process we follow in Sponsored Tweets and it has worked out great for both advertisers and publishers.
Google Analytics Integration
SocialSpark 2.0 eliminates the need for the IZEA Toolkit (so long, old friend)! We’ve recognized that Google provides a better tool for site analytics, and have designed SocialSpark to take advantage of the data most bloggers are already gathering. The data used to segment blogs for Opportunities comes directly from Google Analytics, eliminating issues with data discrepancies between ITK and third party analytics providers. It also puts an end to the extra bit of code bloggers were asked to add to their blog templates, instead using the Google Analytics code most bloggers already have installed.
If you’re new to Google Analytics, don’t fret. It is super easy to use and you install it in 5 minutes.
Blogger Privacy
While SocialSpark 1.0 was totally public, blogs in SocialSpark 2.0 will be visible only to advertisers looking to make offers for Opportunities. We’ve done away with the public blog and blogger profiles, commenting, propping, and other features not central to blog monetization. The only time other users will see your blog is when they are ready to get down to business!
More to Come.
What you’ll see today is only the beginning. In the coming days and weeks we’ll be opening the site up to advertisers, transferring open Opportunities into the new system, and completing a blog audit that will prune the blogs in the system down to the ones that continue to meet our Terms of Service and quality standards.
Check out SocialSpark v2.0
Tweets that mention SocialSpark 2.0 Publisher Early Registration | IZEA -- Topsy.com said on 7.12.10 at 8:21 pm
[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by ted murphy, IZEA Customer Love and others. IZEA Customer Love said: Attention Bloggers! - @SocialSpark 2.0 Publisher Early Registration http://bit.ly/9eDDxC (via @tedmurphy) [...]
Jamie Kite said on 7.12.10 at 9:13 pm
Huge thanks to Dray and Marty for all their hard work on this preview release of SocialSpark v2!! (Also to Eric, who kindly left us his pretty code).
Justin Germino said on 7.12.10 at 9:56 pm
Unbelievable! I am going to write a post about this right now and updated my blogs in the system. This is a major change in my favorite IZEA system and I am eager to see how it does. I am also really interested to test out the RPC remote publishing and see how that component all works.
mark said on 7.12.10 at 10:04 pm
this is a great move! Kudos!
corrin said on 7.12.10 at 10:13 pm
I look forward to seeing the changes! Hoping this will mean increased opportunities and a chance for quality bloggers to stand out.
Just a note - my main blog was marked that it need to be resubmitted for review. There was no reason given and that blog has been approved in the system for two years.
chubskulit said on 7.12.10 at 10:26 pm
Another new achievement from IZEA's innovation, great job!
Nahesh said on 7.12.10 at 11:12 pm
Holy cow! cool features! Go! GO! GO!!!!
JanS said on 7.12.10 at 11:21 pm
I wonder if I am going to be the only one that will not allow direct publishing. No one and I mean NO ONE is allowed access to my passwords for any of my blogs. I have been a victim of a hacker in the past and I have save guards in place to not allow that to happen again. Those safe guards include passwords.
Anne said on 7.12.10 at 11:35 pm
Yeah, Jan -- I am really disappointed that I don't have any other option here but to hand over my username and password to my blog. As a result, I'm going to have to stop participating and will lose out on the equity I already have (meaning those posts that I wrote but weren't paid out yet because of the minimum payout threshold). This may have been done with the best of intentions, but unfortunately, it's quite a risk to hand over full-access passwords. What if IZEA was hacked?
Michael Aulia @CravingTech.com said on 7.12.10 at 11:42 pm
Lovely! Gonna tell my readers about this. Loving the features mentioned especially the removal of IZEA toolkit (causing problems when Chrome users use the AdThwart) and also the fact that the post needs to be authorized first before got published
Still having problems with authenticating my blog, it's probably because the admin URL is under a subfolder. Gonna try to put some redirection on the htaccess
TheThriftyMama said on 7.12.10 at 11:53 pm
I am so surprised by the positive comments. I absolutely will NOT be allowing auto publishing and handing over my info. I think this is a very bad move. Not only will IZEA be losing me (a premium publisher), but I know of many other premiums that will be leaving b/c of this. Izea- I recommend you make the auto-publishing optional or lose many clients.
Patrick said on 7.13.10 at 12:29 am
Will "Direct Publishing" be an option or a requirement? I thinks its absolutely crazy for them to ask for you to hand over your login and password to your Blog.
However, I guess a work around this problem (if it's required), is to create another user account in your blog with only publishing access. The new user account would not have access to anything else in your blog, but can only publish posts.
Claudia aka njbboomer said on 7.13.10 at 2:00 am
I like what I see, but like others would appreciate a better explanation of what "Direct Publishing" is, do we get to write our own posts or are they written for us. What safeguards are in place re giving you our passwords etc.?
Finally, I have a few Wordpress blogs on the old blogger platform and can't check off one of the boxes needed "enable atom publishing".
I like your idea, Patrick, will have to figure that out when I have some time.
Thanks for any help,
Claudia
Rebecca said on 7.13.10 at 2:59 am
Rah Rah Sis Boom Bah. I was happy about the announcement, too, until I saw the "Direct Publishing" requirement. Hand over control of my blog?!?! NO WAY.
This is really a bad move. I've been with IZEA for years, and love it-- SS has been great. But this Direct Publishing thing stinks, seriously. Please do not make this a requirement. There are enough threats to our WP security... and I and I alone maintain control over my blogs.
Please change this.
Realitytvfan said on 7.13.10 at 3:45 am
We definitely need more info about how this direct publishing thing is going to work - aside from the obvious concerns about security people have about giving out their usernames and passwords...just what controls will be taken out of our hands?
One of my biggest pet peeves about sponsored tweets is that I don't control when my tweets go live - will this now be the same in SS? A post will be published to MY blog when an advertiser approves it?
Also anyone who's been around Izea sites for a while knows they can be really buggy, especially in the early stages. I can imagine all sorts of things happening on my blog (posts going out 15 times by accident, posts getting published then removed etc) that Izea will go 'Ooops sorry we had a glitch' - it's one thing when a glitch means a reservation expired before it was meant to but a whole much more serious thing when a glitch directly affects my blog.
So, yeah...if you could please expand on direct publishing I am sure a lot of people would appreciate it :)
Jenny said on 7.13.10 at 3:46 am
I do not understand "Direct Publishing"- how is it fair to just give out our passwords to advertisers? That doesn't seem right at all. I don't think I can do that, and it appears many others feel the same..
At the same time, if I don't- it seems i'll lose out on ALL the money I earned but has not been cashed out (something like $47).. and that is completely unfair too.
MyCNYMommy said on 7.13.10 at 4:00 am
I'm assuming everyone went in to do the early registration and saw a password requirement?
If The Thrifty Mama isn't going to do it, then many money saving blogs won't either - including me.
Sending it directly to an advertiser for approval is fine, it can be posted after that. Why the need for them to have access to our blogs?
Shydub said on 7.13.10 at 1:08 pm
Changes is good and hope we get more opps in this new social spark v2.0. After granting access or authorize Social spark to my blog account, it is okay to delete it or revoke.
Linda said on 7.13.10 at 2:32 pm
No way, no-how, are you or anybody else getting direct or even indirect access to my blog, whether through oAuth or not. If you go ahead with this and it's going to be a requirement, I suggest you allow a one-time under the $50 limit cash-out for those of us who'll vote with their feet.
James from Man Tripping said on 7.13.10 at 2:34 pm
I hate writing "me too" posts, but "direct publishing" is a really bad idea from both a security perspective (you aren't getting my passwords etc. or access to my site - this is MY SITE and I am allowing you to host an advertisement).
But also, this essentially knocks my blogs (and others) based on the graphic I see as far as "supported" vs "unsupported" platforms.
I am trying to not over react, but I am considering canceling my account, deleting posts that I have previously written (that I haven't been paid for yet) and sending a note to the advertisers who I have worked with explaining my position.
I am probably in the minority (a Joomla CMS blogger), but I really hope that IZEA re-evaluates this policy.
Elizabeth said on 7.13.10 at 4:26 pm
On the current SocialSpark, there's an option to paste in the HTML for a post for authorization. Give your advertisers access to THAT. It shows them every word of the post including any disclosure.
I regret now that I filled out the 2.0 Publisher form with my usernames and passwords. I'll be looking for a way to cancel that. Isn't anyone at IZEA a blogger? I just had two of my blogs hacked so badly that I had to have complete database rebuilds. They changed my admin email addresses ON MY DASHBOARDS so that when I asked to have new passwords emailed to me, they could see those passwords!
I'm not giving your advertisers access to my dashboards. That is just insane. If they can't trust us to publish the correct FTC disclosures, then there's a bigger problem here. Trust has to be inherently implied or your whole system has broken down.Someone there actually thought we would all say "sure! here's access to our dashboards, please give them to COMPLETE STRANGERS!" No freaking, fracking way.
Elizabeth said on 7.13.10 at 4:37 pm
Me again. Did I misunderstand this? Who exactly will be logging in to my dashboards to publish my SocialSpark opps? Someone from IZEA? or the Advertiser?
tedmurphy said on 7.13.10 at 4:38 pm
I totally understand the concern of people that have been hacked. We have had our own wordpress blogs hacked, but those hacks had nothing to do with a password being shared with a 3rd party. That is an issue with Wordpress itself.
Your blog is still vulnerable to Wordpress security flaws whether or not you provide access to us or any other third party.
Advertisers will not see your dashboard. We will not see your dashboard. Everything is done inside SocialSpark itself.
tedmurphy said on 7.13.10 at 4:44 pm
To clarify we WILL NOT be giving your login to advertisers. Nobody from our team will be logging in to your blog either.
Everything will be handled within SocialSpark. You will write your content in SocialSpark. You will submit it for review in SocialSpark. The advertiser will review it in SocialSpark.
SocialSpark will then programmatically login and publish the post. It won't even be a draft on your blog until it is approved.
Tina said on 7.13.10 at 4:54 pm
Hi Ted,
Still a bit confused on this. So is it the members of staff in social spark that are to log into the blog account and paste over my submitted blog into a new blog post or something?
How can you guys get in without password? I know you have asked for the user name and blog I.d
I think everyone just wants to know is Who exactly is going in to our accounts. Can that person see everything in their account?
It's the idea of someone else being able to see inside my account and see what im doing etc that bothers me.
It's a shame I really like Social Spark, but this new way seems so intruding.
JT Lockw said on 7.13.10 at 4:57 pm
No...I won't be giving out my log-in information to my blog to anyone at Social Spark. It's been a good relationship up to this point...
Login information is personal and confidential and I don't love SocialSpark enough to give you that information. The information will be stored on your servers and your computers and therefore accessible by your team.
It goes back to the first rule in Internet security....don't give out login and password information and you, my friends, have just crossed the line in breaking that rule.
Michael Aulia @CravingTech.com said on 7.14.10 at 12:30 am
As tedmurphy said, it will be programmed to login and submit the approved post (correct me if I'm wrong).
I guess even though it's done via a script, the IZEA team still has our login details and password to our dashboard, which what people are getting edgy about.
Why don't you create a new user profile (as Author) and fill in the details with that? This way even if they have access to the dashboard, it's only a limited one like a guest poster. Wouldn't that solve everyone's raised issues?
Rebecca said on 7.14.10 at 2:55 am
The issue isn't whether advertisers or anyone at IZEA would be able to view our blog's access data. I never thought it would be viewed by an advertiser, where did that come from?
Anyway, it's the principle. I and I ALONE have publishing authority over my blogs. My username and password are mine. The possibility of abuse is THERE. I find it unconscionable that bloggers are required to submit such personal, important information in order to do business.
I think IZEA is asking way too much of bloggers, requiring our usernames and passwords of our blogs for the sake of more "efficiency" in publishing. No other company does such a thing, nor should they dare.
NO.
Sorry, but this is really just way out of line to require of us. Our blogs are our OWN. I don't care HOW much I love my employer, I will not give him the key to my house.
Please reconsider.
Rebecca said on 7.14.10 at 3:01 am
Regarding Michael's suggestion as a Guest Author, I still say no.
I alone write the post. I alone publish it. I alone have control over my blog and my blog's content. Period.
I'm kind of in shock that IZEA would take such control-freaky actions as this.
John Raser said on 7.14.10 at 5:34 am
Yay for blogger privacy, no IZEA Toolkit, and the end of figuring out that damn disclosure badge! Although. I know Crystal will miss dealing with all my technical issues and frantic emails. :-P I think this is a good move.
Linda said on 7.14.10 at 3:42 pm
I am unwilling to enter the password for another site (i.e. blog) into any IZEA database. It is irrelevant that "people" won't see the password--I'm quite sure it will be encrypted--it's the whole principle of the thing. This is an outright intrusive move, especially without any hint that it could be made optional.
TheFlyOnTheWall said on 7.14.10 at 8:13 pm
I am happy about the changes and will set up a new account for SS to log into.
But what is the difference between a Contributor and an Author account?
I want to make sure I set up the correct one :)
Tam
Sase Antic said on 7.14.10 at 8:34 pm
Looking forward to explore the new features at SocialSpark.
Martha Decker said on 7.15.10 at 3:52 pm
OK, I just set up my blog with the new platform. One plus I saw before I even began is that now I can easily change the look of my blog without the worry of getting the little things put into the CSS in the right place. I am no expert and now I feel comfortable in changing the look. Thank you IZEA!
Diane said on 7.15.10 at 5:17 pm
I have not gotten to this yet, was going to yesterday (BTW thanks Izea for fixing all my login messes), however I do have two questions.
1. Based on the above, I understand the concept of posting it automatically. However, I, too, am a control freak and do not want to give access even via a script to what is in essence the admin panel of my wordpress blog.
2. The other problem I have is that no matter HOW much I try, and all the "easy solutions" Google provides, and/or the use of plugins, Google Analytics still does not, cannot or will not "see" my blog. This has been going on now for two years. Zero stats, yet I've done everything and tried everything. So that's not going to look good from an advertisers point of view. Another strike against getting decent offers.
So... what to do about the permission access (which many above me are protesting understandably) and what to do for bloggers using Wordpress like I am where Google Analytics refuses to "see" me.
Sigh. I love social spark, would really like more opportunities, but with two strikes as stated above, I'm waiting to see what Izea responds with as solutions first.
Fingers crossed.
Cari said on 7.15.10 at 8:33 pm
This looks great!!
Tommy Toy said on 7.23.10 at 1:00 am
How exactly do I monetize my blog when I cannot embed your code on VOX. Can you help with this. Thanks. Tommy "your master" Toy
Caprica said on 7.23.10 at 7:15 pm
@Tommy Toy
I realize you did not specifically ask me this question but since I've seen it asked & answered over the years I thought I do as many helpful IZEA bloggers have done for me--try to help.
First, Vox is a great personal blogging system, IMO. However they are NOT constructed with monetizing in mind and if you are serious about SocialSpark--especially now that it is morphing into SS 2.0 I'd keep Vox as my non-SocialSpark blog but either move up a a bit to Vox's older sibling, "TypePad,m" or create a WordPress.ORG blog. Both these systems will be (are) supported in the upcoming Social Spark. You have other options but none of them include Vox or Live Journal or the like. Cheers, Cyn
Murray said on 7.30.10 at 2:43 pm
well done Ted and team
Brett Bumeter said on 7.30.10 at 3:21 pm
lol this comment chain reads like a mad libs.
I'm going to the beach to read my blog.
Your going to the beach to write on my blog?
Why are you going to the beach to hack my blog?
How did you hack my blog while you were on my beach?
How did you find my address at the beach and hack my blog?
When did you snoop my wifi at my beach house to hack my blog?
I'm going to turn you into the FBI for hacking my blog, snooping my wifi, stealing my credit cards and selling naked pictures of my spouse to TMZ.
Why is the FBI selling naked pictures of my spouse to TMZ?
lol you guys crack me up!
Karl Fabian said on 7.30.10 at 7:24 pm
Why not give each member a Google compliant blog rated at Zero to start with? Let the advertisers access each site freely, bid and pay accordingly.Bloggers then will need not worry about security or total control just content copyright. JMT
Wolfbernz said on 7.30.10 at 11:45 pm
I was sent an email about this new release from IZEA, after reading what the publishers that already joined this program have to say I think I will pass on joining... Sorry folks, It was a nice email... Why I received it is beyond me, I must be on a list somewhere!
Wolfbernz
David McIntire said on 7.31.10 at 3:17 am
I'm relatively new at blogging. I have only been doing it for a few months now. I signed on to Social Spark because of an email that I received from them, or Pay Per Post. The reason that I signed on is because I enjoy writing, and I heard that I might be able to make some money at it. I have been working on a project that involves writing a continuing children's story about a kingdom of cats called The Kingdom Of Winkiedom. I started this project with the intent of submitting this blog to attract advertisers, (I even went as far as adding Amazon, and Google "click" ads to the blog.) but after a while I decided to cancel the Google ads because of the lack of interest in the blog, and therefore no response to the ads.
So, after testing for any response from potential readers of the blog, I have decided that my idea concerning making money from the blog isn't for me since I don't have any followers and therefore would not be able to attract any advertisers.
To those whose blogs are good and interesting enough to attract both followers, and, advertisers who are willing to pay to be posted on their blog, it seems like this issue of giving up the login and password codes is almost like giving up a "Right To Privacy"; or, maybe it seems to be a very serious matter of importance to them like "Protecting One's Copyright."
I may be wrong about this but I do believe that if one is in any particular system (where they establish a login identity and password) on the web, that their particular login information is already in the system, and that the login information can be obtained by someone (who is authorized) who is working for (within) that particular system.
In every web system there is always a provision (for those who have established an account)to help anyone who has forgotten their login name, or login password. If one forgets their login information they just answer a couple of questions (where the questions, and the answers to the questions are also in the system) and the login information is emailed to them.
As I understand it, Mr. Murphy has stated that the Social Spark System will be handling the personal login information, and the advertisers will not have access to that information. Also, Mr. Murphy has stated that the bloggers themselves,(and them only) will have total control of the content of the blog.
Since I don't have any blogs published in either system, (the old or the new) and since I'm pretty sure that all personal login information is really not a secret to authorized personnel of the system, I don't think that giving one's personal login information to the Social Spark Team would concern me very much. One's copyright protection stands whether their personal information is available to the public or not. If anyone were going to plagiarize some-one's work, then that could be done by simply reading the blog.
I see it like this: If I can attract followers, and if someone is willing to pay me to advertise on my blog, (If I wasn't interested in the money, I would not be competing for the advertisers in the first place.)then as I look at the new changes in the system I would ask myself this question: If this were my first time submitting my blog to Social Spark for publication with the hope of attracting and getting paid by advertisers, and, if there were no old system that I was aware of, and if given a choice with the same conditions that come with the new system, then, would I agree to these conditions? Would my concern about giving up my personal login information carry the same weight if I were just now trying to get published and paid for my work. Would I be willing to give up that information to try and get established.
If the answers to these questions were; yes I would give up my personal login information to be able to get my foot in the door with both Social Spark, and Advertisers, then, that means I would be trusting the Social Spark Team, and if I thought that I would trust them as a novice, then I believe that I would also be able to trust them as a seasoned author/publisher.
As I said before, I don't have any published blogs in the new or the old Social Spark System, but I would let logic and not emotion guide me in any decision that I would make concerning the weight of my concerns towards this personal login matter.
Also, someone mentioned closing down, or deleting their old blogs if they couldn't come to terms with this new Social Spark System. If one should decide to do that, or even if they don't close the blog down, They might consider publishing an e-book of their blogs in order to keep them. It is something worth looking into before deleting your work.
Peace and Blessings to you all.
David McIntire.
attilio saletta said on 7.31.10 at 8:10 am
Iam a writer, blogger, is possible sending mine several works to you, but also get money oe good contact for support mine project in several field, as writer and so for?
let me know
Saletta Attilio
wwwgwenkalon-incursioni.blogspot.com
Robert Halfhill said on 8.1.10 at 7:51 pm
What do you mean about pruning unproductive blogs. My blogs have a distinctly left wing approach -- in fact, I am a socialist -- and I will certainly not let any capitalist corporation have the power to determine whether I am "pruned" if an unproductive blog means a blog on which no one advertises.
RJ Flamingo said on 8.2.10 at 3:32 pm
I don't like the OAuth system in SponsoredTweets, and I sure don't like the idea of auto-publish in SS, either. I choose the timing of my posts. I don't want to be in a position of having a sponsored post pop up suddenly on my blog when I'm not planning it. So, no thanks.