This morning we quietly released some huge enhancements to SocialSpark. When you said you were confused by the blog claim process and all of the fields that made up Blogger Account creation, we listened! Most of the blogger account management features have been completely overhauled. Here’s a rundown of what’s changed:
New Features and Enhancements
New Blogger Dashboard
When you go to Manage Blogger Account now, you’ll see your qualified Opportunities listed, as well as some “To-Do” items. We’ll be tweaking those as we go to make them more customized for you, but for now a few items there to help new users get acquainted with SocialSpark. All of the account management tools are now listed in the toolbar in the right-hand column of the Blogger Dashboard.
New Blog Claim Process
Claiming your blog is now incredibly simple, and there’s no separate submission necessary to get Customer Love to review a claimed blog. As soon as you put the code on your blog and SocialSpark verifies that it’s there, your blog is added to the reviewers’ queue. The new, simpler claim process is also a part of new blog submission for existing users, so you’ll never miss this important step of adding a blog again.
Separate Blogger & Advertiser Signups
Since the new Blogger signup has been streamlined and customized just for bloggers, there is a separate signup form for bloggers and advertisers (where there used to be one generic signup for both). Just select the type of account you’d like to create from the drop-down you see when you click “Get Started!”
Sponsored Post Opp Just for New Accounts
For users who signed up after this morning’s release, there is a new "I Signed Up for SocialSpark" Opportunity to get bloggers acquainted with the post creation process and let us know what their first impressions are. (This is only for new users, so if you don’t see it in your account, you won’t be able to participate in this one). Any new blogger with a claimed blog is eligible to take the Opp, but remember your blog must meet the marketplace requirements and be approved in order to be paid for the post. The post expires after five days, and only the first blog submitted by a new user is eligible.
New Blogger Account Profile Editing Form
The old blogger profile editing form was about 6 tabs, with dozens of checkboxes and text fields and radio buttons… Totally confusing. We’re sorry about that. The new one is much, much nicer. (Thanks, Marty!)
Upgraded Application Framework
Faster, more secure, other stuff to make Dray happy. (Nerdstuff, nerdstuff, nerdstuff.)
Other Cool Stuff
- Ability to Edit Privacy Preferences from SocialSpark. You can now edit your blog’s privacy preferences from SocialSpark, without logging into IZEARanks. There is only one privacy setting for blogger accounts now, too, which removed, what, 12 checkboxes from the profile form? : )
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Better user feedback. Did that profile form save? Is my blog in the reviewer queue? Am I dreaming? We’ve worked hard to provide better feedback to users for completed actions, especially when it comes to updating your profile and adding blogs.
- [Bugfix] Blogs belonging to deactivated users no longer appear in search results.
Prop for you!
I’d like to give a huge shout-out to the SocialSpark team — Eric, Dray, Marty (graphics), Steven (QA), and yours truly — who worked on this project and all of its dependencies for most of the last two months. We closed over 100 feature and bug tickets in order to get this thing done for you! And as always, I need to thank you, the bloggers, for all of the feedback you’ve given us to help us improve the signup and activation process for new users.
If you ever have questions or suggestions about SocialSpark, feel free to submit them to us at our Get Satisfaction support portal.
