very useful information…

So, today’s the day Sparky is let out of his private alpha chains…

IZEA’s latest innovation is being unleashed today at Ad:Tech, San Francisco, and the stars of advertising and blogging are already lining up to meet Sparky and the world’s first…

I must say I think it is going to be awesome.

Seems like a severe case of jealousy to me, judging by the wild-eyed nonsensical accusations and the rabid blobs of foam streaking across the page…

BTW, the various innovations in SocialSpark are not an all-or-nothing package for members. If someone just wants face-based analytics for their blog to see the faces/profiles/demographics of visitors going back weeks or months, but not interested in monetizing their blogging efforts, SocialSpark provides that. Likewise, if someone just wants to share a good cause in hopes the network of bloggers will spread the word via organic posts, that is possible via Sparks with no cost/payments. Finally, if marketers just want to explore an open view of the blogosphere or particular niches, including open analytics, profiles, geographies and demographics for tons of blogs, SocialSpark makes that possible without launching any campaigns.

Thanks for the coverage Duncan and keep the feedback coming to make SocialSpark better…

Exactly. Where is the money?

Facebook and Myspace started as a free network driven by users who sign up and use the service with very little advertising involved. Once the membership grew into the millions, then they attempted to slowly slip ads into the mix. Let’s face it, the general user hates advertising no matter how you shape, form or present it.
Social spark is put together backwards with relation to other successful social projects. The whole platform is built around advertising which is supposed to bring the masses. No one has ever put together something like this.

While I think these guys are up against the great wall of China, especially with all their previous haters from PPP, but truthfully no one has ever put together something like this in the method they are doing. With that in mind, I think anyone that has doubts about it, pure opinion. Just alike, if you have complete optimism, pure opinion.

Me? I just don’t see it being that huge of a business platform. It will get a lot of press just because of who they are, but social is about being social, it’s not about money. I think the ad money in facebook and myspace is HORRIBLE and it caters only to branding style campaigns. If social spark can tap into the conversion model for small to mid companies, they might have gold.

signed, Realist

The platform does include many firsts, and is certainly the first time that all of these concepts have been brought together for the purpose of social media monetization.

Dan, your list of First’s got me thinking too.

I was thinking that if you really think that Izea was first on all those fronts, then you haven’t been in the social media market very long.

Clearly Izea is operating on the “if you build it, they will come” principle.

Maybe we will, and maybe we won’t – but one thing is for sure, you cannot just waltz into the social media space, drop a new service, and expect people to immediately love you for doing so.

If that is your thinking, perhaps you should target the 13 to 18 year olds over on MySpace or Xanga.

In the end, all that you have created is JASMS (Just Another Social Media Site).

As a developer, trust me, I understand the amount of time and energy that you have put into this project, but you will definitely need to tone down your message.

It look like they’re going to charge later on.

Please, stay the hell out of my social media. How you got into my social network in the first place, I have no idea. But the second you market to me, you get the golden boot

Second of all, the IZEA VC on here just makes a total fool of himself. We all know Duncan Riley is generally known as the low man on the totem pool in terms of intelligence, wit, and writing ability. I guess he’s still above Ted Murphy and VC Dan.

But I won’t say I like them yet but sure appreciate their efforts. And if they keep going this way, I believe they can get the hearts of general public back.

but if i were them, i will kill PPP totally and focus on new products from scratch. As long as they are associated with PPP, ppl hesitate.

I understand this was a limited private alpha review and maybe the pretty colors distracted you (as a diehard Gator, I really took issue with the Garnet & Gold influences), but you missed a bunch in your review. In particular, your focus on a postie social network really misses the mark — that is just the tip of the iceberg.

Your “nothing really innovative” comment got me thinking about some of SocialSpark’s innovations:
- 1st advertiser/brand/agency social network with direct publisher friending, blogrolls, street teams and a dashboard to manage diverse social media marketing efforts
- 1st face-based analytics: imagine goog analytics plus mybloglog (faces for visitors, not just recent readers) plus visitor demographics in one end-to-end analytics, ranking, marketing and blog monetization platform
- 1st 100% automated, in-post human disclosure, including audit tools to help publishers and advertisers verify compliance with key corporate or industry guidelines such as WOMMA’s Code of Ethics
- 1st 100% automated, in-post machine disclosure via “nofollow”, including audit tools to help publishers and advertisers verify compliance with key search engine policies such as Google’s quality guidelines
- 1st one-click blog sponsorship ad unit requiring no blog design/template editing to position the ad unit and provides 100% publisher approval to match brands to readers
- 1st clearinghouse for blog writer’s-block remedies called Sparks, providing organic post ideas such as inspiring charities, hot topics, etc.

You’re a smart guy and a good writer Duncan. I hope you’ll dig a little deeper as SocialSpark goes public. If, after digging into the public SocialSpark, you do not agree it represents a significant milestone in the evolution of social media marketing, I’ll buy you a pint of your favorite…