I signed up for SocialSpark a few days ago and was actually denied verification as my blog was cited as being for income generating purposes only. I emailed them back and questioned the validity of their decision when, since 2005, only about 25-30 post have been written for pay. I also pointed out that if one signs up with a pay-per-post program, it is definitely because he/she would like to earn money and that there were many sites that were obviously for-profit blogs only and they were verified. They immediately approved me, but this prompted me to look very closely at the network to determine just how I would avoid the unethical pitfalls of sponsored posting.

What I really like about the new Izea program is that they have a very specific code of ethics. In fact, their code of ethics makes it very difficult for bloggers to deny being a part of the program.

100% Audit-able In-Post Disclosure: all bloggers are required to include a “Sponsored by___” button at the bottom of every sponsored post. This way, readers of your blog are aware that the information the you have posted is/may be bias to an extent. I like to think of this as a tool to encourage honest advertise despite the fact that there will be people who do not post honestly.

100% Transparency: you cannot hide. If you are signed up for SocialSpark, every one will know. And not only will they know, but they will be able to see just what advertisers are working with which bloggers. In other words, you will not be able to write sponsored posts about a product or service in secret. Again, with companies like Sony and Walmart setting up fake blogs to lure people to a product, this kind of visibility is refreshing.

100% Real Opinions: SocialSpark does not require you to write positive reviews on a product or service. However, each opportunity has it’s own requirements. The point is that you do not have to take an opportunity if you do not feel right about what the advertiser is asking you to write. In fact, SocialSpark encourages it’s writers to only take opportunities that they can be honest in writing. And the fact that your partnership is exposed to the public should be an incentive for one to keep his.her post honest.

100% Search Engine Friendly: Google feared that pay-per-post blogging would influence the rating of the site being linked. This is why many bloggers (like me) were penalized for participating in these programs. Well, to rectify this issue SocialSpark requires that bloggers use the no-follow tag in their posts. The purpose of SoicalSpark is to generate buzz about a product or service, not to increase the search-engine rankings

So while SocialSpark cannot make bloggers make ethical decisions when it comes to accepting opportunities, it does encourage honesty. When signing up for SocialSpark, do so with this in mind: while earning money from your site is nice and sometimes important, it is much nicer and more important to have dignity. Money should be an added bonus and not a goal when it comes to blogging.