Internet Marketing Know-how With Rachel Pradhan: Ning
Ning.com : Utilizing the “Do-It-Yourself” Social Network
www.Ning.com is a Social Networking site like no other – in the click of a few buttons you can create your very own “Facebook” or “Myspace”. But, why would you want to do this? Isn’t there enough Social Networking websites out there that you don’t need to jump-in and start creating new ones? Apparently not! According to Ning.com, there are approximately 50,000 “popular” Ning websites – ranging from Skydiving (http://www.skydivernetwork.org/), fans and followers of WD-40 (http://wd40.powerblocktv.com/), and about 500 Ning sites with the keyword “Life Coach”! By the end of the year, Ning estimates to have over 150,000 social networks run by people and businesses just like you and me.
So, how do you stand-out among this haystack? In order for your Ning website to be a popular hang-out, you need to know the ambition and marketing behind it – just like when you want to promote a product or service you need to have the marketing tools behind it to make it work.
Explore. But, first, let’s explore what Ning is. According to their website, “Ning offers the latest social networking features, all infinitely customizable to meet your unique needs.” Have you been on Facebook, MySpace, or LinkedIn lately? If not, perhaps this is where you should start before building your own Social Network, because a lot of the same features are available. However, there is one big difference: as the owner, you can control the culture of your Social Network. The current social networks you might be a part of now are not customizable, and although you have control over your own profile and groups you create, you do not have control over the look and feel of the website – and this is where Ning comes in handy. Just take a look at the WD-40 Ning website (http://wd40.powerblocktv.com/) vs. Voice My Biz (http://www.voicemybiz.com) a Ning site for Southern OC small businesses. The design is custom, the advertising is controlled by the owners of the website, the Ning logo is taken off, the domain name is the owner’s, and much more. You can have your own forum, videos, audios, photos, and even allow your members to have their own blog! You also have the ability to control who can find your website, and if they need approval before they can join. To view a complete list of options available, click here: http://about.ning.com/product.php
Promote. The big difference between other social networking websites and your own Ning website: you need to promote it. Ning is not going to help your social network site grow – they provide the tools to create the possibilities of your website. There are many ways that you can promote your new Ning site:
- Word of Mouth: this is how “Voice My Biz” got popular: the administrator just stood-up during a networking meeting and let everyone know. Before you know it, he had a hopping site of about 300 active members!
- You Invite: You set-up the Ning site for your current clients to feel support and receive “Online Coaching”. You can utilize the forum feature to allow members to ask questions for you to answer. You can also upload podcasts, videos, images and blog articles to support your clients in this safe setting (remember, you can control the access of the members, and also discontinue membership when needed). When selling your services to let prospects know of this extra perk of working with you!
- Promote it on Forums, Blogs and eNewsletters of your niche or target market. Remember, don’t SPAM, but if there is the opportunity for you to share – don’t be shy!
Stayin’ Alive! Once your Ning website goes live and you’ve customized it and you have a fair amount of members, how do you get the discussion started – and keep it going? Getting it started might take a little more effort on your part. You can look at it like starting a blog: you can write topics of discussion, frequently asked questions, and open-ended questions to get people talking. If you have group coaching – you can set-up groups in your Ning site and have members that are active in the site to help to be mediators. If your coaching clients feel uncomfortable with new technology, a webinar would be appreciated by your clients – explaining how to add friends, post replies to the forum, and upload their own photos, videos, and podcasts (if you decide they can do that).
How often should you participate with your Ning site in the beginning? Great question – and you may have to test-out your audience to find the perfect balance. Yet, you should plan on 3 times per week in the beginning to keep the wheels turning and your new Ning site lively! Remember, you don’t have to write a novel every time you post – even a quick one line question can get the ball rolling, and help you clients feel supported even after the coaching session.
Rachel is a web designer and internet marketing specialist working with life, business and corporate coaches on creating online possibilities. For more information about developing custom websites, blogs, eNewsletters, podcasts and online video go to her website: www.IndraMarketing.com. She also teaches free Internet Marketing teleclasses, which you can register for at www.HelpingHandsforCoaches.com.
