Using Ning to Connect with your Community Manny Hernandez (@askmanny, @ningfordummies) Sponsored by

Today’s Speakers Kami Griffiths TechSoup Manny Hernandez Ning for Dummies

Personal Background (Manny) Web Products, Social Media: 10+ yrs Diagnosed with diabetes: Oct-02 Launched TuDiabetes on Ning: Mar-07 Worked for Ning: Jan to Apr-2008 Nonprofit management: since Apr-08 Published Ning For Dummies : Apr-09

Web Products, Social Media: 10+ yrs

Diagnosed with diabetes: Oct-02

Launched TuDiabetes on Ning: Mar-07

Worked for Ning: Jan to Apr-2008

Nonprofit management: since Apr-08

Published Ning For Dummies : Apr-09

What to Expect from this Webinar What is Ning? How can nonprofits use Ning? Setting up a network on Ning Managing and growing your network Fundraising and other Ning Apps Examples of networks on Ning Advantages/disadvantages of Ning

What is Ning?

How can nonprofits use Ning?

Setting up a network on Ning

Managing and growing your network

Fundraising and other Ning Apps

Examples of networks on Ning

Advantages/disadvantages of Ning

What is Ning? Ning is a social media platform Lets you create your own social network “ Your Facebook with your own brand.” Powers more than 1.5MM networks Free to set up and run Premium services to further customize

Ning is a social media platform

Lets you create your own social network

“ Your Facebook with your own brand.”

Powers more than 1.5MM networks

Free to set up and run

Premium services to further customize

Why Ning for Nonprofit/Libraries? New way to engage with constituents Blogs, forums, videos Foster and solidify offline connections Events, groups Increased outreach possibilities Sharing mechanisms Export member data Fundraising

New way to engage with constituents

Blogs, forums, videos

Foster and solidify offline connections

Events, groups

Increased outreach possibilities

Sharing mechanisms

Export member data

Fundraising

Ning and your Social Media Strategy Two great references: Beth’s Blog - How Nonprofits Can Use Social Media: http://beth.typepad.com Amy Sample Ward, 5 steps to a successful social media strategy: http://bit.ly/u6cNd Your social media strategy may contain a lot of elements

Two great references:

Beth’s Blog - How Nonprofits Can Use Social Media: http://beth.typepad.com

Amy Sample Ward, 5 steps to a successful social media strategy: http://bit.ly/u6cNd

Your social media strategy may contain a lot of elements

www.briansolis.com/2008/08/introducing-conversation-prism/

Setting up a Network on Ning

Setting up a Network on Ning

Setting up a Network on Ning

Setting up a Network on Ning

Managing your Network Who can become a new member Moderate members Who can remain a member Enforce the guidelines for your network What content can live in your network Moderate or remove content if needed All of this requires time!

Who can become a new member

Moderate members

Who can remain a member

Enforce the guidelines for your network

What content can live in your network

Moderate or remove content if needed

All of this requires time!

Managing your Network Hours dedicated based on activity Administrators Up to a few hundred members, one person can do most of the management Very hard to keep up for one person past 1,000 members “ Economies of scale” and self-policing help

Hours dedicated based on activity

Administrators

Up to a few hundred members, one person can do most of the management

Very hard to keep up for one person past 1,000 members

“ Economies of scale” and self-policing help

Growing your Network By yourself: 5+ hours per week Through your members: Invitations, badges, embeddable content Through network RSS feeds TwitterFeed feeding Twitter, FB page Through bloggers Through existing offline efforts

By yourself: 5+ hours per week

Through your members:

Invitations, badges, embeddable content

Through network RSS feeds

TwitterFeed feeding Twitter, FB page

Through bloggers

Through existing offline efforts

Popular Features in Ning Blogs, Forum, Chat – build community Videos, Photos – visual outreach Events, Groups – offline connections Go Ad Free – premium service Ning Apps – more features…

Blogs, Forum, Chat – build community

Videos, Photos – visual outreach

Events, Groups – offline connections

Go Ad Free – premium service

Ning Apps – more features…

Fundraising Through Ads

Social Giving Through a Ning App

Impact Challenge: Another Ning App

Other Ning Apps for Nonprofits Ustream: to broadcast streaming video PollDaddy: to poll your members Box.net: to share files with others CartFly: to sell merchandise Others: for event ticket sales

Ustream: to broadcast streaming video

PollDaddy: to poll your members

Box.net: to share files with others

CartFly: to sell merchandise

Others: for event ticket sales

TuDiabetes: a Network on NIng Launched in March 2007 5-10% growth every month Mid-October 2009: 11,200 members 100,000 monthly visits 500,000 monthly pageviews 5 minutes average session

Launched in March 2007

5-10% growth every month

Mid-October 2009:

11,200 members

100,000 monthly visits

500,000 monthly pageviews

5 minutes average session

TuDiabetes Diabetes Awareness Project: Word in your Hand

TuDiabetes Diabetes Awareness Project: Making Sense of Diabetes

Other Social Networks on Ning 200,000+ members “… a community of individuals who support reducing our nation’s dependence on foreign oil through the use of domestic energy alternatives.” push.pickensplan.com

200,000+ members

“… a community of individuals who support reducing our nation’s dependence on foreign oil through the use of domestic energy alternatives.”

push.pickensplan.com

Other Social Networks on Ning 2,000 members “ The List Project created Netroots to help recent Iraqi arrivals with the resettlement process by connecting Americans and Iraqis across the nation.” netrootsthelistproject.ning.com

2,000 members

“ The List Project created Netroots to help recent Iraqi arrivals with the resettlement process by connecting Americans and Iraqis across the nation.”

netrootsthelistproject.ning.com

Advantages of Ning Very affordable Free basic service Premium services Solid product Customizable Appearance and features Network and member privacy controls

Very affordable

Free basic service

Premium services

Solid product

Customizable

Appearance and features

Network and member privacy controls

Disadvantages of Ning You can’t “host” the network yourself: You depend on Ning being “up” You depend on Ning being “in business” Network members are also members of Ning.com

You can’t “host” the network yourself:

You depend on Ning being “up”

You depend on Ning being “in business”

Network members are also members of Ning.com

Alternatives to Ning To create your own social network: http://traffikd.com/resources/build-your-own-social-networking-site To create your own blog: http://www.socialbrite.org/2009/05/09/seven-blogging-tools-reviewed To create your own web site: http://sites.google.com and many more… Social Networking Platforms Comparison Chart: http://www.techcrunch.com/wp-content/wlsn_comparison_chart.html

To create your own social network:

http://traffikd.com/resources/build-your-own-social-networking-site

To create your own blog:

http://www.socialbrite.org/2009/05/09/seven-blogging-tools-reviewed

To create your own web site:

http://sites.google.com and many more…

Social Networking Platforms Comparison Chart:

http://www.techcrunch.com/wp-content/wlsn_comparison_chart.html

Additional Resources http://help.ning.com http://www.getsatisfaction.com/ning http://blog.ning.com http://is.gd/p7kv (Ning for Nonprofits chat) http://developer.ning.com (advanced)

http://help.ning.com

http://www.getsatisfaction.com/ning

http://blog.ning.com

http://is.gd/p7kv (Ning for Nonprofits chat)

http://developer.ning.com (advanced)

Manny’s Contact Information Email: [email_address] Book: http://bit.ly/ningfd Twitter: @askmanny @ningfordummies

Email:

[email_address]

Book:

http://bit.ly/ningfd

Twitter:

@askmanny

@ningfordummies