I just signed up to hear Gina Bianchini, co-founder of Ning, talk about building a cool brand.
Now there's gal that knows how to build coolness.
When I first came across Ning I honestly didn't get it.
I thought it was a lame excuse for a blogging platform, but now that I've seen the power of Ning, I'm a total convert.
Once you've created a network (just go to Ning.
com and they will take it from there) here are some awesome community-building strategies you can do with it.
Enjoy! oUse it as your main blogging platform.
It's way easier and far more interactive than wordpress or blogger.
oUse it to generate a mailing list.
Once you've captured the sign ups you can send your group info (only awesome, valuable info mind you...
girls don't spam).
oUse it to learn cool stuff about your groupies.
You can create your own sign in page and ask whatever you want of your readers in order to grant them access to the page.
Think about what you need to know from your audience, but keep it real short and simple or they'll just go away.
oUse it as a portal for your teleconferences and seminars.
Have your participants connect and chat real-time about what they're learning.
Use the platform to distribute handouts or provide visuals for your discussion.
Let your users hang out after your discussion so they can connect with each other.
oUse it to post events, discussions and create subgroups.
Its so easy to manage the administration of your page, my pug is creating her own site on boycotting kibble.
oUse it to host a competition!! Have people sign up and add content, videos, pictures or whatever you want to compete for a prize.
It's a great way to seek out enthusiasts and encourage user-provided content.
oCrashing other Ning Par-tay's.
I have joined a bunch of Ning based social networks to connect with women entrepreneurs and other folks in the marketing profession.
We share ideas, have geek-out discussions about brand building and I often answer questions and comment on blog posts.
The BEST part is that many of the other social groups allow you to post your blog entries in their networks.
The exposure is invaluable, and it's a great way to connect with new clients, partners and mentors.
If you're not using this kick-ass tool yet, stop what you're doing, drop the cat and head to Ning.
com to start building your tribe, and geek-out with other tribes that tickle your fancy.
Here's a great group you will definitely want to join...
mine!