Websites Going Social With Ning

This week as I was surfing the net and working I learned about the website Ning.com. I crawled through the site for a while, trying to understand how it completely works and the advantages it has if any. As I was in class I pondered more on the whole concept of Ning. It blew me away as I thought about how useful a tool it is.

Currently as the internet is now and becoming more of a social place having user engagement is crucial to a site. Ning hits on this factor because as people surf a site where Ning is applied it makes a website more personal, adding to the equation of allowing the site to increase in their page views.

Imagine a store that used Ning were people who were interested and somewhat brand loyal in the product could comment on things and engage with other users who shared common interests. I know I often use a site that already has some value to me, but if Ning was applied the value might increase because I might be able to gain more information and see how other real people are interacting.

It will be interesting to see as the internet changes how the role of Ning and other social sites will play apart in the adaptation to the constantly changing realm of advertising and marketing. Is Ning just another social site or the future of social marketing?

Matt Hite

Intern

Yovia.com