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Social networking is becoming big business.  As reported in previous Talkibie articles, big players like Google and Microsoft are tapping into social networking sites (SNS) like MySpace and Facebook.  Up until now, networking sites have been purely geared towards personal pages where users can post information about themselves and their interests.  But what if there were a way for small businesses to help other small businesses?  Perhaps a more modern version of “have your people call my people” for businesses with Fortune 500 aspirations on a fortune cookie budget.  That’s where Ning comes into play.
 
Originally launched in 2006, Ning wasn’t much of a hit.  The idea of mashups, or combining two separate programs to work together as a more robust program, was fairly new.  Web 2.0 functionality was just beginning to be tested.  TechCrunch was merciless, and honest, in its assessment that Ning hadn’t quite nailed what it was trying to do.  “The reality of Ning is that it’s lost whatever coolness it had, no one uses it and Ning is going to have a very hard time getting people’s attention when they finally do roll out better functionality,” TechCrunch asserted.  Ning licked its wounds, went back to the drawing board and made some improvements, biding its time until the world was ready for what it had to offer.
 
After a couple of years, Ning seems to have come into its own.  “Unlike other services that offer a ‘one-size-fits-all’ offering, your social network on Ning runs on a programmable platform,” Gina Bianchini, CEO and co-founder of Ning explains on the company website.  “Ning offers the latest social networking features, all infinitely customizable to meet your unique needs. The Ning Platform makes this possible. As a platform, you don’t have to appeal to Ning for the features you want. If you have the time and the inclination, you can build them yourself.”  By welcoming creativity, but providing a baseline of solid features, Ning has found success.
 
There are a multitude of features that Ning comes with out of the box.  Custom branding for unique web page design and identity, widget incorporation, member profiles, event calendars, multiple forum creations, photos and slideshow areas are but a few of the tools that Ning groups can incorporate.  What should be a huge eye catcher for Ning group managers is the Real-time Activity Stream feature which allows users to see the most recent activity in any area on the group site.  “Keep up with the members of your social network. Find out what your members are saying, how they’re interacting and what they’re sharing,” advises Ning.  All this and customizable monetization strategies for reasonable monthly fees.
 
Many groups are using Ning to promote their small businesses or specialized interests.  The Wall St. Journal reported about the successful use of Ning by coffee enthusiast and barista, Matt Milletto.  Milletto created Barista Exchange, a gathering place where coffee growers, baristas, coffee shop owners, and enthusiasts could discuss tips, share best practices, and help promote each other’s businesses.  “Instead of just setting up a network for their own customers, many are realizing the benefits of hooking up with other businesses to collectively raise their profile in a particular geographic area or industry,” states the Wall Street Journal.  Other groups, such as Firefighter Nation, PickensPlan, and the ASPCA Online Community  are finding Ning a perfect solution for creating their specialized networking sight. 
 
Ning was truly an idea before its time.  People were just learning what social networking sites were all about when Ning came on the scene.  Even technical reviewers thought the appeal would be to programmers who could code all the same functionality without the middleman.  In a matter of two years, Ning has found that the consumer market, while not made of code warriors, is increasingly tech savvy and ready for more than a static webpage.  Ning is finally the right service at the right time.  Welcome to the next level of social networking.