I have profiled Ning here at JMMO as a social network platform where people can possibly make money from. And, I have written about how people might charge membership fees using Ning. And, I have mentioned Ning again when I wrote about making money from membership sites.

Obviously, I have been a fan of Ning, long before it became a popular tool for many people who want to create their own social networks – without the usual technical knowledge needed. Now, Ning hosts a few thousand social networks – from educational and non-profit groups to techie and literary groups.

The latest buzz, however, is that Ning will be slowly phasing out their free option beginning the 4th of May 2010. This has created a lot of ill feelings, especially from people who have been working hard on building their Ning sites and who aren’t prepared to shell out the money for the premium fees.

One of the biggest question posted as a challenge to Ning folks is: Is it right for a company to just take away their free services just like that? Especially since they have been running ads on those free sites.

What do you think? How do you feel about this kind of deal?

Have you ever used Ning before – either just as a member or as a creator? What do you have to say about Ning’s move?

This post is originally from Just Make Money Online. Please respect copyright.

Ning Social Network Platform – To Remove Free Option?

Every now and then, I receive specific questions from JMMO readers who are seeking real advice about making money online. Here’s one email* that I received recently about the social networking service called Ning, which I wrote about last year -

Hello, I have created my own art studio network on ning and want to feature workshop videos. I have spent the last two days trying to find out how to charge a membership fee using paypal for the payment processor on Ning, to no avail. I have been looking for add ons, etc. I see others doing it but I can not figure it out. Can you help me?

Any help would be appreciated.

Thank you, Karen (cottonpickinranch.com)

Thanks for your email, Karen. As far as I’m aware of, there is no built-in solution yet at Ning for charging membership fees. From what I learned from other Ning creators/social media group managers who are charging membership fees, this is what they do:

1. Create a private social media group on Ning.

2. Set up a subscription payment scheme on Paypal. Grab the code.

3. You can either use that code directly – or find a widget that you can use.

4. Set up another site, blog, or another public Ning group (free membership), which can be your “launching pad” for your paid membership group. (For example, see this page.)

5. Add your code or widget to that site/blog/public Ning group.

6. Every time someone pays for a membership to your private paid membership Ning group, you can add them manually by sending them an invite to your paid group.

7. Of course, every time someone doesn’t pay their membership fees, you’ll have to remove them manually too.

As you can see, it is a bit of work. And, while I know there are people doing it, it’s not the most ideal solution from what I can see. That’s the bad news.

The good news is: I heard that Ning developers are trying to come up with some monetizing scripts that will enable easier integration of Paypal, etc with Ning. I’m not sure when this is going to happen, and if it’s going to be a free or a premium service (like their Adsense module). But, if it does come through, it will be a more attractive solution for folks who wish to run their own membership sites on Ning.

In any case, good luck with your membership site, Karen. I hope it works out for you. Do let us know how it goes!

And, to other readers who may be running their own membership sites, we’d love to hear about your experiences too.

* Email slightly edited for presentation.

This post is originally from Just Make Money Online. Please respect copyright.

Money Chat: How do you charge membership fees on Ning?

You know that some of the most popular sites on the web – MySpace, Facebook, YouTube, Flickr – are all built on the concept of social networking. So, if you want a slice of the social networking pie, you might consider using Ning as a tool.

Building a social networking business is especially useful if:
1. You have a passion for building web communities.
2. You support an interest/hobby that may interest several people who wish to get together.
3. You have a few monetisation ideas in place.

So, if you don’t have to money to hire a developer, designer, etc. that you will need in order to build a social networking site, you can use Ning as a “straight out of the box” solution. All you need to do is sign up (it’s free), create your own network, start inviting people to become a member, load your site with some content, and find ways to monetise your network.

Some of Ning’s features include:
1. Integration with Flickr (a photo sharing site) – and a few other websites/services.
2. Ability to upload photos, videos, music
3. It has a forum function and RSS.
4. Members can create their own profiles and network with each other.
5. Use domain mapping/Use your own domain name (extra fee)
6. Customised templates
7. Premium features (with fees applicable)
8. Widgets/badges

Top 5 Ways to Make Money Online with Ning*
1. Run your own ads (Adsense, etc). However, in order to do this, you need to pay a premium service of $19.95/month
2. Charge membership fees. If you have a highly specialised topic in mind, and you have several useful content and services that you can offer via your social networking site, then you might be able to charge membership fees.
3. Affiliate links. If you have products that you wish to promote to your highly targeted network, then adding content with affiliate links might be useful.
4. Selling your own products/services. Again, like affiliate linking, selling your own products/services might be acceptable to your members if you have something good to offer.
5. Selling direct advertising. If you have the all-clear to sell direct advertising, then this can be another source of income for your social network.

*Please note that some of these suggestions may not be according to terms and conditions, depending on your level of service/partnership with Ning. You are advised to check beforehand.

Technorati Tags: advertising, make money online, memberships, ning, social networking

This post is originally from Just Make Money Online. Please respect copyright.

Ning: Making Money from Social Networking