Is it time to "Follow" - the path of YouTube and twitter

[Brian Floe]

(UPDATED:

I was nagging Ning about this in 2009. Evan immediately agreed that this was something that should have been added from the start (you can find the thread somewhere). And so he did! But one year later I'm asking if this is in the works only to find out it had already been on our networks ....for about 1 year. Nobody knew, cause as Evan agrees it's not very easy to find right now. This is my suggestion for how it could and should be implemented if we want to attract talent to our networks? Do we?)

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Would you like the talent from YouTube

and the celebrities from twitter,

to join your network?

They won't if they can't build up a following!

• Let's make it clear, we are not talking about new functionality here, we are talking about moving links / referring to links and functionality already in place!

• Think about it - do you want the YouTube or twitter activity craze on your network?

• If Ning refers to this functionality they already put in place, simply by adding some new links to the same functionality, then you got it!

 

 

 

 

YouTube made it big by attracting the ambitious and the talented by allowing them to build up "subscribers". Twitter gives you "followers".

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We can follow a forum thread, a photos or a movies comments, a blog posts comments etc. but nobody knows it cause the first implementation of this back in 2009 was not optimal. You have to click ie forum, blog etc. and go to the bottom of that page to follow a members forum or blog posts. Sherlock Holmes wouldn't catch on here ;)

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The next logical step for the "Follow" functionality on Ning is to attract the ambitious and the talented by doing the same: make it possible to follow a member but also just a members photos, videos, blog posts etc.

Is it time to "Follow" - the path of YouTube and twitter?

Networks usually have that one blogger who is the best, or that one member who uploads all the cool photos or movies etc. Wouldn't it be great if you could follow that particular member? ...oh, and wouldn't these engaged individuals not also be motivated to join our networks if they saw they could build up a list of followers like on twitter?

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Let members follow the talent on our networks, and let that feature attract even more talent. Instead of the talent having to "Share" [button] their content as a push notification.

Is it time to "Follow" - the path of YouTube and twitter :)

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Here's our current profile page identity box and how I imagine the new "follow" box:

As you can see "you" are already following my Groups and Calendar activity ;)

Clicking the "+ Follow Member" in big letters will activate all the follow options below and you will be following everything that member does.

[Janettee McCrary]

Yes that would be awesome:)

[Evan]

Hey Brian!

I totally agree. In fact, so much so that I had us add this feature to the platform last year. You can follow an individual member's blogs, videos, etc. Check it out by going to someone's content pages (like Brian's Discussions) and look for the "Follow" link at the bottom:

If you, as an active NC, weren't aware of this feature though, it's obvious we need to do some work to make it more accessible. I'll see what we can do about that.

/Evan
Ning Product Manager

[Janettee McCrary]

LOL now I feel silly too. WOW how did I miss this? I knew about the "follow" for forums but not for member content.

[Atheist Universe]

Doesn't this demonstrate that it is oddly placed?

[Chris]

Here's a script to move it the follow link to the top, if you want. http://creators.ning.com/profiles/blogs/move-follow-links

[Atheist Universe]

Thanls Chris.

I tried it and posted some feedback on

http://creators.ning.com/profiles/blogs/move-follow-links

[Brian Floe]

Hi Evan

Wow! This is both good and bad news at once. You might remember back then it was I who pitched this idea to you and you immediately liked it. Since then I have been patiently waiting for this to arrive - I had no idea it already had ?!?!

I think people would expect a "follow this person" and "follow this persons: blog, forum, photo etc." to be on their profile page right below their photo. On YouTube as well as twitter it's on the profile page.
Having it on the forum page also is still a good idea, but it must first and foremost be where people expect it to be, on the profile pages.

I can't believe this has already been launched and I still did not know. This makes me think my members does not know either and look at the above response "yes that would be awsome:)".

I'll start promoting this feature right away - but the feature should be self evident, not something that needs a "how to". I'm on my network all day long and I never noticed it :(

I think this is a very important feature - and praise to Ning for adding it. I think it needs a link on the profile page also. What do you guys think?

[Evan]

Hey Brian!

Yes — it should definitely be more prominent. I'll take a look at ways we can better encourage members to follow other members' content.

/Evan
Ning Product Manager

[Brian Floe]

"...Louis, I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship"

Since you have already added the cool twitter and facebook features below the profile photo, it seems this could be the perfect place to add a "follow" link. Perhaps the links further down to a members forum and blog posts etc. could have a "follow" link right there also? I would be super excited about such a feature (being more prominent).

Thanks Evan, I still can't believe this was already added to Ning and I never knew :)

I don't think I have been as excited about the Ning platform as I have been ever since I saw your May 4th announcement. Ning rocks!

[Evan]

Thanks Rick…I mean Brian :)

There should definitely be something on the profile page — as well as perhaps links to follow someone's videos when you look at a particular video, blog, etc.

/Evan
Ning Product Manager

[Brian Floe]

I would also like such a link-move. I can't imagine it would be a big undertaking and ask YouTube or twitter how much "follow" means to the success of a website. 

 

When you got a small task with a potential HUGE benefit - the answer is YES WE CAN! :)

[Evan]

Hey MD!

If you're not signed in, you shouldn't see the link or you should be asked to sign up. That's definitely a bug.

/Evan