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Welcome to Ning! Whether you have a well-thought-out strategy for how you want to build your social
website or are just curious about all the possibilities — we’d like to help you
get started.
You’ll find all the tools you need to begin adding content and customizing your site right
on your administrative Dashboard. Any time you — as the Network Creator — sign in,
you’ll begin on your Dashboard. It’s only accessible to you and any members you choose
to appoint as Admins.
Take a few minutes to check out all your options. You’ll probably want to begin by choosing
a custom look and feel from the Design Studio. Another smart thing to tackle first is rearranging
what appears on your Main Page. You can do that by dragging and dropping features in
the Features Layout section. Take your time and try out different configurations. You
can always make changes later.
When you’re ready, invite a few people to join your network. You can send invitations
from the Invite tab by uploading a list or entering email addresses manually. Or, simply
plug in your Yahoo, GMail, Hotmail, or AOL account info. We’ll look up your friends
and let you choose which ones you’d like to invite.
However you approach the building of your new social website, it’s important to budget
yourself a little time to try new things. If you ever get stuck or need inspiration,
we’ve got a lot of resources for you to check out.
The Help Center is the first stop if you need to understand how something works. It contains
a wealth of information in the form of articles that cover just about every detail of your
network. Need to know how the Music Player works? Want a walk-through that shows you
how to set up a custom URL? Curious about how to get started running ads? The Help Center
is the place to search and find.
The Help Center has a Get Started page that’s specifically made for Network Creators who
are joining us for the first time. Here, you can watch a few introductory videos to get
more acquainted with your network, follow a 1-2-3 guided set-up plan, check out popular
networks for inspiration, or sign up for an upcoming Ning Talk.
In the Help Center, you’ll also find our Best Practices section. This is a great place
to visit to get a feel for how other people have done it. These very successful models
are smart ones to follow, and we encourage you to read up on all the do’s and don’ts
and tricks and tips that we’ve compiled from some of the most successful Network Creators
out there.
Maybe you’re the type of person who likes to get personalized one-on-one advice? The
Creators Network is a thriving community of people who are building their own networks,
some of whom have been with Ning for years. It’s got a busy forum that’s worth checking
out if you want to ask the community a question, are interested in having other Network Creators
critique what you’ve built so far, or if you just need some tips about growing and
monetizing your network. Creators is where everyone shares their opinions and ideas,
so consider joining the Creators Network if you want to be part of the community.
Need to reach us? Ning support is here to help. You’ll find a Support link directly
on your Dashboard. You can send us a quick message about any issues you might be having.
We’ll do our best to get you over any hurdles — and on the way to building a thriving
online community.
We’re thrilled you’ve chosen Ning as the place to grow your social website. We encourage
you to get creative, tinker under the hood, splash on a fresh coat of paint, and invite
your first members to begin the conversation.