Using Ning To Easily Create a Complete Real Estate Website, Blog and More

In this image you see that I placed my Groups and Forums boxes in the left area of the site at the bottom. You can go back to your site layout and move them around, including placing forums in the middle if you want. You may change your layout as you see how the site and traffic develops, so don't worry about it too much now. What we want to do now is to start one main discussion in our main site forum, and then maybe start a couple of groups with their own forums.

Main Site Forum - Just use the "Start Discussion" link under Forum, and ask a question. That's an important phrase, as I want you to do this a lot. Always be asking questions, and always make them "opinion based" questions. That's because you can't get an opinion question wrong, so people will not be afraid to offer their opinion. Maybe there's something in the news about new zoning, or about plans to develop a new park or green belt. You could start with "New City Green Belt - What's Your Opinion?" Then just describe the project, and ask again what your members think about it. Have a family member join early and add their answer to this first forum discussion to get the ball rolling. Every time you comment on one of your member's blog posts or forum posts, always try to end with a question to stimulate more discussion. The more they discuss on your site, the more content you're getting created for you to help in search engine rankings.

Groups - When you use the "Add a Group" link, you'll get a page where you set up a group around some common interest or topic. Your members, if you allowed it in your setup, can start their own groups, and that may be the way that most of them will get going. But, to give it a nudge, you might want to start one or two now. Think about the common interest things in your area that seem to draw people and create controversy or discussion. Are the arts and culture big in your city? Maybe a group for those interested in Museums or Galleries would work. Or, maybe a group centered around zoning discussions or area development will work. If you can't think of anything, don't worry about it, but try. Or, what about a First Time Home Buyers discussion group? Here you could kick it off with some great advice. Your group members, if you allow it, can have their own forums inside the group. Are you beginning to see the power of this site concept?

Explore the many other options available to you at your Manage tab, including tying in Twitter, Facebook and Flickr to your site. It all helps to build a huge amount of relevant content. Our last step is about inviting and working with Members, your future clients.