When you create a Ning Network, you get to choose which features you would like to include. On the “Add Features to Your Network” step, simply drag and drop features from the left column to the layout preview. The preview shows you where these features will appear on your social network’s main page. If the column turns blue when you drag a feature over it, that means you can place it there. If the column turns pink, that means you cannot place that feature in this column. Once you have created your network, you can edit the features on your network by going to the My Network tab and clicking on Features Layout under the “Settings” section.
| Feature | What it’s all about |
|---|---|
| Activity Feed | The big, up-to-the minute stream of latest activity across your network that’s located on the Main Page. |
| Badges | You and members of your social network can embed badges across the Internet promoting your social network. Also includes media players that show off your site’s music, videos and photos. |
| Birthdays | Showcase member birthdays so members can be congratulated on another great year. A great driver of activity. |
| Blog | Blog posts are one way you and your members can express what’s on your mind. A soap-box staple of any social network. |
| Chat | Everyone can participate in a live site-wide chat or private one-on-one chats with other members. Chat is always in the footer, but you can also put it on its own page. Or, put it directly on your Main Page. |
| Events | Organize events, either in the virtual or real world. Whether or not you meet up in real life is up to you! |
| Forum | The place for conversation. This is often the focal point of social networks. Your site has a main forum, but you can also have group forums. |
| Groups | Your members can organize themselves into groups, where they can meet new friends and discuss group-specific topics in group forums. |
| Leaderboards | Highlight your network’s top members or content. The top photos, blog posts, videos, discussions or events can be displayed. |
| Music | You and the members of your network can upload songs. Express yourself! |
| Notes | The wiki-like Notes feature lets you and your administrators add pages of important information to your network. |
| Photos | Encourage your network to upload photos and images with this feature. You can control how many photos members can upload, and photos have different privacy options. |
| RSS | Add external RSS feeds to your network’s Main Page to pull in all kinds of external content. |
| Text Box | Add anything you want to a Text Box on your Main Page — from text to images to third-party widgets. |
| Videos | Members can upload their own videos or simply embed videos from services like YouTube or Vimeo. |