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Ever since the “build your own network” company Ning moved to a pay model for its networks, there’s been some browbeating on the blogosphere about what to do with those communities which had created traction on Ning, but didn’t have a way to pay.
For the next year at least that little problem is over. The sugar daddy here is WEGOhealth, which has positioned itself in an unusual niche—the place where people leading online patient communities can go to learn from each other. WEGOHealth is run by former Yahoo Health leader (from a few years back) Jack Barrette. Jack is a hell of a nice guy but I suspect that this deal wasn’t just about being nice. The WEGOhealth business model is about convincing advertisers that they can get in front of influential patients, and anyone running a Ning network for a health condition is likely to be (as Edelman call it) a health infoential.
So if you have a NING network that might qualify, here’s how to apply. And I suspect that Jack would appreciate it if you also paid a visit or two to WEGOhealth as well.
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Matthew, thanks for your usual clear-eyed perspective on our sponsorship of Ning health networks. The good news here is that WEGO Health really does support the leaders of these communities above all, and the good folks at Ning worked hard with us to make this happen before deserving health networks had to make a tough financial call.
While this really is about being nice first, you are also (sarcastically, entertainingly) correct that one of the roles we play at WEGO Health is to be a trusted liaison between community leaders and industry. In fact, we are working right now to find an industry co-sponsor to extend this free program past one year.
We’re proud that we give our Health Activists a voice to industry, and that we’re obsessively, fully transparent whenever a program we conduct is sponsored. So yes, we’ll continue to find the right ways to bring sponsor funds to the table for our community and now in support of Ning networks, with full disclosure and a genuine commitment to our audience.
We can do a lot more good, for a lot longer, as a viable business. And we’ve got a lot to do yet.