Let’s recap. How many social media platforms have we covered in our Blog so far? To date, we’ve gone over the major players in varying degrees: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and, recently, LinkedIn. Today we have another one for you: Nextdoor. Are you an outgoing person who looks forward to meeting and talking with neighbors whenever you get the chance? Or, are you the type who hides whenever all or only certain members of your home neighborhood approach? Most of us are a combination of the two, I’d say. If you’ve ever wished there was a way to communicate with neighbors on the Internet without having to do it face-to-face, Nextdoor was made for you!
Created in 2010, Nextdoor is a social media service that allows users to connect with people who live in their neighborhood. Currently, 143,000 neighborhoods are included in the service. Members who have signed up for this free service may post messages, events, polls, or alerts to those living in theirs and surrounding neighborhoods. Post categories include “Classifieds”, “Crime & Safety”, “Documents”, “Free items”, “General”, “Lost & Found”, “Pet Directory” where users post pictures and names of their pets in the event they’re ever lost, and “Recommendations”. Members may click on existing posts and click a “Thank” button to show their gratitude for the information, or click “Reply” to reply to the message publicly, or send the author a private message relating to their post. Fortunately in my neighborhood, the latest post in “Crime & Safety” is from two months ago discussing a bear sighting. Hopefully you’re just as lucky! I should also mention that if you’re a business owner, you may either claim an existing page, or create a page for your business. Be aware that Nextdoor frowns upon spamming others with recommendations of your own business, and you’re always asked to give any affiliation you may have with a company before posting.
If Nextdoor sounds like something you’d be interested in joining, it’s not as simple as just clicking “Join”. Future members must provide their full name, and verify their home address before being allowed to join. Current Nextdoor members can send invitations both physically and electronically to family and friends who may be interested in joining. For more information, visit: https://nextdoor.com/. After being accepted “into the neighborhood”, you’re able to customize your experience. Feel free to add a profile picture if you wish. Next, create an introductory post to say hello and tell more about yourself if you so desire. If you’re a Facebook member, the homepage will look familiar to you as it’s reminiscent of your Facebook Newsfeed. To invite family, friends, and neighbors to the site, click “Invite” at the top right of your screen. You’ll be presented with options of how to send your invitation. Choose from “Email”, “Postcards”, “Flyers”, or “Link”. Please note that twenty five postcards may be sent for free. Members can be added from anywhere in the United States. Finally, click on the “person” icon at the top right of the screen to tweak your “Profile”, “Bookmarks”, “Settings”, access “Help”, or to “Sign Out” of your account. The first thing I did upon signing up was to click on “Settings”. Here you may customize “Email”, “Mobile Alert”, “Nearby Neighbors”, and “Privacy” settings. As an e-mail hoarded I’m trying to change my ways, so “Email” was an important stop for me. By default, a number of local neighborhoods are included in your group. Click “Nearby Neighbors” to add or remove these somewhat superfluous neighbors. Lastly, for you people on the go, Nextdoor has a free app that can be found in either the App Store or Google Play.
Nextdoor is basically the 2017 version of a bulletin board in your home community. Need a babysitter (we’re always looking)? Lawn mowed? House painted? Simply make a post, and others who have filled a similar need are there to help. The world will also feel a little bit smaller when you can put a face to a neighbor’s name. It may not always be a beautiful day in the neighborhood, but Nextdoor might just be the way to head things into that direction.