By now you have probably received an invitation to join Nextdoor. And if recent press is any indication, you have been using Nextdoor in your community for quite some time.
Nextdoor now has over 125,000 neighborhoods registered in its network, which, according to Nextdoor co-founder Nirav Tolia, represents over 75% of the neighborhoods in US.
For those unfamiliar with Nextdoor, Charlie Rose recently interviewed Tolia and they discussed the history of Nextdoor and the value it offers to consumers and local business owners.
One of the biggest use cases for Nexdoor members early on was neighbors asking other neighbors for the best service provider in their area. In a New York Times article about why Nextdoor has caught on, Tolia describes why it works so well for local business owners…
Building community is really, really hard, said Nirav Tolia CEO of Nextdoor. Trust is essential, and it has to be authentic.
Of the five million messages are exchanged each day on Nextdoor, Mr. Tolia said, “the network’s users send more than one million recommending services to one another. And around 80% of those posts are discussions about local service providers and businesses.“
Nextdoor vs. Facebook
- Facebook was created to make it easy for people to connect and share with family and friends online.
- Nextdoor was created to connect neighbors around common issues and community conversations.
And while there is some overlap between both social networking sites, people are using Nextdoor to seek recommendations when they have a need. And while those recommendations may come from people they don’t know personally, there is a higher degree of trust when several neighbors recommend the same business.
My Introduction to Nextdoor
I first heard about Nextdoor on a local sports talk radio show. A caller described how he recently moved to Atlanta and was looking for a CrossFit gym near his home. He mentioned how his real estate agent told him about Nextdoor, and he used the website to get recommendations for a gym near his new home. After receiving three recommendations for the same gym, he visited and joined, which saved him a lot of time and hassle.
A Few Reasons You Might Want to Join
Obviously Nextdoor is a great resource for newcomers to an area, but it can be a valuable to for folks who have lived in the same area all their life.
- Keep up with community discussions where you have an interest.
- Learn about community events you want to attend.
- Have something to sell? Nextdoor classifieds is a free tool to reach people in your community.
- What if your dog goes missing. You can put flyers on telephone poles hoping someone will notice, or you can post an alert on Nextdoor. Share a photo and a description, and then everyone in your neighborhood and adjacent neighborhoods can be on the lookout.
Why Business Owners Should Be Using Nextdoor
If you own a company which does business in the community where you’re located, Nextdoor can help you reach more customers. Not only is Nextdoor free to use, but it is a robust platform for word of mouth referral marketing…neighbor to neighbor.
- Members appreciate knowing which businesses are preferred by their neighbors.
- Having this information up front saves time and hassle when trying finding someone who does a job well and is someone they can trust.
- And these recommendations make Nextdoor a great source of leads for your business.
The Bottom Line
I have enjoyed using Nextdoor. It has served as a resource when I have had a question or needed a recommendation. And I have enjoyed being “neighborly” by providing information and making referrals to businesses I support.
As I business coach, I am using Nextdoor to help clients reach more customers which is turn helps them grow their business. My clients have learned how to maximize the business profile platform and have implemented a strategy for engagement which produces referrals that convert to new business. And the good news is, you can too!
What Do You Think?
- Have you started using Nextdoor?
- What has your experience been like as a consumer or a business owner?
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