Nextdoor is still a relatively new social media hub for many people but quickly building a huge user community. Unlike Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and others, Nextdoor is focused on hyper-local social networking. Think of it as a neighborhood email distribution list on steroids.
Like many other platforms, there are always a variety of topics being discussed at any given time. Some you’ll find useful. Some will put a smile on your face. Some will leave you shaking your head. However, overall, I think you’ll find it extremely useful. Here are a few of things I’ve found particularly nifty:
- Neighborhood issues discussion with other neighbors in a forum format.
- Recommendations for service providers, contractors, etc. that neighbors have used.
- Advice from neighbors who happen to be subject matter experts or may have experience with a similar situation.
- Opportunities to help neighbors in need.
- Neighborhood safety and security alerts.
- Lost and found pet alerts.
- Advertise items for sale or give away.
- Learn about and/or share community events.
- Getting to know neighbors you may not otherwise meet.
Also, checkout some of the inspiring stories about how Nextdoor has helped others and built stronger communities here.
Only verified residents can sign up for a neighborhood. You may find yourself asking “How does Nextdoor control who can sign up for a specific neighborhood?” Here it is in a nutshell: When creating an account, you’ll be asked if you would like to verify your address using your mobile phone account or by mail. Your address is verified by matching it to the billing address on your mobile account. If verifying by mail, a verification code will be sent to the address provided. — One word of caution: Don’t let the verification lull you into a false sense of security. Nextdoor is still a public social media platform. Users should still exercise the same level of caution used on other platforms and carefully consideration information being shared.
You don’t have to visit Nextdoor every day or even every week for it to be useful. Many users only pop in when they need a recommendation or maybe when trying to find out what’s happening when the neighborhood seems aflutter. However, it works best when everyone contributes to the discussion. Whatever your preferences, you can set notifications for specific topics or nothing at all.
Give it a try. I think you’ll be glad you did.
