Launched in 2010, a website called Nextdoor has grown astronomically in recent years. Known best for its direct mail outreach via post cards in homeowners’ mailboxes and its ability to connect nosy neighbors, Nextdoor is actually a leading social network targeting local communities.
You may be thinking, “Yeah, I know Nextdoor! I get about 10 notifications a day about missing pets and unwanted solicitors via that site.” Exactly. Most people know the social network as it relates to their own neighbors and home.
How is Nextdoor Different?
Unlike most other social media networks, Nextdoor verifies users’ validity by double-checking their identity and addresses before registering their profiles.
Nextdoor by the Numbers
Just how popular is Nextdoor? At the time of the most recent survey, Nextdoor had:
- 160,000 active users
- 145,000 neighborhoods
- 4 million messages sent daily
- 17 million user recommendations for businesses like yours
- 30 Neighborhood Favorite business categories
Nextdoor and Local Businesses
Toward the end of last year, Nextdoor began making moves in the local business space. For example, in August 2017, Nextdoor began offering advertising opportunities for real estate agents. That makes sense, as the network connects homeowners locally, so why not help in all areas of home ownership?
But they don’t stop there.
Like other social media sites, Nextdoor also lists local businesses. They even take it a step further, offering an annual awards program that lets neighborhood customers rank local businesses in neighborhoods across the country. They call this Neighborhood Favorites.
How to Become a Nextdoor Neighborhood Favorite
In October 2017, Neighborhood Favorites became the newest way Nextdoor is integrating local business support into the platform. To date, 200,000 local businesses have been named Neighborhood Favorites on Nextdoor. Why does it matter? Nextdoor said, “These amazing local businesses are what make each of our neighborhoods unique and special.” And we obviously agree.
Let’s make this more tangible for you and your business, though. Being named a Neighborhood Favorite could get you noticed and chosen by folks in your local community.
The first step to become a Nextdoor Neighborhood Favorite is to get your business listed.
Here’s how.
- Claim your local business page. This is much like adding a listing on an online business listings site. So make sure the information you enter matches how you’re listed across the web. Pro tip: Beware of doing this from your personal Nextdoor account. If you do so and you ever need to add another user like a partner or employee, you’ll have to share your personal email and password. Instead, log in from a separate account tied to your business email address.
- Receive a verification code from Nextdoor. They’ll call you to check your legitimacy, and you’ll share this code with them.
- If your page is already listed on Nextdoor, it could mean a current or former employee or colleague has already claimed the page. If that’s not the case, contact Nextdoor here.
Then, users do the rest.
Businesses win recognition as a Neighborhood Favorite thanks to a survey by Nextdoor: www.nextdoor.com/favorites.
Unsure how to get votes? There are some ethical concerns related to asking for positive reviews or mentions online. That’s because it’s unethical to trade any sort of reward or incentive for positive reviews. It’s not, however, unethical to ask current fans and loyal customers to share their opinions online or vote for you in surveys like this one, as long as you don’t put any pressure on them to do so or offer anything in return.
Why Become a Nextdoor Neighborhood Favorite?
- Social proof. Not sure what we mean? Read this blog on establishing social proof. Basically, it’s about the importance of getting others to sing your praises, not just you!
- Badging. Nextdoor sends Neighborhood Favorites winners a sticker to place on your storefront to showcase the recognition. Here’s why awards and badges are important.
- Free marketing. Aside from any ads you buy, or effort you put into managing your listing and asking customers to recommend you, the work you’ll put in is free. Can’t beat that!
Already a Nextdoor Neighborhood Favorite?
Share your unique tips in the comments below!
