
In May 2022, we moved. Within a week we received a DIY-looking printout in our mailbox that appeared to be created by a neighbor inviting us to join the neighborhood group on the NextDoor App. I had never heard of the app but thought it couldnโt hurt to join a neighborhood group online for updates and perhaps to meet some folks in the area.
I put up with this app for a month and that was a month too long. I deleted it for reasons I set out below.
I tossed the printout that was delivered in our mailbox but I now suspect it wasnโt a friendly neighbor but instead a very clever marketing strategy. It sure worked with me cause I signed up within a day of receiving the printed invite to join the group. My suspicions were somewhat confirmed when I received a broader neighborhood email newsletter (itโs a legit association) sent an email saying that they are not the group behind the Nextdoor printout campaigns. While the neighborhood association doesnโt outright say itโs more marketing than anything else, it insinuates it by saying these printouts donโt have any contact info for the person delivering it. It just has a name at the bottom.
Nextdoor is a decent idea but badly executed
Nextdoor isnโt malicious or anything nefarious as far as I can tell. Instead, itโs simply badly executed and far more a nuisance than helpful. Hereโs are my gripes about this app:
Isnโt restricted to your neighborhood: I turned on notifications believing Iโd receive super relevant updates and info but thatโs not what happened. I was getting notifications about neighborhoods 10 miles away. In fact, very few posts pertained to our local area.
Way too many local businesses plugging services: Iโm all for marketing. Iโm all for supporting local business. Iโm not all for joining a group to then be bombarded with local businesses, most of which are pretty far from where I live, hawking their services. I didnโt sign up for that. I certainly donโt want to receive notifications for that.
Cluttered UX: Thereโs too much going on in the app. I canโt figure it out.
The biggest problem is the group I joined isnโt restricted to people in my direct neighborhood. If the app could get that right, I can put up with businesses marketing services and the cluttered UX.
Itโs unfortunate because it seems to me that restricting notifications members received to their immediate neighborhood is possible.
Better options for a neighborhood platform
Facebook Group for Your Neighborhood
Facebook group is a better solution IMO. I canโt believe Iโm saying this because Iโm not a big fan of Facebook Groups but for a neighborhood group, FB Groups is perfect. The reason for this is it can be tightly monitored with respect to who is admitted as well as whatโs posted.
The only downside is it does require an administrator to take the time to administrate it. Itโs a bit of a thankless job but if done reasonably well, it can be very effective.
Managed website & email newsletter
Our broader neighborhood has a website, print newsletter and an email newsletter. It works great. The website posts updates and events. The newsletters do as well. Ours is an established association that runs it. The newsletter sells ad spaces for reasonable rates.
Whatโs important here is there are people running it so itโs properly managed.
The downside is itโs not as timely as social media. The website isnโt updated daily (more like weekly or monthly). The newsletter is monthly.
If you want a well-run neighborhood digital presence, setting up a website, email newsletter and Facebook Group is ideal. Itโs a perfect gig for someone who has quite a bit of spare time and has an interest in their neighborhood. Thereโs so much that these platforms and forms of communications could do for a neighborhood.
Our broader neighborhood association takes this approach and itโs great. I receive the email newsletter and am part of the FB Group.
If your neighborhood doesnโt have an association or group, is it worth starting?
IMO, it is. Iโm not super involved in my community but I like being kept up to date with whatโs happening. Iโm more involved in my kidsโ school (which is in the neighborhood) and I coach local teams but I do very much appreciate all the folks that contribute time to the running our neighborhood association.
If you donโt have much time, the easiest and most effective thing to launch is a Facebook Group. It costs nothing. There probably wonโt be much administration needed if you restrict it to a very localized area. The key will be getting your neighbors to join which does require getting the word out a bit. Just make it clear itโs not going to be a spam fest or permit marketing. Itโll be used for helpful information only.
Running online platforms for neighborhoods can get tricky
I run an online forum and the pr0blems associated with that are similar to running a local neighbhorhood Facebook Group. The biggest problem, asssuming you donโt have a spam issue, is determining whether to permit certain posts or not. Specifically, should you permit people to post things for sale? It veers toward marketing but isnโt entirely.
While it might seem like a tough one, hereโs my two centsโ worth. Do not permit people to post stuff for sale. Before you know it, youโll be running a classifieds page which goes against the purpose of the group in the first place. There should be no commerce happening, whether a small business or people selling stuff.
I actually think our larger neighborhood association does it right. They do offer ad spaces for local businesses at the bottom of the email newsletter and on the website. Theyโre not obnoxious. It generates some revenue for the association. It gives very local businesses an opportunity to reach their customers. Itโs a win/win. I just wouldnโt permit in the Facebook group. Thatโs a slippery slope.
And yes, you can certainly sell classifieds in the email newsletter as well.
