I’ve talked a lot about the major social media platforms: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram. Now I want to talk about Nextdoor, a lesser-known platform, and what it can or more likely can’t do for your business.

What is Nextdoor?

I described it to my mom as like Facebook but just for your neighborhood. Which is definitely oversimplifying it, but it’s a good place to start. Nextdoor works as a location-based message board where neighbors can post and talk to each other. You can post announcements, items up for sale, garage sales, lost or found pets, etc. But those posts only go to other people in your neighborhood or in surrounding neighborhoods. There aren’t friends or followers and you can’t see posts from your mom in Oklahoma if you live in Indiana. It’s all local.

How can my business use Nextdoor?

Unlike Facebook, there aren’t pages or groups on Nextdoor which makes it difficult for businesses to get a foothold on the platform. You can make your own personal page, which I’d encourage, to learn about what’s happening in your community and connect with potential customers. As far as sales and marketing, however, options are limited. You can choose to list your business on Nextdoor, but business pages work more like Yelp pages than Facebook pages. Consumers can give you recommendations and comment on your business services, but Nextdoor has strict policies about commercial businesses posting into the news feed about services.

Can I advertise on Nextdoor?

Yes! But it’s pricey. The platform is only beginning to open advertising options up to national advertisers who are willing to spend several thousand dollars every month on advertising. (This may change over time.) Once you do, you’ll be able to put out sponsored posts, which blend in with normal posts on your target audience’s timeline.

Nextdoor has exploded in popularity in recent years, inspiring Twitter accounts like @bestofnextdoor. It’s meant to be a private social media network, exclusive for just you and your neighbors. Because of its popularity, I would encourage you to set up your business page just for people to be able to recommend you to their neighbors. But until Nextdoor expands capabilities for businesses or lowers its advertising cap, its marketing benefits are yet to be seen.

June 2019 Editor’s Note: Since Page’s evaluation of Nextdoor and the expensive entry point for advertising on the platform, Nextdoor has introduced a new advertising tool. Nextdoor Offers is a pilot service that is currently being tested in Portland, San Antonio, and Indianapolis which allows business pages on Nextdoor to create and promote unique offers, coupons, and promotions.

Unlike the original model for Nextdoor advertising, Nextdoor is more small-business friendly. Instead of thousands of dollars on a campaign, the budget on a Nextdoor offer is determined by how many zip codes and neighborhoods within a 10-mile radius of your brick and mortar store. This can result in a much friendlier budget of only a few dollars a day. If you are interested in learning more about Nextdoor and its potential, check out Sam’s blog here.