Small Business News

Nextdoor Introduces New Tools for Small Businesses

Small business owners looking to promote themselves on Nexdoor and reach more of their neighbors now have more ways to do so. This week, the popular app announced a new post composer, giving businesses more post format options. These new formats include Events, Polls, and Video.

First, businesses can now create and share events on the Nextdoor platform. In addition to showing up in newsfeeds for users who “Fave” a business, these events will be featured on the app’s Discover page for neighbors within a 10-mile radius. Another new option is Polls. Using this feature, businesses can get feedback and input from customers in a fun and easy way. Lastly, businesses can now also create Video posts, allowing them to highlight new products, share anecdotes, or just introduce themselves to their neighbors.

All three of these new formats are available to small business users globally. To get started, owners can create a free Nextdoor business page and enjoy unlimited business posts. However, those wishing to increase their reach can also utilize Nextdoor Ads, which have a 30-mile range.

Although Nextdoor may not be the first platform businesses owners think of when they consider promoting on social media, according to a recent survey from the company, 62% of “neighbors” on the service have discovered a small business on Nextdoor. Additionally, 78% said they were more likely to trust a business if it was recommended by a neighbor. Elsewhere, 91% of users surveyed say that supporting small local businesses is important to them and 78% of respondents report shopping at, patronizing, or hiring a local business at least once per month.

Announcing the new features and the inspiration behind them, Nextdoor’s Chief Product Officer Kiran Prasad said, “Small businesses are often the lifeblood of communities and when businesses thrive, neighborhoods thrive. Continuing to show up for these businesses is crucial during times of economic hardship where many are experiencing tightening financial conditions.”

Prasad continued, “There are more than 3.6 million businesses on Nextdoor who can now utilize these new, easy-to-use marketing tools at no cost. We’ve focused on delivering an easy and seamless experience so small businesses can turn their attention to more critical aspects of their business — their customers.”

With so many social media platforms available these days, it can be difficult for small businesses to keep up — and just trying to can be overwhelming. Because of this, entrepreneurs shouldn’t feel compelled to use every option available to them if it means they’re spreading themselves too thin. That said, it may at least be worth experimenting with Nextdoor and giving their new tools a shot. From there, business owners can decide whether to continue being active on the platform or focus their efforts elsewhere.

Also published on Medium.

Other Articles by Jonathan Dyer