How and where people shop has changed drastically in the last few years, particularly in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. More than ever before, consumers want to support local businesses. In fact, 57% of customers prefer to spend their money locally to keep money local. As a result, now is the time for businesses to advertise to potential customers right in their neighborhood through Nextdoor advertising. 

The Nextdoor social media platform acts as a simple and effective way to find and attract those ever-important local customers. The site allows neighborhood residents to post and ask about the happenings in their community, including inquiring about business recommendations. This guide will outline Nextdoor marketing strategies you can use to promote your business, increase revenue, and attract loyal customers.

Table of Contents

What is Nextdoor?

The drive behind the Nextdoor social media platform is to connect members of a community on a local scale. This global app has over 275,000 neighborhoods registered in over 11 countries. It allows neighbors, businesses, nonprofits, public agencies, and large brands to start discussions, ask for recommendations, post nearby safety alerts or news updates — and advertise their products, services, or items for sale.

What makes Nextdoor stand out among competitors is its strict verification process to ensure that only real members of a particular neighborhood can join a specific community. There are officially six different ways for you to get verified on the platform, guaranteeing that every single user is real. This removes a lot of concern associated with other social media sites where registration only asks for a name and email, leading to an overload of spam or false information.

How can Nextdoor help your business?

Nextdoor advertising as seen on a cellphone
On Nextdoor, you can list your essential business information, upload photos, ask for recommendations, and talk with customers, as pictured here.

According to Nextdoor, 25% of all conversations involve neighbors asking for recommendations for local businesses — and these recommendations are effective. 79% of customers say that they trust online reviews as much as the personal recommendations they receive from those in their network. As such, the biggest benefit to using Nextdoor for your business is by receiving recommendations from your customers.

But it’s not just about word-of-mouth on the platform. Nextdoor advertising strategies can encompass methods such as broadcasting local deals, sales, promotions, and store updates as well as replying to customer inquiries. Considering these abilities, the top benefits of Nextdoor for your business include:

  • Reaching and engaging with a local audience
  • Building strong customer relationships
  • Networking with other businesses and organizations
  • Bringing in locals with promotions and sales
  • Keeping up-to-date with your community

Fortunately, it is easy to get started on Nextdoor. The social media platform lets you reap the benefits from the get-go.

How do you create a business page on Nextdoor?

Whether you already have a personal Nextdoor account or are just starting from scratch, claiming a business page on the platform is 100% free. Even better, just about any kind of business can be claimed on the platform, from big corporations to individuals who provide a singular service — like a dog walker, for example.

Claiming a page is done in a few steps and can be done by either a business owner, an employee, or another approved representative:

  • Visit business.nextdoor.com/local and click on “Create Your Free Business Page.”
  • From here, you can either continue by using your personal Nextdoor account or creating a completely new account just for your business.
  • To continue with your personal account, click on your existing email and sign in.
  • Click “Use a different account” and fill in the required account information to make a new account. 
  • Once you’ve signed in or created your account, you’ll type in your business name.
  • Next, enter your business address.
  • Type in your public contact information, including your business email, phone number, and website.
  • Under the “Contact Info,” select the category or categories that best relate to your business. You can choose up to 10.
  • Note that the more categories you choose, the more neighbors you will attract, and the stronger your Nextdoor advertising will be. 

From your business profile page, you’ll have the ability to customize your business by uploading a company logo and cover image. You’ll also be able to share your company story, list your products or services, and update your contact information so customers can find you.

How does your Nextdoor business page get verified?

Before taking any further steps, you’ll need to get your business officially verified by the platform. Luckily, with the right materials, you can get your business verified in just a couple of minutes.

screenshot of verifying an account on Nextdoor
Verification can be completed directly from your business profile by following these four simple steps.

You can find the verification page under “Settings,” as shown in the above graphic. The quickest and easiest way to get your business verified is to enter an access code that Nextdoor will send you via text or phone call. If this isn’t possible, you can choose to submit an accepted form of documentation — such as a business bank statement, credit report, or registration certificate. You will submit one of these documents to the “Submit verification materials” button under “Settings.”

Once you’ve set up your business page and are verified, it’s time to advertise on the platform.

What are some effective Nextdoor advertising strategies?

On Nextdoor, you have access to several advertising options. Each option has its own advantages. Still, the number one strategy you should pursue is securing customer recommendations.

Get Nextdoor recommendations

Your business will not be listed on Nextdoor searches until you have three recommendations. This is to ensure that your business is genuine and trustworthy to neighbors. As such, your first step is to request customers to recommend you.

You can do so by reaching out to your personal network on other social media channels by sharing a link to your business page and asking for recommendations. On the other hand, you can reach out to your regular customers through email marketing. To assist you with this, Constant Contact offers the top email marketing strategies to increase customer engagement.

It’s important to note that only individuals who are registered on Nextdoor can post a recommendation. So, those wanting to leave one will have to create a Nextdoor account, which can be done directly on the social media platform’s site. Once you’ve gathered recommendations, they will be visible on your business page as well as alongside any posts or local deals you share.

Optimize your business profile

Your Nextdoor business profile is your opportunity to truly make a connection with your neighbors and can act as Nextdoor advertising. One of the best ways to do this is to write an intriguing brand story. You can do this by going to the “Your Page” link on the left-hand panel of your business page.

Besides writing the basics — including who you are, what your business is, and when you were founded — share the why and how behind your business. How can your products or services better the community? Why did you decide to settle down in this neighborhood specifically? Remember that Nextdoor’s philosophy is all about connecting with local people on a personal scale. Be sure to show the humanistic side of your business to foster that personal connection.

Respond to neighbors

Once people see your business in search results and start to review your page, they may have questions for you or comments on what you have to offer. Neighbors can post a comment on your business page, mention you in a post, or send you a private message. 

You can respond to public comments in the “Member comments” section on the left sidebar of your page and private messages in your “Inbox.” Be sure to respond to messages promptly to increase customer engagement and loyalty.

Nextdoor offers community guidelines to guide you in constructing replies to both positive and negative comments alike, should you receive them. They also emphasize that Nextdoor advertising should not appear in public comments but rather on your business page to refrain from appearing spam-like.

Create Local Deals ads

Local Deals are the big paid feature of Nextdoor, with the cost of a deal averaging at $75. They remain one of the platform’s most popular ways for local businesses to advertise to audiences. There is no limit on how many Local Deals you can create. However, each one will have to focus on a specific neighborhood and have a set time to appear to neighbors.

nextdoor advertisement on a cell phone showing a discount code
This Local Deal shows a discount code Nextdoor members can use on a future purchase.

You can offer many different kinds of Locals Deals, including discount codes, promotions, or announcements of upcoming sales or deals either online or in-shop. Neighbors can discover your Local Deals ad in several different places across the Nextdoor app and website.

This includes on their feeds, in the Local Deals section, in Nextdoor’s Daily Digest emails, and on your business page. They may also see your ad in search results when neighbors look up deals related to your products or services. This gives you ample opportunity to reach a vast audience.

How a neighbor redeems your offer will depend on which setting you choose. You can allow neighbors to copy any discount or promotional code to use on your website. Or, you can enable neighbors to pull up your business page to show the deal while at your store. To give customers an extra push, they will receive emails about Local Deals that are ending soon, inspiring them to make a purchase.

The process of creating a Local Deal as a Nextdoor advertising strategy looks like this:

  • On your business page, click on “Content” on the left-hand side of the screen.
  • Click “Create a Local Deal.”
  • Add a title and the details of your deal.
  • Select the duration of the deal, which can range from seven to 30 days.
  • Add a redemption code or specific terms and conditions if applicable.
  • Add a photo and preview what your deal will look like.
  • Select your audience. The feature defaults to neighborhoods within a two-mile radius, though you can expand this to up to 10 miles. This will also fluctuate the fee you will pay for the deal.
  • Review your order and enter payment details.
  • Click “Submit,” and your deal is set up.

The day after you have officially posted your Local Deal, you can check metrics on how it is performing. The metrics are split up into “Views,” “Clicks,” and “Saves”:

  • “Views” will tell you how many people viewed your deal across the different formats it is available in.
  • “Clicks” will inform you how many members clicked on your deal. 
  • “Saves” will let you know how many people saved your deal for future use.

Share business posts

Businesses can share up to two business posts a month in which members can react to or comment on when they appear on their newsfeed. This is similar to social media platforms such as Facebook or Instagram.

Business posts give you plenty of opportunities to create interesting and community-focused messages. Not only can you share updates about your business, but you can also ask for requests or feedback, create fun polls, or share interesting photos — all highly impressionable Nextdoor advertising ideas. 

Many businesses on Nextdoor use posts to show behind-the-scenes photos of their business, including pictures of their staff to show their human side. You can also use common social marketing strategies to post customer testimonials or highlight one specific product or service.

Making a business-post is very similar to creating a Local Deal. You will navigate your way back to the “Content” page on your business profile, except this time you will click on “Create Post.” You will then write your post, attach photos, choose your audience, and click “Submit.”

Are you following these best tips and practices for Nextdoor success?

After considering how to advertise on Nextdoor, you should look into how to optimize your Nextdoor usage to see quality results. Below are a few tips to ensure you build a strong presence on the platform.

Track and measure

Some of the more advantageous features of Nextdoor are its numerous performance metrics you can use to track your performance. For instance, “Organic Neighborhood Reach” lets you see how you perform in specific sections of your neighborhood. This can help you key in on who you should target with your future promotions and deals, giving you a better idea of how far to extend your radius for your Nextdoor advertising.

Two other useful metrics include “Nextdoor Neighbors” and “Nextdoor Neighborhoods.” With these, you can see how many people and different neighborhoods have access to your profile. This information can help you reevaluate both your reach and your profile performance overall.

What can you do to cast a wider net on the site? Should you post more Local Deals or seek more recommendations? It’s always a good idea to reevaluate after some time to regulate your profile.

Respond promptly

Potential customers like prompt responses to inquiries. Make sure you have post and comment notifications turned on to receive messages every time there is engagement on your page. Try to respond as promptly as possible to keep high customer satisfaction.

If you get the same questions repeatedly, you can create a FAQ section on your business profile to save both you and the customer time.

Leverage your personal account

While you can’t promote your business from your personal account, it’s still a good idea to be involved with your community. You can do so by joining groups, participating in discussions, and following other businesses on your personal account.

This can help build your name in the neighborhood and show that you’re involved in the community as an individual and a business owner or employee. Even better, you can network with others and develop new business ideas or foster partnerships with other companies nearby.

Ready to launch your Nextdoor business page?

More than ever before, customers desire to support local businesses by engaging with them and making purchases. You can sign up for and use Nextdoor today to let these eager customers know about what you have to offer and what kinds of deals are available to them. This increases your revenue and fosters loyal relationships with neighbors who will return again and again. All it takes is that first step to start seeing all of the benefits.

Now that you know what Nextdoor is and how it can benefit your business, it’s time to utilize these highly effective strategies and tips to boost your business’s success. If you need advertising and marketing inspiration, you can check out Constant Contact’s online marketing blog for the best ideas to find success on any social media platform, including Nextdoor.