Nextdoor is a social media site founded as a place for neighbors to communicate and share information on a range of topics. More recently, cities have found it useful to spread communitywide information with residents. (Photo courtesy Nextdoor)

In the world of social media, it is little surprise Facebook and Twitter lead the pack among total users.

But in recent years, a San Francisco-based tech company has been taking the successful companies’ approach to a granular level — one so finite, in fact, that it has a neighborhood focus.

Nextdoor, launched in late 2011, has been sprouting up in neighborhoods across the country.

A quick online search reveals the social media platform — accessible on a traditional computer or laptop and through a separate mobile app — is in use in a number of Illinois neighborhoods, including ones in such Central Illinois communities as Bloomington, Normal and Peoria.

From the onset, Nextdoor’s founders have touted it as a place for neighbors to communicate among one another on a range of topics, from sharing ideas on trustworthy contractors to organizing neighborhood-related events. The site also has a classifieds section.

More recently, Nextdoor has expanded its service, giving municipalities the opportunity to partner with the company by taping into its technology and communicating with the site’s existing user base.

At the beginning of the year, the Town of Normal joined a small, but growing, list of communities using Nextdoor to spread information about a range of issues, including road construction alerts and neighborhood-specific crime data.

In its first four months of implementation, Heather Wagner, Normal’s communications manager, said a growing number of residents have been taking the town up on its offer to share information through the social medial site.

Between March and April, Wagner said the number of Nextdoor subscribers within Normal spiked from 1,600 to 2,700 residents, and she said she expects an even larger number of participants as summer kicks into gear.

“It’s opened up another line of communication for our residents,” Wagner said. “From the town’s perspective, it’s a way to reach people in the most effective way possible.”

Nextdoor social media app is in use in a number of neighborhoods in Central Illinois communities as Bloomington, Normal and Peoria. (Photo courtesy Nextdoor

Initially, Wagner said there was some hesitation within the community about the municipal involvement, particularly for diehard residents who had been using the social media site for an extended period of time and had privacy concerns.

But Wagner emphasized neither she nor any other town staffer has the ability to read messages within the password-protected site. Before joining any of Nextdoor’s communities, users need to verify their address through an authentication process.

“I’m not a big brother in any way,” Wagner said. “But I am able to push out information into these neighborhoods.”

Nextdoor also is an opportunity for the town to tailor its messages. Case in point: Wagner said she or another municipal staffer might share details about a road-resurfacing project to the neighborhoods directly impacted by the work.

Two of the town’s agencies, the police and fire departments, are using the service as well to communicate with residents. At times, the departments send blanket messages to all residents; in other instances, however, the messages are location-specific.

Greg Leipold, the town’s community service police officer, said Nextdoor has the potential of being an especially useful tool in instances where crimes are occurring in specific neighborhoods or sections of the community.

“We are always looking for innovative ways to increase safety for our residents,” Leipold said. “With Nextdoor, we can help empower neighbors to keep their communities safe and connected and give them the ability to collaborate on virtual neighborhood watch efforts.”

In a statement explaining the rationale behind the government partnership option, Nextdoor co-founder Sarah Leary cited public safety as one of the top reasons the company decided to create the opportunity.

“Crime and safety issues have emerged as an important topic discussed on Nextdoor, and it was only natural that residents wanted to hear from their local agencies,” Leary said in the statement.

— Central Illinois towns use social media app to communicate with residents —