The Nextdoor for Public Agencies Launch and Engagement Plan for government communicators contains everything you need to know about how to get starting with Nextdoor, best practices to inform residents, how to educate them about resources, and activate to take high-value actions to increase satisfaction and trust. Government agencies not already using Nextdoor can get started at http://nextdoor.com/agency.

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Nextdoor for Public Agencies
Engagement Plan for
Cities and Counties
February 2019
Prepared by:
Joseph Porcelli
Public Agency Lead &
Professional Neighbor
Nextdoor.com
857-222-4420
joseph@nextdoor.com
@JosephPorcelli
Table of Contents
● What is Nextdoor?
● What is Nextdoor for Public Agencies?
● Frequently Asked Questions
● How to delight your residents
● How to get started
● Draft use cases
● How often to post
● Which staff to give access
Joseph Porcelli | Senior City Strategist | Joseph@Nextdoor.com | (857) 222-4420 | @JosephPorcelli
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What is Nextdoor?
Nextdoor is the trusted communications platform for neighborhoods relied on by neighbors across
the United States and 7 other countries.
Nextdoor’s mission is to provide neighbors and our government partners with a platform to build
stronger, safer, and happier communities all over the world.
Neighbors rely on Nextdoor to connect with their local communities and have conversations about
everything from finding a babysitter to learning about a rash of break-ins.​ Unlike other social media
platforms, Nextdoor was built from the ground up with the neighborhood in mind.
Hyperlocal
Neighborhoods are founded by neighbors, with mapped
boundaries
Private
Only members with a verified address may access their
community’s Nextdoor neighborhood. Members are also
required to use their real names
Useful
Recommendations, classifieds, events, crime & safety,
and more!
Joseph Porcelli | Senior City Strategist | Joseph@Nextdoor.com | (857) 222-4420 | @JosephPorcelli
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Nextdoor for Government
Nextdoor allows city, county, and state communications
staff to build strong ties with the neighborhoods they
serve, increasing civic engagement and improving service
delivery.
Nextdoor’s free public agency platform allows communicators to
post messages to specific service areas or neighborhoods,
improving the reach and efficiency of their outreach. Verified
residents automatically receive posts shared by their city
government on Nextdoor.
Unique capabilities and differentiators:
Reach residents in the right places.
Share information with whom it matters most by sending
messages to targeted service areas and neighborhoods.
Engage in constructive conversations.
Mitigate online “trolling” by ensuring residents are who
they say they are - Nextdoor users must verify their
address, use their real name, and adhere to community
guidelines.
Drive positive outcomes offline.
Solicit feedback, educate the community with
interactive polls, and improve attendance at local
events and training sessions.
Thousand of your peers rely on Nextdoor:
● Cities: NYC, Los Angeles, Chicago
● States: New Jersey, Ohio, and Oregon
● Counties: Alameda, Travis, and Dekalb
● And cities and towns of all sizes
Get started today at Nextdoor.com/agency
Joseph Porcelli | Senior City Strategist | Joseph@Nextdoor.com | (857) 222-4420 | @JosephPorcelli
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Frequently asked questions about Nextdoor for Public Agencies
Do people need to like/fan/subscribe to receive our posts?
● No, Nextdoor for Public Agencies is an opt-out platform, all members automatically receive
your messages. Should they wish, they can unsubscribe from the agency or mute individual
users.
Can members start a conversation with us?
● No, communications are initiated by agency user.
How can do residents interact with agency users?
● Residents see agency posts on their Nextdoor website or mobile app, as well as through
email. Residents can thank and reply to agency posts, or send agency users private
messages. If needed in profile settings, you can disable private messages.
Do we have to monitor or moderate resident-to-resident conversations on Nextdoor?
● No, agency users cannot see information about residents or what they are discussing in
their neighborhoods.
Can we push a message out and not allow engagement?
● Yes, where applicable, you can close a discussion. In most cases, we do not recommend,
closing discussions.
Can we access Nextdoor for Public Agencies on our Mobile Device?
● Yes, you can log in from your mobile phone at​ ​nextdoor.com/login
How is archiving handled?
● Our system archives all your posts for you, nothing is deleted. If you need it, we have a
retrieval tool. In the coming months, we will be offering an API for companies like Archive
Social to use.
How to delight your residents with communication on Nextdoor
● Communicate with the aim to increase customer satisfaction, safety, and trust
● Communicate regularly
● Target communications so they are locally relevant
● Respond to questions as time allows
● Seek input with Nextdoor Polls for Public Agencies
Joseph Porcelli | Senior City Strategist | Joseph@Nextdoor.com | (857) 222-4420 | @JosephPorcelli
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Draft use cases
Topics to communicate
Inform residents about:
● Closures/changes/updates
○ Roads
○ Sidewalks
○ Bridgets
○ Bike Lanes
○ Bike stations
○ Parking lots
○ Large events
○ Ferries and buses
○ Major projects (Vision Zero)
○ Office hours
○ Services
● Disruptions:
○ Construction
○ Accidents
○ Tree trimming and spraying
● Follow-ups to issues and questions brought
up at community meetings
● Updates to projects and policies and
developments affecting neighborhoods
● Tax deadlines
● Correct misinformation
Activate residents to:
Download:
● Parking app
● 311 app
Attend:
● Budgeting form
● Community meetings
● Community event
Give input:
● Budgeting
● Licensing
● Development
● Policy
● Areas of concern
Volunteer:
● Clean up
● Shovel
● Events
Educate residents about:
● Policies and decisions being made that may affect their neighborhoods
● How to access city services, use 311, and where to report criminal activity
● Who are, what they do, and how to contact district office staff
● Available office, city, and community-based programs and resources
● Most requested/How stuff works:
Partners are not permitted to use Nextdoor for campaigning and fundraising purposes or any
business other than official city business. Doing so will result in immediate page deletion.
Joseph Porcelli | Senior City Strategist | Joseph@Nextdoor.com | (857) 222-4420 | @JosephPorcelli
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How often to post
Neighborhood City Wide
As often as you like/need to Weekly
If there is a major announcement or incident, post as needed where needed
Which staff to give access
Public Information Officers
Department Directors, Managers, and Coordinators
Joseph Porcelli | Senior City Strategist | Joseph@Nextdoor.com | (857) 222-4420 | @JosephPorcelli
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