You might think Nextdoor is just another social media app, and too much like hard work to adopt. Here's why you should reconsider using Nextdoor for your pharmacy...
Why use Nextdoor for your Pharmacy? So much of the internet is engineered for remote, geographically neutral business. You buy without ever meeting anyone or even leaving your home. Most social media & online apps are focus on connecting you to communities based on interest, rather than proximity. This works in the mainstream because there is more that connects us than living in the same area. But living in the same area does connect us. If living through a lockdown has taught us anything, it's to appreciate the things on our doorstep.Nextdoor specialises in local community
Harnessesing the power of local in a simple way that most other apps don't, Nextdoor specialises in connecting local people and takes it to the next level. They've recognised how popular those local neighbourhood groups you get on Facebook are, and based their entire app on making that experience as good as it could be. Instead of one page where everyone is talking about everything, you've got local interest groups, events, and Local Deals - all of which you can take advantage of as a pharmacy.
The range of features on Nextdoor.1. It's for Local People & Local Businesses
The challenge for small businesses with big social media platforms like Facebook & Instagram is how over-populated and commercialised they are. Nextdoor isn't overcrowded. There isn't so much noise that it's hard for anyone to get heard. Nextdoor is about connecting local communities with local events and news. This is what attracts the attention of so many users. Look at this local community facebook page and see how active it is (and this is just a village). Nextdoor plays on this popularity. When you want to advertise your services, you want attention from a relevant target audience. A Community Pharmacy should be at the heart of every neighbourhood on Nextdoor, because Nextdoor gives you both. The competition and standard on Nextdoor from businesses is...practically zero, especially compared to Facebook. In fact, in my neighbourhood, the only actual business set up and using it in the right way is a local pharmacist. As an added bonus, to sign up for Nextdoor, users must enter their address and verify their mobile phone number. This means Nextdoor doesn't suffer from anonymous, spam, or abusive accounts, so you won't get the type of negative comments you sometimes see on Facebook or Twitter.2. It's Word of Mouth, Online
Word of mouth - often touted by business owners as the best form of marketing. There's certainly nothing like other people recommending your business. You can shout about how great you are, but coming from an independent source means twice as much. People in the community are constantly asking for recommendations. Whilst you can be recommended regardless of whether or not you're on Nextdoor, people can link your profile when recommending you. Your profile keeps all your recommendations, so people see how trusted you are in the community. This separates you and the competition when you're both receiving recommendations. These community pages are often untapped for the targets that matter most, like EPS & delivery sign-ups. You can advertise this as well as waiting for recommendations.3. An Active, Engaged Audience
Nextdoor doesn't have anywhere near as many active users as Facebook, but Facebook is a diverse crowd. Some people Facebook to post pictures, others to catch up with friends. In fact, very few people go on Facebook to keep up with the businesses on there! It just happens you can attract their attention whilst they're there. Nextdoor is about what's going on in the local community. It's about finding the best places to go in the area. Showing up to people on Nextdoor has a higher chance of converting into paying business, because that's often why people are there in the first place. The Local Deals is the PERFECT place to promote any clinical services you offer. It's basically like Groupon, but for local businesses. Just by discounting your service slightly, you'll get free exposure and advertising in the Local Deals section and attract markets that wouldn't otherwise find you.
The Local Deals section on Nextdoor - criminally underused by businesses. This is an opportunity for instant visibility to people with purchasing intent.