Twitter and Nextdoor Best Posting Practices for Business

Few social media platforms are as controversial as Twitter. From meeting with congress on the issues of privacy to the sale of Twitter to Elon Musk earlier this year, a lot of attention has been put on the platform in recent time. The platform, however, is a great tool to advertise and promote your business, regardless of what industry your business is a part of. There are many communities out there on Twitter, and it’s important to find the community that will engage most with not only your content, but also your business.



Twitter is not anywhere near the platform that some people may think it is. It’s always teaming with life, a vast ecosystem that can transfer data, opinions, and various other types of content at an instant. Athletes, politicians, and actors use the platform to promote their own brand, so why not take advantage of that with your business? You’d be surprised just how influential Twitter can be to consumers. Age groups 18-29 and 30-49 make up the majority of active users on Twitter. Of the 18-29 age group, 41% are frequent tweeters, while 14% are infrequent tweeters. The age group 30-49 has less frequent tweeters at 32%, and a higher percentage of infrequent users at 59%, respectively.

For frequent tweeters, 19% post their own, original content. 46% retweet; 30% reply tweet, and 5% post quote tweets. These are important statistics because they may provide insight as to what content people interact with, and each piece of content is. Here’s a list of ideas that you can use to enhance your reputation on Twitter:

• Engagement type posting – You could ask a question in your post. The more you attempt to engage directly with your business, the more likely consumers are to respond and provide insight as to who likes your content.
• Video Content – If you have YouTube, it would be a good idea to post links to videos made, or even posting short videos for Twitter consumers to use.
• You could post “call to action” messages with links that drive people to your other social media pages. Linking all the social media platforms can present an opportunity for your Twitter followers to interact with your other media options.
• Events – If you own a shop that likes to give back to and interact with the community your business serves, event posting is a great way to establish a relationship with your customers.
• Industry news – Using important news that may affect your business is a good way to keep your customers informed.
• Job posts – You can link your application to available positions within your company.

Nextdoor is a different story entirely. If you are unfamiliar with the platform, Nextdoor is a social networking site that is hyperlocal, meaning that consumers can only interact with businesses that are local to their area. Nextdoor was founded in 2008 and launched in the US in 2011 by Nirav Tolla, Prakash Janakiraman, David Wiesen, and Sarah Leary. It is a platform in which consumers can follow their local businesses and provide feedback for other consumers in their area. Businesses can post content for consumers to interact with and share with other citizens.

Pew Research conducted a survey to gauge the percentage of people using which type of media they use as of February 2021. They found that 81% of the respondents used YouTube, which is the highest percentage of users in the entire study. Nextdoor is at the bottom of the list at 13%. This could be because it is not a well-known platform, or it is just not popular to people in the area that the study was conducted. Either way, the platform serves as yet another tool, only this tool is more specific to your clientele within your area.

When it comes to posting on a platform that is specifically designed to be used for areas local to the business, it is important to figure out what posts will work with Nextdoor. Here’s a list from Nextdoor of the 6 types of posts that neighbors would want to see for non-business pages:

• Updates on an emergency/crisis situation
• Public safety tips
• Neighborhood specific crime issues, stats, and success stories
• Upcoming public meetings notices
• Information about street closures, planned changes to a neighborhood park, etc.

For business accounts, the content must be different. Nextdoor has also provided a list of ideas that can be used to post interesting content. Click here to read more. Here is a brief summary of their ideas:

1. Posting important announcements – A post like this would offer a great opportunity to not only announce your arrival on the platform, but also any news regarding employment, business information changes, or product/services changes.
2. Showing your business’ strongest points – If your business has certifications, awards, and expert employees, posting content like this will show your neighbors that your business is credible, professional, and capable.
3. Posting customer reviews/testimonials – Doing this shows your neighbors that other people who have experience with your business enjoyed their experience, and that might entice others to visit your place of business.
4. Community-based posting – Adding content to your listing that highlights your willingness to support or give back to your local community. Consumers who use Nextdoor will see that, and that may be attractive to people in your area. An example of a community-based posts would be a photo of your business hosting an event or participating in a cause.
5. Short stories – Showing a glimpse into the conception and continuing story of your business is a great way to make your business more attractive.
6. Embracing your community and being vulnerable – Becoming more personal with your community promotes engagement and can prompt consumers to support your business. A great example of this would be to thank your community for supporting your business.
7. Different posts depending on the season – Use your location to your advantage. Posting content with weather or seasonal changes in mind can be deemed a useful reminder to consumers to have certain types of maintenance completed on their vehicle.
8. Sharing contents and giveaways (If applicable) – If your business hosts contests or giveaways, this is a great way to build repour with current and potential customers.

These ideas are common, but they are important in building the reputation of your business. These are merely ideas, but it is important to create content that is organic and consumer friendly. If you are struggling to figure out the best type of content to create for your business, referring to the list above should give you plenty of options that will best serve your audience. As always, our team at Optimize Social Media/Optimize Digital Marketing can take your social media pages to the next level. We offer expert level client onboarding, as well as reputation management, content creation and posting, and much, much more.