Facebook is known for socialising but in recent days it has been helping many small-scale industries to sell their products and service through the Facebook marketplace. Many small-scale industries and small businesses have gained a lot of customers using the Facebook marketplace.
In that way, now Facebook is planning to connect all its Local communities, neighbours and local groups on Facebook into a giant hive known to be Facebook Neighborhood.
Facebook has also informed that this Facebook Neighborhood will have a specified space where local groups and people can be identified and people can also find local communities near to their location.
“Facebook Neighborhoods is a dedicated space within the Facebook app designed to help you connect with your neighbors, participate in your local community and discover new places nearby.” – Facebook
Facebook was always meant to be a place where you can find new friends but now Facebook is becoming more useful in finding local businesses, tips from local groups, donations and much more. These connections are always not easy to make. So Facebook is planning to bring in Facebook Neighborhood, a destination where local businesses, communities and people are brought together under a single roof.
“Throughout the pandemic and especially in the past year, we’ve seen just how crucial these connections can be. Facebook Neighborhoods makes it easier to do this, bringing the local experience across Facebook into one place.” – Facebook
How does Facebook Neighborhood work?
Facebook app will have a new section for Facebook Neighborhood where you can select your location and it will show the local communities, local groups and people around that particular locality. To use this feature, you should be more than 18 years old and should have confirmed your owned location status.
Facebook only allows choosing your resident location and the nearby locations to find the posts and people in the neighbourhood.
Facebook Neighborhood: A way to meet and connect
Facebook Neighborhood is similar to the Facebook profile, you can create a list of your interests, your favourite foods, the places you have been to, and a list of people who live in the same locality. Facebook allows you to write a bio about yourself and write posts and even start a discussion with your neighbors.
“People can also take on roles within Neighborhoods, including socialisers who spark friendly conversations.” – Facebook
Get connected with your Local community
Once you have created your Facebook Neighborhood profile you can join Facebook groups and communities about your area. If you do not find a group, you can simply create one and become the admin of that group.
As it is a pandemic situation going on, the groups can be more useful to help one another. It can help gather information about what is happening without going out.
Admin of these groups can add people in the particular area and become a bigger community.
“Admin of local Facebook Groups can add their Group into Neighborhoods to make it easy for people living nearby to find it, and people using Neighborhoods can create or join Neighborhoods-bounded groups that are accessible within the Neighborhoods experience.” – Facebook
For instance; these groups can be used to talk about anything and everything around them and beyond them. You can even talk about the weather outside or even about the latest movies.
Facebook Neighborhood helps you get local recommendations
Facebook Neighborhood also helps in finding news places around you and also gives you local business or local shop recommendations. There is also a rating factor that allows the users to rate the local shops and places.
Facebook Neighborhood Guidelines
Facebook has taken the safety of the user information very seriously and has designed the guidelines for the new feature. The new feature is designed to keep the interactions safe and relevant to the topic discussed. Facebook has also invested in moderators to review each and every post and comments, posted by the users. The moderators have the power to hide the posts that are violating the Facebook Neighborhood Guidelines. But this action will be reviewed by the Facebook community operators as well.
The posts that violate community standards will be removed by Facebook. Users can also report certain posts that are disturbing and violating.
Like the usual Facebook profile, you can block a person and this action will not be informed to that particular person. They won’t be able to find you in the Facebook Neighborhood directory as well.
Privacy matters more
The Facebook Neighborhood feature is an opt-in based function. If you wish to create a profile you can opt-in and use the feature. The users are also given the liberty to choose just your neighborhood or nearby neighborhood as well.
What does a Facebook Neighborhood profile contain?
The Facebook Neighborhood profile contains,
- The name of the users
- Profile
- Cover picture from the Facebook profile will be used
- Name of the neighborhood
There are also other details that can be added to the profile they include,
- Optional information such as workplace, user bio, activities, etc.
What happens when you join the Facebook Neighborhood?
When you join the Facebook Neighborhood group your neighbors will be able to check your posts and profile with the neighborhood. If you choose to see the nearby neighborhood, they will also be able to view your Facebook Neighborhood profile.
If you are creating a neighborhood profile, the privacy can be chosen by the admin.
“When you create a group in Neighborhoods, it can be private or open and visible or hidden.” – Facebook
If you choose to maintain a private group, then the posts can be viewed only by the group members. If it is set to be open, then anyone in the neighborhood can view the post.
Neighborhood groups can be searched and found, if the admin has chosen to be visible.
Will the activities within the neighborhood group be recorded?
Facebook has also informed that the activities and the information will be used for a better personalized experience in the Facebook products and Facebook Ads that appear on your screen.
“Your activity on Facebook may influence what you see in Neighborhoods, and your activity in Neighborhoods may influence what you see elsewhere on Facebook Products.” – Facebook
Coming to an end, this feature has only been released in Canada and Facebook has also informed that the feature will be available to selected cities in the US in the upcoming days.
