
Does your local community have a web community? My neighborhood just started one on facebook and I think it’s an awesome idea that really takes advantage of the benefits that social media provides.
The group description says it pretty well. “Our group aims to grow, build and strengthen relationships in our local community of Long Beach in order to bring about progressive change.” Those of us familiar with social media, know that it is all about building relationships. In a local community, relationships are everything.
Bringing your neighborhood together creates a general compassion for eachother’s issues. When you feel like you know someone personally, you feel more inclined to want to help them. By creating a common place for discussion and relationship building amongst local community members, you give people a chance to tell their story, and to care about those around them.
The Long Beach “Community of Hope” facebook group aims to educate community members on issues discussed in meetings and events in order to bring about change. Let’s be real, not everyone in your community is always involved in community issues. By creating a place for these people to quickly and easily stay up to date on what’s going around them and express their opinion from their home computer, you allow them to contribute to the voice of the community, while staying connected with other members.
Social media, because of its ability to reach anyone in the world, is commonly applied to large, widespread campaigns. There are so many more opportunities through social media that can be applied to local, real world communities as well. What are some that you’ve seen or come up with?