About the Space

The Heritage Trace Subdivision is a suburban neighborhood in the southeastern United States. The neighborhood has a small Facebook group with just under 300 people where folks generally aim to help each other and share information — announcing activities, recommending services, shops and restaurants, asking for help, sharing neighborhood news and stories, and welcoming new neighbors.

Margaret, who currently serves as the Treasurer of the area’s Homeowners Association, is one of the three admins of the Facebook group.

“When I first moved here, I didn’t really know anyone and said to myself, ‘I don’t really want to live in a community where I don’t know anyone’…So I joined the board and found out we had this Facebook [Group]. They asked me to be an admin to keep folks informed. It’s been a great resource to connect with neighbors and find out what’s going on.”

— Margaret M., Group Admin

Margaret explains, “Our Facebook Group is set to Private so that the admins can ensure that everyone in it is actually a real resident of the area. Beyond that it’s pretty passively run.” She says, “It’s just an open space. We don’t try to direct it. People post things like ‘Do you know if this snake is poisonous?’ or ‘My dog got out or my cat is missing’ Or ‘I’ve got a leak! Can you recommend a plumber?’ I also post things like ‘We’re having an ice cream party’ or ‘We’re opening the pool on this date.’ Others post about school news and activities for the kids.

The space is clearly meeting the neighborhood’s needs. In a recent survey of members, 100% of respondents agreed or strongly agreed that they personally feel welcome to participate in the space, and 91% agreed or strongly agreed that the Facebook Group makes their neighborhood a better place to live.

Top tips from admin Margaret M.

For anyone looking to create a digital public space like the Heritage Trace Subdivision’s Facebook Group…

1. Create a core group of reliable participants

Find and encourage a few people “who will post interesting things to keep the space alive and interact with you. Be careful not to overuse those people but they can be allies in creating interesting content at the right time.”

2. Make it fun!

“Create a fun, positive mood so people will want to come to your site and engage.”

3. Give everyone a warm welcome

Especially if your group is on the smaller side, take the time to “welcome newcomers warmly and engage them with neutral questions that will be easy for them to respond to and share a little about themselves.”