Thanks for making your way over. (If you didn’t come from LinkedIn, see part one there.)

A DEEPER LOOK INTO HYPERLOCAL, COMMUNITY-CENTRIC SOCIAL

Much like local news, this is the good stuff - an unbeatable, natural algorithm of appeal to local audiences that rotates between the most highly relatable and relevant news to those nearby - plus the freedom to be silly, act in the moment and operate less poised and reputation-concerned than a news outlet.

[1] Fit Fam is the local community HUB; A combination of top news headlines - the good, the bad, and the ugly - and features any and everything El Paso. In recent weeks, I’ve learned of a new Jarritos ad that features a local skateboarding legend; A tragedy involving a passenger killing her Uber driver for mistaken fear he was going to Mexico; Tips into local traffic, including a Tabasco (yes, hot sauce) spill that left the highway backed up for miles. 

Many posts reshare headlines straight from (and attribute to) local news sources. But there’s something that feels especially convenient - and worth my attention - when it comes from Fit Fam, and the fact I can peruse local reactions (a range of bold, witty, progressive, and sassy remarks) in real time. It gives you a unique look into the citizens pain points, passions, humor, bi-linguality, culture, and more.

[2] Back in DC, I was a frequent scroller of PoPville (Prince of Petworth). Established in 2009, the Twitter account chronicled things like local news - both from published sources and DMed citizen journalism, cute corgis, traffic updates, the coolest rentals, and more. I felt inspired by the reliability of the platform - and the trust it achieved within people across DC. The folks who started it were all journalists - and it shows, in a good way.

[3] What Where When Austin offers a wide range of goings ons of Austin, and sometimes beyond i.e. big national headlines or nearby news, like Wemby in San Antonio. The events roll in timely when planning the week ahead - a brilliant example of the best kind of social media updates – the ones that fuel adventure, fun, and fulfillment in your real life. They also share job postings - allowing for major community exposure and engagement between job seekers and job fillers. (See photos at bottom of write-up.)

[4] In a college summer I spent in DC, I used the Brightest Young Things website calendar as a bible for interesting things to do. By the time I moved back to DC a few years later, the presence had taken to Instagram and Twitter, and then eventually shut down shop, becoming a digital agency only. Even as it fizzled out, I caught myself repeatedly running to its online calendar to peruse any local events. It became a part of how I planned my life.

How can brands and other industries learn from these popular social spaces? What can we learn from this kind of digital community, as people engage with one another more and more digitally?