Going Digital By Kate-Madonna Hindes, Director of Marketing, Ewald Consulting
HOAs Are Finding Greater Homeowner Engagement by Opting in to Social Media and Online Applications “There’s a common misreading that technology inevitably leads to the decline of the local community. I don’t believe that. Technology can be harnessed to facilitate local interactions.” – Robert J. Samson, Sociology Professor at Harvard
D
uring National Good Neighbor Day celebrated on September 27, HOAs and non-HOA neighborhoods alike, touted ways cut crime, raise engagement and create stronger neighborhood bonds. One of the hottest ways to keep neighbors connected is via online platforms and communities, specially built to help individuals connect and share.
Neighborly Index
You are typically more neighborly if you are:
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a parent a homeowner married a dog owner 45 years or older a regular neighborhood walker a front porch owner engaged in social media at least once a day
Minnesota Communit y Living
From HOAs in cities and even small rural communities, the word is that homeowner engagement is nearing an all-time high. One reason this is happening is the ever-evolving need for communication to move with the speed of fingers on or off the keyboard or smartphone. A recent Pew study cited that Americans use a range of approaches to keep informed about what is happening in their communities and online activities. “Face-to-face encounters and phone calls remain the most frequent methods of interaction with neighbors,” explained Pew’s 2011 study. “At the same time, internet tools are gaining ground in community-oriented communications.”