The Land Rush is over now! There were over 3600 neighborhoods deeded out to members all over the US this week. There are still some left, and more to be created. Here are the "next steps" with Localism.
The most important thing to remember is that you'll always need to log-in to Localism first. Just because you are logged into ActiveRain and can push posts to Localism, you'll still have to log-in to do ALL the following steps. You'll need to click on one of the featured communities at Localism.com to get to your log-in screen. (Here's a shortcut, just click on the Banner)
1. Step ONE: How to Setup a Neighborhood
Whether you sponsored a community or not, you can still create neighborhoods. There are two ways to do this. Go to the "Sponsor A Community" link at the top of the page. Use the pull-down menus to Click on your State, County, and City, then on the far right side of the page, enter the community and submit query. It will show your community pending until approved. It takes under 2 minutes for this entire process.
The second way to setup a neighborhood is on ActiveRain. You can log-in, go to create a new Blog post, scroll down to the bottom of your post, and select the State, County, City, then add your neighborhood there, the same way we've always done it in the past. Your neighborhood will still have to be approved.
2. Step 2: If You Sponsored a Neighborhood
Here's the next step: You'll need to go in and create a description for that community. Click on the "My Account" link next to your photo at the top of the page. (you must be logged in to have this link available)
When you get to your Account screen, you'll see your neighborhoods and billing history. On the right hand side of the page, you can click on the link "Write A Region Description", enter your description there.
Click on each link individually to write your descriptions. Be sure to add descriptions for each neighborhood you have sponsored. What you enter here is what will appear in the sponsorship portion of your new neighborhood page.
Lastly, fill out the description box and add the desired 3 links and titles, then save. Only one link should lead back to you or a personal site, the other two, we're suggesting Local links that will be valuable to your community or neighborhood. Chamber of Commerce, Local Government, Major Attractions etc. Be creative.
Samples of Descriptions Written By Other Members:
La Jolla, California
Fort Meyers Beach, Florida
Kihei, Hawaii
Fairhaven, Washington
Lawrence, Kansas
3. Step 3: Let the Social Networking Begin
Now's the time to get up, and get out from behind that computer keyboard, put the mouse down, and start meeting and interviewing people all over your community. When Localism goes public at the end of August, the REAL Land Rush will begin. You need to be the Community Expert that can drive content and people to your neighborhoods and on-line communities. You need to be the one to tell people about it, or someone else will, or they'll find it on their own like they do ActiveRain. Anyone can join in a few weeks, so go on, get out there, just remember this important bit of information as you connect with your neighborhoods and people:
"Localism is a valued point of connection, a place of meaningful interaction. It's where neighbors and local merchants share what's happening in their community. It's people collectively communicating the unique flavor and nuances of where they live, work, eat, and play. All in all, Localism provides the environment where residents and business owners can create a micro-social network uniquely attuned to their individual communities. Together, they will use multi-media to paint a canvas of local color and texture. Their Localism 'Neighborpedia' is an extension of who and what they are."
Other Related Posts:
Understanding Sponsorships
Localism Sponsorship Tutorial
What Constitutes Approved Content for Localism
10 Steps To Localism Success
How to Add Photos To Localism
All Things Localism
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