EveryBlock: neighborhood discussion site launches ad campaign in Philly

EveryBlock, the Chicago-based neighborhood discussion site and news source that’s in 19 cities across the country, has taken to Philly’s subway stations and bus stops.

In an advertising push that began in February of this year in New York City and Chicago, EveryBlock launched its transit-focused ad campaign in Philly this September, said EveryBlock president Brian Addison. It’s also advertising in San Francisco, Atlanta, Seattle and Boston. But it might not even need the extra advertising — Philly is one of EveryBlock’s most successful markets, Addison said.

Visit Philly’s Everyblock page here.

The ads are concentrated in three neighborhoods that seem to fit better with Everyblock’s service, Addison said: Fishtown, Center City East and Mayfair. Once the campaign ends in December, Addison’s team will compare the effect of the ads on those neighborhoods versus the ones that didn’t get any marketing.

Recently, the service has really taken off in Philly, Addison said. The number of users on the site has doubled in the past year, he said, and more people are commenting and engaging with the site.

Addison thinks it might be because of Philly’s neighborhood-driven nature.

“EveryBlock is set up to do better in cities that are more neighborhood-y,” he told Technically Philly, adding that the service also does really well in Chicago, another neighborhood-driven city.

It’s interesting to see EveryBlock’s success given the popularity of Philadelphia Speaks, another community discussion board [find more of our coverage on PhiladelphiaSpeaks here], though the two sites don’t provide exactly the same service (EveryBlock pulls in news, real estate listings and crime reports, while PhiladelphiaSpeaks has no automated content). EveryBlock also seems to have more users than Change By Us, a tool implemented by last year’s local Code for America fellows that’s meant to be a place for citizens to discuss community projects, though it’s unclear why this is (advertising? broader mission?).

Addison’s team of 10 is spread between New York City, Chicago and Seattle, with most of the staff in its Chicago headquarters. He’s currently working on hiring a part-time Philly-based “charter neighbor,” who would serve as a liaison and community manager for the site. EveryBlock already has charter neighbors in Austin, Atlanta and Boston.