Facebook Connects Westchase Community

On March 26, 2010 a home on Derbyshire Drive in The Shires was burglarized.

The Shires community did not have to wait for the evening news or the morning paper to hear the details, though. The information was on Facebook, before the responding police had even left the home.

That's because the community is among the first Westchase neighborhoods to create it's own Facebook page.

Nancy O’Hare Wood, a local realtor and resident of The Shires, said the page has served to connect the community in a fast efficient way.

“It’s a part of our culture now. It is ubiquitous and it ties generations together,” Wood said. “As long as you post things that you don’t care if your neighbors or your parents or your kids see, it can be a very effective way to stay in touch or get to know people.”

It's no secret that Facebook has grown like wild fire in popularity over the past few years. While businesses and personal pages populate the site, community organizations and non-profits have also begun using social media as a way to connect.

“Nowadays there is a lot more willingness to embrace this channel," said Monica Ancu, an assistant professor at University of South Florida in the Department of Journalism and Media Studies. "I think people are more familiar with it, so it’s becoming part of the daily routine."

Nathan Bonilla-Warford, who is the Facebook administrator for the Westchase Area Business Association, agrees.

“It’s becoming so mainstream that a lot of businesses are starting to think they need to do it, because everyone else is,” said Bonilla-Warford, who owns Bright Eyes Family Vision Care. “I think of it as defensive social media. We’re sort of where we were with web pages seven or eight years ago.”

The Westchase Area Business Association, or WABA, uses its Facebook page to network and share information in real time, as opposed to waiting for the monthly physical meetings.

“There are huge advantages to using social media for small business owners,”  Bonilla-Warford said. “You have a lot more power and flexibility that any small business owner has had in the past.”

Large scale marketing was once a time-consuming and costly process, but now blog entries, tweets and wall posts make advertising information available to anyone with an Internet connection. Businesses can also target specific demographics with guaranteed accuracy.

In addition, new information is available instantly, as soon as it is posted.

In the case of The Shires, it's helped to share information warning about solicitors, break-ins and even errant wildlife.

“Someone saw a coyote probably six months ago, took a picture and posted it on The Shires Facebook page,” Wood said. “The coyote was on a different shore, so I don’t think animal control was called. It was just an FYI to keep pets safe.”