Is it a game? Is it a photo album? A pub or a family reunion? Facebook’ ability to be all things to all people, while still connecting them on a single websites, makes it a significant platform for anyone interested in building communities, offline as well as online.

If Twitter is the globe’s collective consciousness, then Facebook is its village. You can find an estimated half of the British population, five hundred million people worldwide and quite a lot of cats. Millions access Facebook from mobile phones. A typical user’s page will include photos of new babies, game updates, political satire, passing comment on the weather, love-life updates, videos – all sprinkled with comments and ‘Likes’. Use by women and older people is high and growing – this is not just a hangout for young geeks.

We’ve been doing some research in order to develop guides for everyone from beginners to experienced users. In these blog posts we’ll be exploring what works and looking at how hyperlocal bloggers – people passionate about their own communities – can build links with this great cross-section of our country’s population.

We’re also talking to Facebook about the hopes, fears, bugbears and suspicions of members of the hyperlocal community, so if you have any questions, ideas or suggestions, please leave comments and check back as this guide evolves.

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I work part-time for Talk About Local, mainly trying to develop resources that will help make new bloggers’ journey smoother and widen awareness of the range of free tools at our fingertips and the clever ways people use them. I also help out with unconferences, webinars and workshops. I’m passionate about the communities that are sometimes left voiceless and love discovering the small, the hidden and the new.

clare white

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