Community Connections for Organizations

Quick Answer

Community Connections indicate which cultural, ethnic, or religious communities your Organization identifies with or serves. These selections affect which Heritage Web community publications display your listing. Select communities where you have genuine connection or focus your services.

Overview

Community Connections help Heritage Web match your business with the right audience. A Persian-owned restaurant might select the Iranian community; a law firm specializing in serving immigrants from Latin America might select multiple Latino communities. These connections determine your visibility on community-specific publications like IranianLawyers.com or LosAbogados.com.

How Community Connections Work

Community Connections work alongside Languages to determine publication assignment:

Factor	What It Indicates	Example
Languages	What languages you speak	Spanish, Farsi, Korean
Community Connections	Which communities you serve/identify with	Iranian, Mexican, Korean

Both factors together determine which community publications feature your listing.

Types of Community Connections

Ethnic/Cultural Communities

Iranian / Persian
Chinese
Korean
Vietnamese
Indian
Filipino
Mexican
Cuban
And many more

Religious Communities

Jewish
Muslim
Christian (various denominations)
Hindu
Buddhist
And others

Regional/National Origin

Latin American
Middle Eastern
African
Caribbean
European
Asian (various regions)

Step-by-Step Instructions

Step 1: Access Community Connections

Go to your Organization listing edit page
Scroll to the Community Connections section
Click to expand if collapsed

Step 2: Select Your Communities

Click Add Community or browse the list
Select communities your business identifies with or serves
Add multiple communities if applicable

Step 3: Review Your Selections

Ensure selections accurately represent your business
Consider your ownership, staff, and client base
Remove communities you don't genuinely connect with

Step 4: Save Your Changes

Click Publish Draft to save
Publication assignments update after approval

When to Select a Community

Select a Community Connection when:

Scenario	Example
Ownership	Iranian-owned business
Staff composition	Majority Korean-speaking team
Client focus	Practice specializing in serving Latino immigrants
Cultural expertise	Deep knowledge of a community's needs
Community involvement	Active in community organizations

Examples by Business Type

Example 1: Persian Restaurant

Connection Type	Selection
Community Connections	Iranian/Persian
Languages	English, Farsi
Result	Appears on Iranian community publications

Example 2: Immigration Law Firm

Connection Type	Selection
Community Connections	Mexican, Salvadoran, Guatemalan
Languages	English, Spanish
Result	Appears on multiple Latino community publications

Example 3: Multi-Cultural Medical Practice

Connection Type	Selection
Community Connections	Korean, Chinese, Vietnamese
Languages	English, Korean, Mandarin, Vietnamese
Result	Appears on multiple Asian community publications

Community Connections and Publications

Your selections directly affect publication visibility:

Community Connection	Potential Publications
Iranian/Persian	IranianLawyers.com, IranianDoctors.com, IranianRealEstate.com
Jewish	JewishLawyers.com, JewishDoctors.com
Korean	KoreanLawyers.com, KoreanDoctors.com
Latino/Hispanic	LosAbogados.com, LatinoDoctor.com
Chinese	ChineseLawyers.com, ChineseDoctors.com

Best Practices

Do:

Select communities you genuinely connect with
Consider ownership, staff, and client focus
Be authentic—communities value genuine connections
Update when your business focus evolves

Don't:

Select communities just to appear on more publications
Claim connections you can't support
Overlook communities you actually serve well
Forget to add new connections as your business grows

Community Connections vs. Industries

Field	Purpose	Affects Matching?
Community Connections	Cultural/ethnic affiliation	Publication assignment
Industries	Business services offered	Lead matching

Both are important but serve different purposes. Industries determine what leads you receive; Community Connections determine where your listing appears.

Important Notes

Community Connections affect publication assignment
Be authentic—misrepresenting connections damages trust
Languages and Community Connections work together
You can appear on publications matching either your languages or communities
Some publications require both language AND community connection

FAQs

Do I have to select a Community Connection? No, it's optional. If you don't select any, you'll still appear on HeritageWeb.com and potentially language-based publications.

Can I select multiple communities? Yes. Many businesses serve multiple communities and should select all relevant connections.

What if I serve everyone, not just specific communities? You can leave Community Connections empty or select communities where you have particular expertise or staff capability. You'll still appear on HeritageWeb.com.

Is this the same as targeting by ethnicity? Community Connections are about affinity and service focus, not exclusion. A Persian restaurant serves everyone but has natural affinity with the Iranian community.

How is this different from Languages? Languages indicate communication capability. Community Connections indicate cultural affinity. You might speak Spanish (language) and specifically serve the Cuban community (community connection).