Top 10 Things You Need to Know About Patch

It’s been well more than , and now we’re more proud than ever to be part of the community. Thanks for your warm support so far.

We've built Patch so that you have plenty of opportunities to comment on stories, share your opinions, post photos and announcements and add events to the community calendar. We hope that our site will strengthen the community, but we can't do it without you. 

As a quick refresher, here's a list of 10 things you can do on Patch.

1. Comment on an Article

We subscribe to the idea that "news is a conversation." Much of our reporting will emanate from what readers tell us in e-mails, comments on our sites, and in conversations around town. Share your thoughts and reactions to our articles by posting a comment directly below each story.  

2. Post an Event 

Do you know of a reunion, blood drive or graduation ceremony coming up? If it's not on our Patch calendar, it should be. Feel free to add events to our site at http://gigharbor.patch.com/events/new. 

3. Post an Announcement

Post births, engagements and wedding announcements. Tell us who made the honor roll or share school awards, social notes and thank you shout outs. If you're looking for volunteers or searching for your lost dog, we welcome you to call on your community for help. Just remember, our Terms of Service say announcements should be for personal use and not for advertising.

4. Send a News Tip

At the bottom of the homepage, there's a link that says, "Send Us News Tips." Tell us about stories we should cover. Your tip will be sent straight to Akiko Oda, the editor for Gig Harbor Patch.

5. Review Businesses

Do you want to be the first to tell your friends whether the new restaurant in town gets two thumbs-up? Like your local hardware store? You can post a review of your favorite (or least favorite) business on any listing at http://gigharbor.patch.com/places.

6. Sign Up for Newsletters

The daily Gig Harbor Patch newsletter brings you all articles and announcements that have been posted in the last 24 hours. It is delivered to your e-mail every day at 6 a.m. You can also sign up for the weekly newsletter, which shows a subset of the content created and featured on our site over the last few days. It is delivered every Thursday at 10 a.m. Look for the Follow Us and Newsletter links in the right column of this and most every page.

7. Claim Your "Places" Listing 

You might have noticed that our Directory is now called "Places". Our business and organization listings aren't skimpy. Our team of researchers actually hit the streets and visited businesses, schools, parks, libraries and more so we can provide photos as well as detailed information such as products sold and hours of operation. To contact us about the listing for your business or organization, email us at directorysupport@patch.com. If you own or manage a business or organization in our directory, claim it at http://gigharbor.patch.com/places.

8. Upload Your Photos and Video 

Nowadays, snapping photos and sharing them with friends and family has been super easy! Upload videos of your kid's first piano recital or your little leaguer's first home run. Post photos from local festivals, or send in a snapshot of your best holiday recipes. We invite you to share with the rest of the community the memories you've caught on camera.

9. Social Media Engagement

You can "like" us on Facebook at Gig Harbor Patch's page and follow us on Twitter at @gharborpatch. Read our content and contribute via social media. And don't forget to . Let's start a conversation.

10. Send a Letter to the Editor

Patch would like to invite every member of the Gig Harbor community to submit a letter to the editor. Express your thoughts or concerns about anything that might be stirring up conversation around town, and we'll post it. Make sure it's not longer than 300 words and e-mail it to Editor Akiko Oda at akiko.oda@patch.com.

The more Gig Harbor Patch serves as on online space for community dialogue, the more useful our site will be. So next time you have something to share with your neighbors, consider taking a moment to send a letter to Patch. Chances are, you're not the only one who feels that way.

For all advertising queries, please e-mail our Gig Harbor Patch advertising manager, Sean Sammis, at Sean.Sammis@patch.com.