Want to Share Your Expertise? Patch is the Perfect Place!

If you haven’t joined yet, now’s your chance to jump on the blogging bandwagon. Patch is looking for local experts to add their interesting news, views and insights to our community forum, help educate readers and start a discussions on new topics.

Maybe you’re a health guru or a beauty maven or an expert on animals? Or perhaps you’re an auto aficionado, a tech enthusiast or a foodie/chef? No matter what your expertise or interest, there’s a place for it on Patch.

Wedding Planning 101  

This local catering director from Southbury Patch offers tips to brides- and grooms-to-be on planning their big day.

Dental Talk 

Written by a Michigan dentist for Novi Patch, this blog is meant to educate, answer questions, and create a better understanding of things related to the field of dentistry. 

Perk 'Em Up With the Bra Lady  

For all the ladies out there frustrated with finding the right fit, this Grayslake Patchblogger and local biz owner is here to support you with all things bra-related from fit to care and getting the most out of your everyday wear.

DUI and Criminal Defense  

This Annpolis Patch blogger and attorney shares everything from how to fight a parking ticket to how to legally use your mobile device in the car.

Private Investigator 

A Odenton Patch blogger and local PI shares stories from his cases. Most recently: a woman is reunited with her high school class ring after 60 years.

Gardening with Greenstreet 

Gardening tips from local owned nursery/garden shop in Edgewater Patch.

Part of the Patch mission is to strengthen communities and improve the lives of their residents, but we can't do it without you. Our blogging platform allows members of the community—from cooking enthusiasts to local politicians and everyone in between—to interact and post directly to the site. These posts then appear on the homepage, in the daily newsletter and are shared by editors via Facebook and Twitter.

The best thing about sharing your stuff on Patch is it's your space so it's your rules. Write as frequently, or infrequently as you'd like. Short or long, essay style or a quick how-to. Blogging on Patch is a great way to share your opinions with the community and get your voice out there.

1.   Choose a Patch - Decide which town should host your blog. Go to that Patch’s homepage.

2.   Click on Start Blogging - On the Patch homepage, scroll down to the green box titled “Who’s Blogging?” that highlights our wonderful bloggers and a brighter green button that says “Start Blogging!” Click that bright green button to start a blog.

3.   Name your Blog – Give your blog a name, write a description and choose an icon. This could be a photo of yourself or your organization, or one of the Patch icons provided for you. These will be displayed in a small circle on all of your blog posts, so choose a name and description that describes what your blog will be about.

4.   Done! – Congrats, you created a blog! Now, you can post something.

Step 2 - Post Something on your Blog:

1.   Sign in and Say “Hi”. - Login into your home Patch, the one where you are hosting your Blog. In the top right corner, click the button that says “Hi, Your Name!” (You must be signed in to see this.)

2.   Check “Your Profile.” - When the drop-down menu opens, click “Your Profile.”

3.   Choose your Blog. - On your profile is a list of blogs you have access to. Choose which one you want to post on and click on it.

4.   Post something. - Below the name and description of your blog, there’s a white box that says “Write a new post…” Click there.

5.   Choose Article. - Above your cursor, there are two words: Note and Article. You can choose either one, but Note is only for very short posts. Use Article because that gives you more formatting options.

6.   Write. - Write your new post. Or cut-and-paste it from another document. Be sure to add a photo by clicking on the Add Photo button. People love photos! Save it frequently, just in case. You can Preview to see how it looks, then go back in to Edit it further.

7.   Click “Post Now.” – You did it! You are live on the site.

Step 3 - Spread the message:

Now that have your Blog all set up, help people find your post. This is really important! Get the most exposure for it by copying and pasting a link to your Blog with your supporters and friends via your:

• Email

• Facebook

• Twitter

• Any of your other social media platforms.