How Are You Using Patch?

New visitors arrive on Peters Patch daily, which has been running now for nearly two months! As you know, we aim to bring you informative, accurate, up-to-the-minute news -- we hope for you to take advantage of these resources and use the site as an interactive platform to converse with your neighbors. We want you to have an easy, enjoyable time navigating the site, so here are some helpful tips to get you going: 

1. First on the to-do list is to sign up for our e-newsletter, which you can choose to be daily or weekly. This allows you to interact on the site -- comment, post, claim your listing (see No. 4), etc. Just look for the words "Get Patch in your inbox!" on the right-hand corner of the homepage to sign up. You will receive an e-mail directly to your inbox within seconds when Breaking News is posted. It's all about convenience.

2. Interact with your neighbors! Post comments on articles, post photos of the snowman you and your family built this weekend, post an event you're hosting, or perhaps you have an engagement to announce? Post it! Once you sign up (subscribe, see No. 1) you're good to post away.

3. Buying or selling? Looking for a job or hiring? Post a classified in our marketplace. This is a great tool to take advantage of. To find the classified section simply click on the Marketplace tab on the tool bar across the Patch page, or click the link in the line above.

4. Do you own a local business? Your listing is featured in our directory and is ready to be claimed. Visit the Directory tab in the tool bar, find your business and click "Claim it," at the bottom. This will give you access to update your information, post specials, photos, etc. If for some reason your business is not listed in our directory, please e-mail andrea.bosco@patch.com and we will add you in, no problem! 

5. Have a question or perhaps an answer? Visit our Q&A tab and post a question. Myself or your neighbor will answer in very timely manner. Promise.

6. "Like" us on Facebook and "follow" us on Twitter. We all know how helpful and quick social media is, so why not take advantage of quick updates and easy-to-navigate links on your smart phone? Find us on Facebook here and on Twitter at @PetersPAPatch.

7. Advertise on Patch. Having the opportunity to directly advertise to your community demographic is key. Patch has turned down nationwide advertising opportunities for this reason -- hyper-local is our mission and we're sticking to it. E-mail Tamara Johnson or Nicole Tocco for advertising inquiries. Tamara can be reached at 412-417-2949, and Nicole at 724-510-9558.

8. Send us a news tip. If there's something you'd like to see covered on Peters Patch, please do not hesitate. E-mail andrea.bosco@patch.com with any suggestions or story leads. We'd be happy to discuss! Readers are most important and we want to hear from you. 

9. Lastly, keep reading! We appreciate your readership and love the feedback we've been receiving. This is only the beginning and we're happy to be your reliable, online source for trusty news and updates. Share Patch with family, friends and your neighbors and help us spread the word. We're here for you! 

We're now in 800 communities nationwide -- Peters Patch launched in the 400s just two months ago. Follow the Patch blog for national updates. Also, take a peek at The New York Times article, which featured Patch, Sunday, Jan. 16. 

Thanks for your readership and joining us on our community journalism journey!