Community Corner

How To Connect With JohnstonPatch

Post your photos, videos, and event announcements.

Today marks six months since JohnstonPatch launched — and boy, has that time gone by quickly!

And whether you're a frequent reader (and there are thousands of you, with more every day) or a noob ('net speak for "newbie"), this marks a good time to remind you of all the ways you can contribute to JohnstonPatch and add your voice.

Set Up Your Profile

Find out what's happening in Johnstonwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

JohnstonPatch makes it easy to create a profile on our site — just click the "Sign Up" link at the top right of the page and follow the directions.

Using an existing e-mail address, you can set up a profile that lets you post photos, videos, comments, and announcements.

Find out what's happening in Johnstonwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

You can also sign up for our e-mail newsletter, which alerts you to important updates and news on our site.

List Your Events

Up at the top of the page, in the third tab from the left, you'll find a heading called "Events." Go ahead and peek — I'll wait.

See that drop-down menu? That's a list of all the topics on our calendar. Click on "Browse Events" to see the latest list of things going on in Johnston and nearby.

(You can also right-click the link to open it in a new tab, in case you're also reading the instructions.)

Want to add your event? Just click on the "Put it on the calendar" link on the right-hand side — or go back to the front page where you see today's date. That list of events refreshes according to the time, by the way, and includes a link to "Post your own event."

You'll need a Patch profile to add events — just be sure you have all of the information about the event or activity: Time, place, description, cost, and contact phone number and/or e-mail if people need more info. This will save a lot of time when you're ready to submit your listing.

Oh, and speaking of saving, calendar listings are free. That's right: FREE.

Promote Your Business

Right next to the Events tab are two important links — Places and Marketplace.

Places is our directory of local businesses. You can use it to find just about anything in Johnston — pizza places, churches, lawyers, parks, and more.

Don't see your business there? Let me know and I'll help you get a free listing.

No, that wasn't a typo — listings are free.

You can also advertise housing, jobs, and other services in our Marketplace, which is our name for Classifieds. By posting an ad in our Marketplace, you'll be reaching thousands of readers right here in Johnston — shoppers in your neighborhood who want to spend their money locally.

"I'd love to reach all those people right here in town," I hear you say. "How much will that cost me?"

Nothing. Our Marketplace ads are — wait for it — free.

And if you're looking for volunteers (or are a volunteer looking for somewhere to lend your talents), you can use our "Volunteer" channel. It's our version of the community bulletin board — and it's free.

Speak Your Mind

You can also comment on anything posted on JohnstonPatch with your profile — give a local business a 5-star review; tell us what you think of our news coverage; or answer someone else's comment.

Have a question about Johnston? Post it to our Q&A section. And if you have the answer, let us know.

If you have a longer message in mind, you can e-mail Op-Ed pieces of any length to joseph.hutnak@patch.com. Submissions should include your name and a phone number for confirmation purposes.

Or, if you want your own e-soapbox, we're always looking for bloggers. You can find more information on how to blog on JohnstonPatch by following this link.

Thanks for reading JohnstonPatch — I look forward to hearing from you!


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