Getting More Out of Little Silver-Oceanport Patch

If you're reading this, you probably have a good idea of what Patch is all about.

Little Silver-Oceanport Patch is part of a network of hundreds of sites nationwide, each dedicated to bringing readers the latest news from their communities.

The editor – that's me – and other reporters cover government, schools and other news. But you, the readers, are a big part of how we learn what's happening in town. Our events calendar and announcements page are a great resource for us and for other readers.

Here's a refresher course on how you can use Little Silver-Oceanport Patch to help you get the word out about events and happenings, as well as some other tips for how to make the most of Patch.

Share events

You'll find the tab for the events calendar in the blue menu bar near the top of the homepage, which will take you to a page with listings for events happening today, tomorrow and during the upcoming weekend. You can also select dates from the calendar at the left to see what's happening on a particular day.

To submit your own event, click the "Add an event" button near the top right and fill out the needed info.

The calendar is for personal use and not advertising, but if you're a business looking to spread the word about a sale or a promotion, contact Little Silver-Oceanport Patch's ad sales rep, Lorin Kleiner, at lorin.kleiner@patch.com.

Post announcements

The announcements page can be found under the "News" tab on the main menu bar, and is the perfect place to let the community know about volunteer searches, event sign-ups and fundraising requests.

Companies can announce new hires on the page, and you're also welcome to use it to share family news, like births and deaths.

Just as a heads up, this is the page where you should post details about a search for vendors or volunteers for an upcoming event – only use the calendar page for the actual event details.

Claim a listing

Got a local business? You've got a Patch listing! Visit the Places page and search by category to find restaurants, stores and more. If it's yours, you can claim it, which will allow you to control certain aspects of the listing. Just go to the listing's page, and click the "Claim it" link underneath the photos.

Blog

If you've got something to say, we can give you a platform. Our Local Voices section – found on the homepage and under the "News" tab – gives readers the chance to express opinions on local politics and happenings and share ideas and passions.

Like antiques? Got a passion for a cause that needs more volunteers? Want to spark conversation about local issues? Blog about it! Write me at greg.kulaga@patch.com with your ideas and a writing sample, and we'll talk.

Engage through social media

You can follow Little Silver-Oceanport Patch via Twitter and like us on Facebook, which gives you the chance to share stories and interact with other readers. Twitter is also a great tool for getting the word about breaking news events. If there's a car accident in town, for instance, you might see the news first on Little Silver-Oceanport Patch's Twitter feed.

Talk to me!

Hearing from you is not only one of the best parts of being the editor here. It's also a necessary part of doing the job right. I want to know what you like and don't like, what you think is important and what you'd like to see covered. And I'm also here to answer any questions you have about the site and how things work here. So email or call me any time: greg.kulaga@patch.com or 732-556-7039.   

I'll also soon be instituting regular "office hours," once a week at neighborhood restaurants and other locations where you, the reader, can join me for coffee to talk about whatever's on your mind. I'll share details on the first one soon.