12 Ways to Make Dexter Patch Part of Your 2012

New Year's Eve was a time to reminisce on the ups and downs of 2011. But the clock has long since struck midnight and the year 2012 is now upon us.

We introduced you to in December 2010. This year, you'll see and hear even more from us as we work to make this community news site ever more engaging and interactive for users.

The opportunities to comment on stories, share opinions, post photos and announcements and add events to the community calendar are still available and through the use of these and other features, we hope our site will strengthen this community. And you, as a member of that community, will help make it better.

With that being said, here are 12 ways you can use Dexter Patch in 2012:

1. Comment on an article or review a business

Providing accurate, timely news about the community is our No. 1 priority, but without your input, that news may as well be nonexistent. We believe news is a conversation. Much of our reporting comes 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. Don't be shy about sharing your thoughts; we want to hear them! Love a restaurant? Hate a local retailer's service? You can review businesses listed in our directory, too.

2. Start a Blog

Build a blog section and they will come. Talking fashion, law, cooking, politics and even health, bloggers in our Local Voices section offer experience, opinion and expertise on a variety of topics. But there's always room for more in this conversation. Once you get started as a Patch blogger, you can post as little or as much as you want. You call the shots. If you're interested, click on the "Want to blog on Patch" icon on our homepage.

3. Send a news tip

At the bottom of the homepage, under "Contribute," there's a link that says, "Send us news tips." Tell us about stories we should cover. Your tip will be sent straight to Daniel Lai, Dexter Patch's editor.

4. Post an event

Do you know of a playoff game at the local park, a school play at Dexter High School or a Mom-to-Mom sale in the neighborhood? Is there an open house or graduation ceremony coming up? If it's not on our Patch calendar, it should be. Feel free to add events to our site by clicking on the "Post your own event" icon on our homepage. 

5. 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. Here's the link to post an announcement: http://dexter.patch.com/announcements/new.

6. Sign up for newsletters

The daily Dexter Patch newsletter brings you the latest articles, the most recent announcements and opinions posted in the last 24 hours and a listing of that day's upcoming events. It is delivered to your e-mail every morning. You also can sign up for a weekly newsletter and breaking news alerts. To sign up, click on "Patch Newsletter" in the upper right hand corner of the homepage.

7. Claim your directory listing

Our business and organization listings aren't skimpy. Our team of researchers scoured the streets when our site launched in December 2010, and every week since, we've been checking that our information on local businesses, schools, parks, libraries and more are detailed and up-to-date. To contact us about the listing for your business or organization, e-mail us at directorysupport@patch.com. If you own or manage a business or organization in our directory, you can spruce up your listing by claiming it. Just visit your listing and click on the icon to claim it.

8. Shout it out!

Don't have anything to say about a specific article? That's alright. Our Activity Stream allows you to "shout out" a comment or question without having it tied to an existing article. Whatever you shout will go directly into the stream, right on the homepage. Be brief, though, as your comments are limited to 160 characters.

9. Upload your photos and video

Upload videos of a Dexter sports highlight or your child's first snowman. Post photos from local events, or send in a snapshot of your favorite recipes. We invite you to share the memories that you've caught on camera with the rest of the community. To do this, upload the photo or video directly to our Neighborhood Gallery. . 

10. Advertise with us

For all advertising queries, please e-mail Susanne Spruit at susanne.klarr-spruit@patch.com.

11. Facebook, Twitter and Apps

Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter for even more Patch news. Immerse yourself in our content and actively contribute and engage via social media. Our apps for and allow you to take Patch with you wherever you go.

12. Send a Letter to the Editor

Patch would like to extend an invitation to every member of the Dexter 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. Email it to Dexter Patch Editor Daniel Lai at daniel.lai@patch.com.

The more Dexter Patch serves as on online space for community dialogue, the more useful our site will be. So, we hope these 12 tips help make our site the place to learn and hold conversations about Dexter in 2012 and beyond!