Tuscaloosa Patch Is Growing ... But We Need Your Help!

TUSCALOOSA, AL. — It's been barely three months since we launched Tuscaloosa Patch with the goal of providing the city, county and west Alabama with quality independent news coverage at no charge to our readers.

The response has been immense and our audience growth in such a short time has far outpaced any of my wildest expectations. The welcome we have received affirms our initial belief that the people of Tuscaloosa are engaged and constantly on the lookout for the latest news concerning the world directly in front of them. So, who better to bring a fresh option to Tuscaloosa than Patch?

By design, Patch is just what a growing community like Tuscaloosa needs, at a time when the speed of the news cycle can cause storylines to be overlooked, ranging from public meetings to beauty pageants. Tuscaloosa Patch, which promises to retain a hyperlocal focus on community issues and events, is the latest addition in a prestigious network of more than 1,200 Patch communities across all 50 states.

As scores of media companies are cutting back and news outlets are shrinking ... Patch is actually growing.

The Patch brand has become successful, even seeing sustained growth during the ongoing pandemic, by way of its sincere approach to informing the communities it serves, which gave us the ability to come to Tuscaloosa. Our continued success and the ability to offer content free of charge, however, has been made possible through the consistent individual support of members and buy-in from businesses in Patch communities. We may be a national outlet, but our talented journalists could not do what they do without local support from the businesses and people in the communities they cover.

Even during our short time in Tuscaloosa, we've seen our email subscriber list quickly climb, along with the number of visits to our local Tuscaloosa Patch website, which currently sits above 52,000 for the last 30 days.

While Tuscaloosa Patch will never require you to pay for our content, we hope you will view us worthy of even the smallest financial support, no different than any other organization or business in our community, as we set out to make Tuscaloosa a better place through this simple, yet valuable medium.

For as little as $5 a month — roughly the cost of a large Coca-Cola at Bryant-Denny or a craft beer at one of Tuscaloosa's great businesses — you can have an immediate impact in boosting this exciting new institution. Our options for support are specifically designed to promote easy, small donations, with monthly gifts of $5 or $10 and annual gifts of $50 or $100.

Click here to support Tuscaloosa Patch.

We are also actively seeking local businesses to invest in our concept as sponsors, with the promise of providing top-notch local advertising not only to a wide, high-caliber audience in Tuscaloosa, but across our national network of Patch communities. Our largest sponsorship packages are also simple and cost efficient, while offering more bells and whistles than you will be able to find anywhere else in Tuscaloosa. For business owners who may not see a need or market for advertising, donations are also effective way to improve your local business climate and show good faith that you are invested in the community you serve.

Click here to learn more about becoming a sponsor or email ryan.phillips@patch.com for details.

For those who would rather not invest financially, we also offer the option to simply sign up for our free email newsletters and breaking news alerts. No cost, no gimmicks. For those who like their news delivered directly to their mobile device or smartphone, the Patch mobile app — available for free download in the Apple and Android app stores — is a cutting-edge platform that will allow you to search news in other Patch communities, while receiving daily push notifications for our breaking news products as they are published in Tuscaloosa.

Click here to subscribe to our free email newsletters and breaking news alerts. For those who get their news via social media, give us a follow on Facebook and Twitter.

I'm a firm believer in the Patch concept, which I why I chose to come home to Tuscaloosa and build a community news outlet from just about nothing other than a fantastic content management system and the knowledge I've gained from a decade in this business. For the Tuscaloosa bureau, I may be the sole employee, but bring with me a lifelong knowledge of the area and its people, in addition to a long track record of producing important local journalism and a work ethic that just won't quit.

It's my hope you will find some way to invest in Tuscaloosa Patch and help us grow to become a pillar of community service in west Alabama as we continue our mission to inform those we serve at no cost.

Ryan Phillips is the community publisher for Tuscaloosa Patch. A Tuscaloosa native and graduate of the University of Alabama, Phillips is an award-winning journalist, columnist and editor with previous stops at the Starkville Daily News, Weather.com, the Associated Press, the Birmingham Business Journal and the Anniston Star. To contact Phillips with news tips or advertising inquiries, email ryan.phillips@patch.com