As the calendar rolls into 2017, the ThurstonTalk team is excited about the future. We will continue to bring you over 1,600 positive stories about what it’s like to live, work, and play in Thurston County including Olympia news, events, and profiles of people that make this community strong. Reaching almost 53,000 local residents on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram daily, ThurstonTalk’s community social network links neighbors. As always, we love hearing from our readers with story ideas, constructive criticism and positive feedback. Drop us a line anytime at submit@thurstontalk.com.
Now, let’s take a look at 2016 in review.
Top 10 Most-Read Stories in 2016
- Thrifty Thurston – 5 Hikes Under and 5 Hikes Over 5 Miles Near Olympia
- Thrifty Thurston Lists the 2016 Major Festivals and Events Around Olympia
- West Olympia Welcomes Don Juan’s Mexican Kitchen
- Neighborhood Notes: Tumwater Couple Creates Trick-or-Treat Madness Each Halloween
- Darby’s Cafe – New Location, Same Iconic Olympia Breakfast Hub
- 4 Romantic Getaways Near Thurston County
- Say Hello to Pizza Take-Out and Deliver in Boston Harbor, South Bay and Johnson Point
- Olympia’s Free (and Cheap) Movies of Summer
- Thrifty Thurston Finds 20 Free Things to do with Kids this Summer in Olympia
- Energize and Exercise at BoomShaka
I want to thank you all at ThurstonTalk. It is so refreshing to read about people and experiences in our area. Too much news today is about what is wrong with Olympia. ThurstonTalk reminds us about what is right in our community. – Andrew W.
Top 5 Search Terms that Drive Traffic to ThurstonTalk.com
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Readers use ThurstonTalk to keep up to date with what’s going on in Olympia and Thurston County. Photo credit: Diane Waiste. Local News
- Things to do in Olympia WA
- Olympia Events
- Thurston County Events
- Olympia Events Calendar
Writer’s Favorite Stories from 2016
Our paid, professional writing team includes 26 regular contributors. Here are a few of their favorite stories from 2016. (Consider joining our team of freelance writers.)
- Sometimes an article writes itself. This was the case in the story of Kevin Finger and his leadership as the store manager of the Marvin Road Home Depot. I listened to Kevin, Bryson, Jonathan and his staff laugh, tell tales, and share memories about their involvement in the Special Olympics and the Down Syndrome Buddy Walk. Kevin is a quiet hero in our community. – Lesley Klenk
- The best part about writing for ThurstonTalk is featuring unique people, like Elizabeth Lord, who make our community such a great place. – Laurie O’Brien
- Business owners in our community continue to amaze and inspire me. It’s especially wonderful to talk with women who use their dreams and talents to bring us quality good and services. It’s always a treat to be in the presence of Phoebe Martinson, owner of two Phoebe’s Pastry Cafe locations. – Mary Ellen Psaltis
ThurstonTalk is once again responsible for connecting people in a positive and joyful way. – Anonymous Reader
Photographers Share Images
Thanks to our readers, we are able to share many beautiful, scenic images from these favorite photography contributors.
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Kim Merriman, one of our contributing photographers, captured this image of Mount Rainier in September 2016. Photo credit: Kim Merriman. Kim Merriman
- Chris Hamilton
- Diane Waiste
- Jennlvs2smile
- Douglas Scott
- Tony Porter
- … and many, many more!
If you snap a picture that you feel represents Thurston County, share it with us at submit@thurstontalk.com. We love seeing beautiful images.
Social Media Connections
People connect with ThurstonTalk through social media. In 2016, our Facebook followers grew by 9.1 percent. Over the past year, 594,000 people reacted to our content.
Across Western Washington, our distribution network approaches 100,000 people that choose to hear from us on a daily basis. Besides ThurstonTalk, you can find our sister sites at WhatcomTalk, SouthSoundTalk, GraysHarborTalk, and LewisTalk.
As our local newspaper changed, it’s been harder, I think, to find the local flavor and learn what’s going on. ThurstonTalk is a lovely way to stay connected and experience new adventures in the community! – Katey S.
ThurstonTalk is a digital media company sharing positive stories about people, places and businesses in Thurston County. ThurstonTalk offers content marketing and online options across our Community Social Network to advertise in Olympia, Lacey, Tumwater, and beyond. Advertise with ThurstonTalk to reach your target market, grow your brand, and measure results.
