Decatur Metro continues to evolve.  It can’t be stopped!  A few updates for you…

1.  Target locals without all the Craigslist clutter!  The once pay-to-play classifieds are now FREE.  While we had a bit of momentum on the pay classifieds early on, it became obvious that most residents didn’t want to pay for classifieds (yes, yes, Craigslist, I know), and that most businesses, who might be willing to pay, wanted more than a classified.

So, if you have info to pass along to the Decatur/DeKalb community, be it an Announcement, Available Job, Lost or Found object, a Garage Sale, some Merchandise, Real Estate, Services, Tickets, Vehicles, or Items Wanted, head over to the Classifieds section and post away!

2.  I’ve added an “Events” tab to the top of the page, which will take you to a new page that hosts the “Featured Events Calendar” in a monthly calendar format. Great for making plans in advance!

3.  And finally…Take your DM addiction on the road!  If you use an iPhone, iPod Touch or anything operating Google’s Android OS, viewing DM is now easier than ever.  Seriously, it’s awesome.   (Judd, it’s not an App, but it might just be the next best thing!)

I’m regularly asked by readers and local business owners for assistance in helping spread the word out about any number of things: a store event, an item for sale, a found pet, etc.  And while I do my best to announce as many local events as possible, I don’t always have the time or space to post everything that comes into my Inbox.

So, for the past couple months I’ve been working diligently behind-the-scenes to create a brand new resource on the site: Decatur Metro Classifieds.

I’m hoping this new page will complement the main page, serving as a go-to spot for learning about local store events, browsing a neighbor’s items for sale (Beer Fest tickets perhaps?), perusing local real estate, or scoping out the area’s garage sales.

Posting a 15-day text ad costs only $10, while a 30-day text ad costs just $15.  You can add up to 4 pics to either the 15 or 30 day ad for just $5 more.  I’ve also included a dedicated “business announcements” section for local businesses trying to get the word out about a new product or upcoming event ($30 for a 30-day ad with up to 4 pics), along with a  dedicated real estate section with room for extra pics ($40 for a 30-day ad with up to 6 pics).  There’s also a free 15-day lost-and-found option with up to 2 pics for lost pets and other items.  All ads are submitted to me for approval and a credit card payment is easily processed through PayPal.

As an added bonus, not only will your ad appear in the Classifieds section, accessible in the toolbar at the top of the page, but will also be featured for a time on DM’s main page under in the “Latest Classifieds” section (found in the left sidebar just underneath the “Recent Comments”).  The other cool feature is that unlike Craigslist or your local newspaper classifieds, you’ll actually be able to view, in real time, how many times your ad has been clicked-on by readers.

At present, Decatur Metro averages over 1,600 visits and nearly 4,000 pages views a day.  And with over 80% of those visits coming from Decatur, Atlanta and DeKalb, DM Classifieds really allows you to target a local audience to get your message out.

Why charge for this new service?  Two main reasons…

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