In 2018, Clutch MOV took a few major steps forward. We published more stories and enjoyed higher reader engagement than we have in any previous year. We formed new partnerships, grew our ranks, and took on new challenges – and moved to our new home in IncSwell. We are ever grateful for the support of our community – without you, we wouldn’t be where we are today. As we enter another exciting year, we’d like to take a look back and celebrate a few of our milestones from this past year.

Last year, Clutch MOV published more than 180 articles on our website! As our entire team is volunteer-based, we are proud to have met our goal of publishing at least three original articles each week. We hope you’ve enjoyed all of the local content we’ve shared over the past twelve months, shining light on our community here in the Mid-Ohio Valley.

Another milestone we are proud of, is that our #livelovemov hashtag has been used more than 27,000 times on Instagram. As you know, this little hashtag means a lot to us here at Clutch MOV. It’s not a marketing tool or a catch phrase — it embodies our mission and our brand all in one. We ask our community to use it to highlight moments of ‘living and loving life in the Mid-Ohio Valley,’ whatever that looks like through the eyes of our readers and followers. Every time it is used, we collectively uplift the MOV and the quality of life we enjoy.

Clutch MOV is run by a passionate team of volunteer writers, photographers and editors who are dedicated to uplifting the Mid-Ohio Valley. Our team continues to grow as we welcome talented individuals to our ranks each month. Get to know our team and let us know if you are interested in contributing to Clutch MOV!

More people visited our website last year to read positive stories about the Mid-Ohio Valley than ever before, culminating in more than 133,000 page views. Our team has our sights set on doubling this number in 2019.

Our Instagram following continues to be our largest online community, now with more than 12,600 followers. Readers have discovered new restaurants, businesses, hiking trails, scenic spots and more through our Instagram channel, and we’ve made recommendations to tourists who are looking for ideas during their next visit to the MOV. We’ve been featured on Ohio and West Virginia’s state tourism channels, and have partnered with other regional accounts to uplift our region. You can follow along, and follow our newly created accounts, @live_mov and @clutchmov_gear.

In 2018, we added new items to our product line of locally-focused goods, including dual-walled insulated thermoses, sweatshirts, and photographic prints, as well as new postcard designs, stickers, and our 2019 Calendar featuring local photographers. All of our products are designed to uplift the MOV and when you purchase one of our products, you support our mission and the work we do.

By welcoming new staff members to our team and adding the role of Outreach Manager, filled by Cristie Thomas, Clutch MOV has been able to increase our impact and sustainability. As we begin a new year, we look forward to growing our ability to share meaningful, local stories and reach even more Mid-Ohio Valley residents.

Thank you, as always, for your support! We look forward to growing with you in 2019.

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