Welcome to 2018 💫

Happy New Year, Columbia. We’ve come a long way together since February 1, 2017, when our little brand started out with 0 followers on social media + 0 email subscribers. Oh, ye olden times.

Thank you to all of you who have subscribed + followed us in 2017. Y’all have made this year so special to us – and it’s our resolution to make being part of the COLAtoday fam even better in 2018.

Here’s what you made possible in 2017:

9,845 Instagram followers | @colatoday

4,243 Facebook followers | @colatoday

2,355 Twitter followers | @colatoday

2017 was also filled with tons of cool content + engagement with you guys. Here are our top:

3 most viral Facebook posts

Duck Donuts opening in Crosshill Market / 772 likes / 361 shares / 369 comments / July 13

COA open in the Vista / 253 likes / 85 shares / 73 comments / Nov. 7

Cola 1 of 8 lowkey cities to visit via Thrillist / 47 likes / 47 shares / 3 comments / May 31

9 most-liked Instagrams

Image via Instagram

UofSC President Pastides touchdown / 3,890 views / 1,142 likes / 5 comments / Oct. 7

Adluh Mill sunset / 1,118 likes / 8 comments / Sept. 13

S.C.’s Christmas Tree at the State House / 1,042 likes / 9 comments / Dec. 3

Total Solar Eclipse totality / 1,039 likes / 10 comments / Aug. 21

Moon over Gervais St. Bridge / 994 likes / 13 comments / Dec. 9

Carolina-Clemson giveaway with @BCBSSCpics / 981 likes / 315 comments / Nov. 19

Duck Donuts opening in Crosshill Market / 977 likes / 149 comments / July 13

2nd Annual Gervais St. Bridge Dinner / 972 likes / 14 comments / Oct. 23

COA now open in the Vista / 917 likes / 142 comments / Nov. 7

10 most-read emails

The 15 best posts from the eclipse 🌓 / Aug. 22 / email / story on the website

5 priciest homes sold in 2017 💰 / Aug. 11 / email / story

Hakuna Ma Tatas / Sept. 12 / email / story

Tat, tat, tatted up / July 28 / email / story

What should go into the old Harper’s? / July 14 / email / story

Rent like a Shandonista 🏡 / June 1 / email / story

Let’s talk about BullStreet / June 6 / email / story

She’s a (100-year-old) brick house / May 25 / email / story

QUIZ: How Columbia are you? / May 31 / email / story

Cola’s best veterinarians 🐶 / June 5 / email / story

5 most-viewed stories

8 places that will cook Thanksgiving dinner for you / 2,517 views / Nov. 15

Hop on the Soda Cap Connector 🚎 / 1,924 views / Sept. 6

Why is Cola called Soda City? / 1,817 views / May 17

A PowerRanking of local Mac ‘n Cheese / 1,484 views / Nov. 1

The 15 best posts from the eclipse 🌓 / 1,378 views / Aug. 22

And a huge shoutout to our partners, who make it all possible – because someone has to pay for us to write this newsletter. Bless y’all.

(Click on the links below to learn more about each brand.)

Columbia Chamber

Columbia Fireflies

Columbia Metropolitan Airport (CAE)

Five Points Association

Goodwill SC

Lexington Medical Center

Lowes Foods

Nephron Pharmaceuticals Corporation

SOCO

South State Bank

The Moore Company

My New Year’s Day is typically filled with collard greens (money to come in the new year), black-eyed peas (good luck) and cornbread (gold – my favorite color), following in my grandparents’ Southern tradition. Although, with all the luck I’ve had in being a part of COLAtoday over the past year, I don’t even know how much BEPs I’ll need. (But I won’t take my chances.)

Looking ahead, what would you like to see from COLAtoday in the upcoming year? We’ve got •so much• in the works, but we’d love it if you replied to this email with your feedback + ideas. Or – as always – drop us a note on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram.

Wishing you the best in 2018,

–Chloe, Beth + Sam