Yes, this column will eventually morph into a well-planned plug for our social media pages, but hear me out.

Anyone living in Baldwin County is well aware that news never sleeps.

Ever-changing forecasts, breaking news and an unending calendar of events make Baldwin County an exciting place to live.

For those of us in the business of informing the residents about everything going on, it keeps us busy and we wouldn’t have it any other way.

Over the past 10 years or so, social media — sites like Twitter, YouTube and Facebook — have emerged as powerful tools to disseminate information.

Not only can we, as a newsgathering entity, share links to our stories, videos and photo galleries, you can, too.

Every week, our Facebook and Twitter accounts receive photos of gorgeous local sunsets, traffic back-ups and various events from individuals and organizations from all across the county.

Not only does it let us see what is going on across Baldwin County, it more importantly helps us tell the daily tales of the people living here.

Being from Ohio, I had absolutely no knowledge of all that goes on in Baldwin County before I moved here.

A quick search on Facebook and Twitter showed me this is a busy place year-round.

After being here more than six months, social media is still keeping me up-to-date on what is happening across Baldwin County on a daily basis.

Each one of us here at Gulf Coast Media, whether we are covering an event in Bay Minette or Orange Beach, is committed to bringing you the latest news, weather, sports and photos from across the county.

So, yes, I’m going to ask you to find us on Facebook and Twitter and to keep an eye out for more of our videos on YouTube.

We are always happy to have more followers online (and subscribers to our print editions. Sorry, I had to go there.) but more importantly, we want to know what is important to you.

We want to share with you the news you need to know, as well as the photos, opinions and stories of you and your neighbors.

Jay Sowers is photo editor of Gulf Coast Media. He can be reached at jay@gulfcoastmedia.com.