by admin | Jan 22, 2021 | Advertise, Aromatherapy, Bands, Brewing, Coffee, Covid 19, Covid-19, COVID19, Docks Beers, Facebook, Fishing, Food, Great Grimsby Day, Great Grimsby Day 2021, Grimsby, Grimsby Minster, Humberside, Lincolnshire, lincolnshire Business, Lincs Connect, LincsConnect, Mandarin Therapies, Massage, Minster, Twitter, Vouchers, YouTube
Great Grimsby Day
Grimsby Minster
Great Grimsby Day 2021
Great Grimsby Day 2021 will be on Friday this year (traditionally held on 22 January each year) but celebrations will undoubtedly be low key due to the pandemic restrictions. Trying to research the origins of the day has proven difficult. The earliest mention of Great Grimsby Day that I can find is via the BBC Radio Humberside website in 2008. Despite searching and searching I haven’t been able to find anything earlier or even the origins of the day. However, the further I delved into the research, the more I found. If you would like to find more search for Great Grimsby Day 2021 or #GreatGrimsbyDay
Grimsby has a long history with the first charter being granted in 1201. Grimsby is famous for being Britains seafood town of course but the deeper I delve, the more history and diversity I uncover. The Grimsby Minster (pictured above) gained its Minster status on 16 May 2010 but its history goes way back to before 1114. Click on the picture above to go to the Minster website.
I thought it was fitting to add this YouTube video from the Minster featuring The Choirs of Grimsby Minster
Finding the opening subject of a blog featuring a town with so much rich history as Great Grimsby is bound to be difficult but I hope you’ll agree that The Grimsby Minster fits the bill pretty well. If you would like any more information about the Minster, its services and what it has to offer the community you can follow them on Twitter @GrimsbyMinster or Facebook Grimsby Minster
Fishing From Grimsby
A huge part of the history of Grimsby revolves around the fishing industry. Searching online I came across this wonderful Youtube video by Paul Cleary which was posted in 2014. Paul is the son of a fisherman and is donating all proceeds from the video to the R.N.L.I and R.N.M.D.S.F.
Click on the picture to go to the YouTube video
Life And Fishing Move On
Technology and science has led to changes in fishing methods of course and JCS Fish have taken a different approach to the deep sea trawling methods:
Supplying Salmon to shops and restaurants across the country JCS Fish are at the forefront of salmon fishing and production. You can find them on LinkedIn as JCS Fish
Picture taken following a visit to JCS Fish Ltd in 2016 when they had a charity cake sale. The words ‘charity’ and ‘cake’ were enough of an invitation for me to make the trip from Lincoln! Apologies for the quality of the picture though – I’m pretty sure it would have been taken using an iPhone 5. It is a lovely view though isn’t it
Smoked
Grimsby, fish and smoked all seem to go together well so if you like smoked fish you need to visit award winning Alfred Enderby for smoked haddock and smoked salmon. Visit the website to place your order and have your selection delivered.
Click on the picture to go to the website. We all deserve something special and I think this will hit the spot. Follow Alfred on twitter for regular updates @AlfredEnderbyGY
Great Grimsby Day – A Trip Worth Making
I’ve never visited on Great Grimsby Day but 22 January 2022 is in my diary now to make sure I pay another visit to take in the sights and smells of land and sea. It would be silly to make the trip and not take in some light refreshments of course so I can recommend a visit to Riverhead Coffee for a brew and a bite to eat. This cheeky picture was take during the same 2016 trip when I stopped off at the nearby Cleethorpes cafe. There is a second shop in Grimsby too of course so even during the lockdown you’ll be able to buy your supplies for Great Grimsby Day 2021 of goodies including Stokes Coffee
A coffee at Riverhead Coffee is bound to raise a smile – Click on the picture to go to the Facebook page
Great Grimsby Day – Food, Drink And More…
The whole of Lincolnshire is always buzzing with activity. Famed for its food production, fantastic cafes and restaurants, warm hospitality and beer. We have a huge brewery industry on the rise across the whole County so it would be amiss of me to not include Docks Beers in this blog. Brewing craft beers in an old church on King Edward Street since 2018 the team deliver beer both locally and nationwide. There is no keeping a good idea down so as a result the team have expanded to include spiced rum and gin too.
…And More
It would be unusual to complete the Lincs Connect blog without including some music and entertainment so here goes; Docks Beers also includes the outstanding Docks Academy where you’re sure to find the best live music, comedy and events. Sadly the latest Red Herring Comedy Club events scheduled for February and March have had to be postponed. Another casualty of the Covid-19 lockdown precautions but the good news is that the tickets will remain valid and the event will be re-scheduled. Supporting local and big name bands and artists this surely has to be one of the ‘must visit’ venues in the UK.
Local Bands
Celebrating Great Grimsby Day 2021 without including a local band would be like….. well, ‘fish without chips’!
I’ve heard all of the Trak3 singles and in my mind, this is their best recording yet. These guys are just getting better and better. You can follow them on Twitter @Trak3_Official but don’t forget to hop over to their YouTube channel to see what else they have to offer. This one is called ‘Get It Poppin’ and I think it really deserves a listen.
Indigo Bay are producing some great music too and deserve a listen. They’ve featured on BBC Introducing @BBCLincsIntro and I’ll be really surprised if they aren’t one of the big bands of the future. Have a listen to ‘Reservoir Relaxing’ then give them a follow on twitter @theindigobay and Facebook Indigo Bay plus their YouTube channel too of course.
Great Grimsby Day 2021 – Advert
Mandarin Therapies provides bespoke mobile complementary therapies across the whole County and beyond. Gift vouchers are valid for 12 months and all treatments are Covid19 safe. Contact Mandarin Therapies on 07966 174878 or book through Facebook Mandarin Therapies
Advertising
To book your advert on the local blogs email martin@lincsconnect.co.uk
Community
Your local police force @HumberBeats is here to help and inform when you need it. As a result, they have set up a ‘My Community Alert’ scheme for you to get information when you need it:
For more information and to sign up to the alert system go the the Humberside Police website by clicking on this link: www.mycommunityalert.co.uk
Visit Grimsby
Grimsby has so much more to offer than I can ever list here. You’ll find shopping at Freshney Place, Abbeygate and markets at Freeman Street, Victoria Street and of course Grimsby Top Town Market. Between them they’ll have all of your shopping needs catered for from clothing to stamps and from farm produce to flowers. For more information visit www.nelincs.gov.uk
Far too many fantastic businesses to mention in a single blog! You can have a blog of your own created by contacting martin@lincsconnect.co.uk
You’ll be able to use your dedicated blog for your own personal advertising. Get in touch for more information.
Find Locals On Twitter
Simply click on the logo to go to the twitter page:
@Freshney_Place_
@Abbeygategrims1
@NorthLincsFIS
@NorthLincsAIS
@KcbraidsBeads
@GiBoxoffice
@GrimsbyG_Centre
@tonymarsdenHR
@LincsLotto
@VisitNorthLincs
@officialgtfc
@gy_lifedrawing
@GrimsbyLive
@GrimsbySpark
@GrimsbyCreates
@GreaterLincsLEP
@YMCAHumber
@BritWresRev
@healthwatchNEL
@ShopIndieVibes
Add Yourself To The List
If you would like to be added to this list please get in touch. It’s not too late to add a feature too as this blog will be live and available for Grimsby ‘forever’. contact martin@lincsconnect.co.uk for info.
That’s It For Now
There will be more local blogs out soon but if you would like to see what else has been posted take a look at www.lincsconnect.co.uk/blogs
In Case You Missed It
Click on the pictures to go to previous blogs:
Grimsby Philharmonic On Zoom
Happy Impulsive New Year
Stay Safe
Have a lovely Great Grimsby Day 2021 everyone and stay safe.
“Putting the social back into social media” #LincsConnect is always here for you.
by admin | Nov 1, 2020 | Covid 19, Covid-19, COVID19, Discount, Download, Facebook, Lincoln, Lincolnshire, lincolnshire Business, Lincs Connect, LincsConnect, Lockdown, Mandarin Therapies, Massage, Mobile, Shopping, Special Offer, Vouchers, Website
Lincolnshire Lockdown V2.0
Lincolnshire Lockdown V2.0 isn’t what we want but we can work together to turn it to our advantage. If you work with #LincsConnect we can get results together. As the country enters its second Covid-19 lockdown on Thursday 5 November 2020 we need a plan. Lincolnshire has been in this situation before and as a result we’re better prepared now. Do you have a plan for Lincolnshire lockdown V2.0? Your first round of plans may have worked well and as a result you’re just needing to make some minor adjustments to keep trading. Perhaps the first lockdown was a disaster for you? As a result you’ve tweaked and manipulated your plan to make it work this time. Good for you, that’s exactly what is needed to keep going.
Free Advertising
We all like something that’s ‘free’ but we probably also know that nothing is truly free! Twitter – that’s free! Facebook and Instagram are also free too so where’s the catch? Simple! If you want ‘free’ advertising you have to invest your time. By investing your time your posts are more likely to be seen and acted upon. Would you like to know how to do it?
Social Media Interaction
I’ve said it many times before; the clue is in the name. ‘Social’ media should be exactly what it says in the title. Actually ‘talk’ to your followers.
There’s a TV advert for a room freshener implying that the character has gone ‘nose blind’. In social media terms, if you post, post, post with no interaction your followers will see your posts but they won’t register in their mind. Because of this you need to talk to your followers. Talking and interacting with your followers will help them to remember you as that nice person/organisation/business who takes an interest. Talking to your followers doesn’t mean telling them how good you are and what you have to sell them. Instead, you should show an interest to let them know you care. As a result they’ll ask you what you do and what you have to offer. Regardless of your product or service you don’t need to do the ‘hard sell’.
Lincolnshire Lockdown V2.0 – Lincolnshire Discount Scheme
Would you be interested in joining a local discount/special offer scheme? A scheme where ‘you’ set your discount level or special offers. As a result it could lead to more people visiting your social media pages and/or shop and buying your products. Shopping in your physical store, website or virtual store could suddenly be more appealing. What if the logo is readily downloadable from social media platforms to be stored on a mobile device ready for use when shopping? Matching the downloaded logo from a smart phone with the logo displayed in your window, on your social media page or website to claim a special offer sounds appealing.
What if the download is free? Surely that would make it even more appealing to the shopper. As a result they try your shop over others because they know there is something in it for them. Store cards sound great but often don’t live up to expectations! What if you offered a 5% discount to customers who present the logo? Perhaps you might prefer to have a special offer on selected items rather than all of your stock. It’ll work for service providers too of course.
Lincolnshire Lockdown V2.0 – Feedback Please
Does this discount/offer idea sound good to you? I really need your feedback (positive or negative) before I decide to take the idea forward so please do let me know your thoughts. You can leave a comment at the bottom of this blog or email me at martin@lincsconnect.co.uk
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The Mandarin Therapies Covid19 safe treatments will resume after the lockdown
Gift voucher for a Christmas, Valentine or Mothers Day gift are available now.
Call 07966 174878 to book
Help Me, Help You
To help me help you please add a link to this blog in your social media advertising. If you’re talking about Christmas, Christmas gifts, Christmas offers and postage you can add a link to this blog to help explain that you’re trying to compete against ‘the big boys’ but at the same time you’ll be increasing readership of this blog. With that achieved I’ll be able to reach out to more people to help advertise your business. We really can help each other.
Incase You Missed It
Lincolnshire Lockdown V2.0 – Local Shopping
Below is a list of some local traders taking part in the #LincsArtCraftHour on Monday lunch times. Please take a look to see what they have to offer. After all, Christmas ‘is’ coming and I’m sure that you’ll agree that it’s good to support our local traders:
Twitter, Facebook & Etsy/Folksy
Stay Safe
Look after yourselves and you neighbours. I’ll be back with another blog very soon.
by admin | Sep 25, 2020 | Antenatal, Aromatherapy, Art, Christmas, Covid 19, Covid-19, COVID19, Facebook, Hashtags, Lincoln, Lincolnshire, lincolnshire Business, Lincs Connect, LincsConnect, Mandarin Therapies, Massage, Mobile, Shopping, Twitter, Vouchers
Christmas is coming to Lincolnshire
Christmas is coming to Lincolnshire – Three Months And Counting Down…
As I write this blog (25 September 2020) it’s exactly three months until Christmas. Yes, I’ve said it again …. Christmas is coming to Lincolnshire and businesses need to be ready for it. I’ve been talking about it for a few weeks and now the BBC have finally caught up with me. Dare I say, if you haven’t started gearing up for Christmas you’re already late to the party! The major shops are gearing up for Christmas NOW with predicted record online sales. To those of you who groaned when I mentioned Christmas I sincerely hope you manage to catch up with the traders who are already planning. The big spending retailers ‘will’ take your market from under you so isn’t it time to get your advertising sorted?
Don’t forget, Christmas ‘is’ coming to Lincolnshire so make sure you’re prepared.
Click on this picture to find out what you’ve been missing on Twitter
Time To Catch Up
You may already know about the Lincolnshire based #LincsArtCraftHour and #LincsConnectChristmas hashtags on twitter but did you know that the hashtags also work on Facebook? Try it today because it’s free and local. Just type in #LincsConnectChristmas to your Facebook search bar to see what and who are there. FREE and it’s LOCAL sounds good so isn’t it time you engaged with the hashtags?
Search for the hashtags on Google, you’ll find that they’ve been ‘trending’ – now ‘that’ really is impressive! Follow the links below to go to the relevant pages for the Lincolnshire people who’ve already started planning and producing fabulous creations for Christmas. The blue links under their logos will take you straight to the relevant pages to make life easier for you too.
Christmas is coming to Lincolnshire So Join The List
To have your name added to this list just join in the Twitter hour on Monday lunchtime to qualify. It doesn’t matter if the day or time doesn’t fit in with your schedule because the hashtags are always there and ready for you. Shouldn’t you try it when you have a moment? Additionally, if you’d like to have a feature here and a link to your website please talk to me about advertising. The rest is FREE.
Remember, the #ShopLocal hashtag doesn’t work as a medium to get local customers because it’s used so widely around the world. Trust me, ‘I’ invented it! As a result I went on to invented #LincsConnect and can assure you that this hashtag ‘does’ work. After all, it’s truly local to Lincolnshire and our neighbours. You can use and search the #LincsConnect hashtag on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram to find your truly local traders so why not give it a try today?
Christmas ‘is’ coming to Lincolnshire so shouldn’t you be a part of it?
#LincsConnect is here for you 24/7/365.
Twitter:
@FionaHodgesArt
Etsy:
Fiona Hodges Art
Advert – Because Christmas Is Coming To Lincolnshire
Christmas is coming so now is the time to order your Lincolnshire Christmas Gift Voucher for that extra special gift. A luxurious Mandarin Therapies bespoke massage from the comfort of your own home. What better way to let someone know how much you care? Call now to book your voucher 07966 174878. Click on the picture to start the video
Lincs To Past Blogs
Click the link or picture to go to the blog
What are your thoughts on holding more LincsConnect dedicated Twitter hours? Try following the link above to read some of my ideas and perhaps come up with some of your own. The more people interact with these hashtags, the more we will be able to help each other. Give it a try.
If you’re a Lincolnshire blogger and would like to have a link to your blog on here? I’ll be more than happy to hear from you.
Get the Covid-19 App NOW. If you haven’t got it already, click on this picture to go straight to the NHS website that will help you produce the required posters and direct you to the .Gov link to produce your own QR code. It’s easy – even I can do it!
Create A Coronavirus QR Code For Your Venue
Click on this picture to go straight to the relevant .Gov website page
If you are a Lincolnshire business, charity or organisation that has a venue or multiple venues you need to generate a QR Code for visitors to scan using the new Covid-19 App. The QR code will be sent to your email address for you to print and display.
Mobile businesses can still generate a QR code with your home or office address as the location. On arrival ask your client(s) to scan your QR code. The App will scan distances between smartphones and will send an alert to the person or people you have been in contact with if there is a risk of infection. It’s pure voluntary and does rely on people having the App on a smartphone but, as the saying goes, ‘every little helps’. Obviously it isn’t a substitute for keeping a 2m safe distance, washing your hands or wearing a suitable face covering over your mouth and nose but it is another tool to be utilised in the fight against this invisible virus.
Stay Safe
Be good to yourself and to others. Keep your distance, keep washing your hands and keep a mask that covers both your nose and mouth with you and wear it as instructed.
by admin | Jun 28, 2020 | Aromatherapy, Authors, Bands, books, Cleethorpes, Coronavirus, Covid 19, Covid-19, COVID19, Download, Libraries, Library, Lincoln, Lincolnshire, Lincs Connect, LincsConnect, Mandarin Therapies, Massage, Mobile, Online, Planet, Shop, Shopping, Twitter, Vouchers
Saving the planet online in Lincolnshire with LincsConnect
Are You Saving The Planet Online In Lincolnshire? – On The Plus Side…
Try saving the planet online in Lincolnshire with LincsConnect: Covid-19 has wreaked devastation across the world since the beginning of 2020. As a result many lives are being lost while others have become (and remain) seriously ill. ‘Normal’ has changed with travel, work and personal restrictions causing much disruption and heartache. Finances have been seriously challenged for many but we’ve shown a remarkable resilience and a desire to keep going. Some industries carry on as normal while others have significantly increased working practices to cope with demand. Others have suffered greatly with many paying the ultimate price of permanent closure.
On A Positive Note
On a positive note, many of us have adapted to work online. As a result we’ve seen a significant reduction in pollution, fossil fuel emissions and litter. From a personal perspective I’ve reduced my travel by taking my work online.
My clients have been able to manage injuries and carry on with their rehabilitation programme under personal instruction while reducing their travel to classes. I Monitor strength and fitness levels regularly with FaceTimes training sessions. As a result my clients have also had reduced car usage so the reduction in the burning of fossil fuels has been felt even further. We can help to save the planet by going online!
Click on the picture to find Mandarin Fitnesses on Facebook and follow me on Twitter @MandarinFitness
I’m Not Alone
Many people have now turned to working through Zoom and other video sessions while others have been doing it for some time. I’ve looked around at what others were doing and wondered why it’s taken me so long to catch up? As a result, most of my work is now via FaceTime. I’m certain others will feel the same way I do and will continue to work online.
Authors have been selling online for some time; We’ve become accustomed to buying books for our e-readers and other devices over the years. Many courses and tutorials have been online for a long time as has shopping.
Local Libraries Are Saving The Planet Online In Lincolnshire
Local Libraries – Saving the planet online in Lincolnshire
Lincolnshire Libraries (@lincslibraries on twitter and Lincolnshire Libraries on Facebook) are set to reopen on 13 July 2020. Phased reopening of larger premises initially and hubs/mobile libraries opening later. Our libraries have really stepped up their online services to keep us all happy. You can enjoy audio books, e-books or music from their ‘Freegal Music’ selection too. Visit your library online and free today with your Library card. If you haven’t already experienced it, now is the time! Accessing your library from home or mobile device will have the advantage of helping to save the planet, reducing travel.
Are You Looking For A Good Read?
If it’s a good read that you’re looking for and are a regular browser of the amazon or Apple libraries you may have a favourite local author who has been keeping your reading habits and imagination alive. Some of them have been mentioned in previous blogs of course. The very imaginative books by local Grimsby author Lynette Creswell who sells her books on Amazon can also be found on Facebook ‘Lynette Creswell Author’ or via her website www.lynettecreswell.wordpress.com She has a new book of short stories ‘The Cat Thief’ ought to be on your list of ‘must read’ books:
Lynette Creswell – A local author based in Grimsby with quite a collection of published books now has a new book ‘The Cat Thief’ – click on the picture for more information.
Lisa Gabriel in her own words “Successful composer, poet & author of multidimensional fiction…” also has work on Amazon. I happen to know that she is a sculptor too so give her a follow on Twitter @persimew to find out more.
Another local author that you’ll need to look up is Lisa Marie Garbiel with her book ‘The Wings To Fly’. A great read with lots of local Lincolnshire references and landmarks throughout. Clicking on the picture here will take you straight to her Amazon page and you can follow her on twitter at @persimew
How about factual eBooks about growing vegetables in straw bales? Simon Gibbins has produced both an e-Book and a DVD which can both be purchased through his website www.strawbaleveg.co.uk
Simon Gibbins is based in Waddington, Lincoln but his e-Book and DVD are both available from his website. Click on the picture for more information
Home fruit and vegetable growing has certainly seen an upsurge during the lockdown. Are shopping habits set to change? Simon will provide the knowledge and tools to start your new journey to local growing. Are you interested in home grown produce? Contact Simon through his website or on twitter @strawbaleukman Simon also has information on twitter about his seed sales as @SeedsSimon
Saving The Planet Online In Lincolnshire – Lockdown Hobbies
While many of us have utilised the lockdown to learn new skills it’s worth remembering that many businesses have been providing their services online for quite some time. Rosemary from Inavanti Learning provides language courses on an individual basis with online learning to compliment her sessions. During the lockdown she has moved her classes to exclusively online.
Learning Exclusively Online
Lincolnshire is a large County so it’s important to be able to reach customers wherever they are. ‘Online’ is the way forward, not just for reach and accessibility but for reducing traffic and helping to look after our planet. Schools have embraced the technology to keep in touch with students of course. As the schools return to building based lessons it’s important to know that personalised online learning is still available. ‘Thank you’ to the dedication and hard work of private tutors like Rosemary and all of the teachers who do such a marvellous job.
Inavanti Learning – click on the picture to go straight to the website. This could be the start of your next journey…
To view the Inavanti Learning video – Click on the picture above. Get a feel for your next learning experience, education while saving the planet online in Lincolnshire
Download it – Saving The Planet Online In Lincolnshire
Music is part of the online and download revolution with lots of platforms available to artists of any genre. I often search YouTube to listen to local artists so, as I’m writing about ‘online’ I thought it would be a good time to share some local bands here:
Trak3 is a Grimsby based band singing rap. I’ve chosen ‘Caught Up’ as a featured track here but please keep in mind that other tracks of theirs do contain swearing. Don’t forget to give them a follow on Twitter @TRAK3_Official
Fancy something different? This very young band from Cleethorpes definitely deserves a listen. A group of youngsters who have really been doing some great things. They’ve been getting their name around the music scene at home and abroad very successfully too. Have a listen to ‘Bullet’ and don’t forget to see what else they have on their Youtube channel. You can also follow Revivalry on Twitter @revivalryband
Another great Lincolnshire band destined for big things is Shout Inferno. They’ve appeared on my tweets and blogs before as one of my featured local bands of the week so it’s no surprise to see them here again. Have a listen to ‘Holloway’ and give them a follow on Twitter @ShoutInfoerno.
Shout Inferno – Holloway (Live at The Sweet Factory). Click on the picture to go to their youTube channel and hear another great song from their library. You can also follow them on Twitter @ShoutInferno
Yet another great local band, this time from Sleaford. The Saboteurs have featured several times as one of my ‘Local Bands of the week’ on Twitter and I’m sure you won’t mind if I feature them here too. This track is called ‘Coraline’ and it’s really worth a listen. Give them a follow on Twitter @sabsbanduk – they pop up there quite regularly.
Follow The Leader
For local, national and international music you need to follow Dave @laamb4 on twitter or visit the website for lots more music and arts information. As usual, you can click on the picture to go straight to the website:
Laamb – Click on the picture to go to the website. I don’t think you’ll be disappointed.
A Word From The Sponsor
You can sponsor the blogs at any time so get in touch today. I hope you like what you see and can see the value in it for local businesses, charities and organisations. Until next time though, I’ll leave you with a short video by @MandarinMothers who provide bespoke (certified Covid safe) complementary therapies from the comfort of your own home in Lincolnshire and beyond:
Advert
Mandarin Therapies and Mandarin Mothers provide bespoke complementary therapies from the comfort of your own home. Why not surprise someone special with a gift voucher today? Visit www.mandatintherapies.co.uk and Facebook Mandarin Therapies for more info. Click on the video to see more.
Back Soon
If you have any suggestions for future blogs please do let me know. You can email me at martin@lincsconnect.co.uk and you can visit www.lincsconnect.co.uk/blogs to see more blogs
Stay Safe
Sponsored by Mandarin Therapies. Bespoke complementary therapies from the comfort of your own home.
by admin | Jun 25, 2020 | Antenatal, Aromatherapy, Art, Bands, Charity, Covid 19, Covid-19, COVID19, Facebook, Indie Bands, Lincoln, Lincolnshire, lincolnshire Business, Lincs Connect, LincsConnect, Louth, Networking, Online, ShopLocal, Sleaford, Twitter, Website
How to shop local in Lincolnshire
Shop Local In Lincolnshire – follow the # Hashtags
Do hashtags really work? The simple answer here is ‘yes’ and ‘no’!
How many times have you seen posts on social media with the hashtag #ShopLocal on it? As crazy as it may sound, the hashtag really isn’t much use if you’re using it to help people find you. It’s fine as a statement of fact on your post but when you search for it you’ll find that the posts are anything but local. In fact, the posts you’ll find are from all around the world! If you’re expecting people to find your cheese that you produced in Sleaford I strongly suggest you think again! Try using and promoting the #ShopLincs hashtag instead.
When I set up Lincs Connect in 2012 I experimented with several hashtags and names before settling on #LincsConnect. Other examples of my trial hashtags included #ShopLocal (ironically I created this hashtag in January 2011 for use on my @MANDARINLEISURE account but scrapped it because it went global) #SupportLincolnshire #SupportLincolnshireBusiness #SupportLocal #SupportLocalBusiness with the latter being shortened to #SLBiz.
Early research made me realise that the ‘Support…’ hashtags were just too long so people refused to use them. Another reason for scrapping them was because they start with the word ‘Support’. When searching social media for relevant hashtags about Lincolnshire you’ll find that typing the letters ‘Linc’ into the search bar will give you LincsConnect on twitter and Lincs Connect on Facebook in the top three names to visit. Compare that to typing in ‘Support’ which will give you all sorts of connotations from TwitterSupport to a whole host of other national and international business support sites.
It makes sense then that the hashtag to use on your tweets needs to be #LincsConnect as it is at the top of your searches and is truly local to Lincolnshire.
How To Use A Hashtag
If you’re happily adding hashtags to your post but never searching them you’ve truly missed s trick!
Here’s what to do: Type in #LincsConnect in your search bar then press enter. Don’t click on the account @LincsConnect as that’ll take you to the account only which means you’ll miss all the good information. Once your device takes you to the messages on the #LincsConnect timeline you need to look for the ‘Latest’ tab at the top of the Twitter page. If you type #LincsConnect into the search bar on Facebook you’ll need to look for the ‘Posts’ tab at the top of the page (this’ll also show you related Instagram posts).
Once you’ve discovered these pages you’ll realise that there is a huge amount of information, business posts, personal posts, charity posts and requests for help etc etc that are all related to our local area. Try it now to see what you can find. It’s a fantastic way to network and find out what’s going on locally.
Supporting Local In Lincolnshire
How do you support local? Is it as easy as going to the local shops and picking something from the shelves? In case you hadn’t considered it before, let me share some of my ideas about shopping and supporting locals:
- Shop locally – supporting local traders by buying their produce in local shops, garden centres, farm shops and markets
- Online – Many local traders have online shops. A more cost effective way of selling may be via platforms like Etsy shops or even selling directly via social media
- Don’t forget the local charity shops. Dropping off your unwanted items is absolutely crucial but don’t forget they are there to help raise funds for the many worthy causes that otherwise would’t survive without our support. Buying from the shops is absolutely essential if the charities are to survive.
- Social media – Since I’ve been running #LincsConnect I’ve noticed big changes in how people use the various platforms. I’ve noticed a big rise in the professionally run accounts (some companies run several accounts for different clients) and I’ve also noticed the reluctance of many accounts to share anyone else messages or support others. I’ll talk more about these two subjects later.
Obviously there are many other ways to support local businesses, charities and organisation but I’ll focus on my main observations first if that’s OK?
Shop Local In Lincolnshire
Shop local in Lincolnshire – this concept certainly isn’t new. However, during the Covid19 pandemic it became much more important and (thankfully) much more prolific. We know how important our local CoOp, Post office, newsagent and Spar shops are. Many of them are in walking distance (for those who are able) and stock locally produced products.
Perhaps, with the use of ‘people power’ they might be able to stock more local produce to help our economy even further. A polite request from customers or local traders may be all it takes. It’s worth a try! In addition to helping to support local traders (including the shop owners and staff) it must have also come to your attention that during the lockdown there were less emissions, less fossil fuel burned and less litter. All of these positives are good for the planet so let’s see if we can learn the lessons.
If you can’t physically support local businesses you could try supporting them online
Shop Local In Lincolnshire – Online
This isn’t something I ever considered for my own businesses before Covid19 but it is something that I explored during the lockdown. FaceTime and WhatsApp video calling is still a fantastic way to maintain contact with my clients while reducing my fuel usage in my truck. It’s definitely a practice that I’m committed to. During the lockdown I was busy writing blogs and searching for companies who sell online. Some are using Etsy, some use Facebook and others use Twitter.
I’m sure there are other platforms that are equally as good or even better. I haven’t come across them yet but the obvious choice and probably the most popular is direct selling from personal/company websites. Many people have their own eCommerce shop on their website which is easily maintained by the trader and convenient for the customer. If, like me, you’re a bit of a technophobe you’ll be able to find website designers to build a site for you. They’ll even help you with your existing site. If you’d like to get in touch with any designers please feel free to ask me for some suggestions. After all, that is what Lincs ‘Connect’ is for!
Charities
I often include charities in my blogs because I feel they need all the help they can get. I’ve focused on very small, medium and large charities and the one thing that they all have in common is their use of social media. The posts may not raise funds directly but their constant presence certainly helps to raise your awareness of them and they help you to shop local in Lincolnshire.
Share The Love
Looking at the various accounts on social media I often make up my mind whether I should support them or not simply by looking at their posts. The ones who never share anyone else posts, have conversations or try in any way to support anyone else is a big red flag for me.
I find myself asking the question “why should I support them when they don’t support others and are very unlikely to support me?” I’m a big believer in helping others so when I find someone who shows no interest other than to post their own tweets I tend to move on to find someone who is more sociable and supportive.
Buying And Selling
I’ve noticed Fiona @OrigArtPrints on Twitter while searching the #LincsConnect hashtag and really like what she has been painting on old maps. Her main sales come from Craft Fairs but during covid she turned her attention to Facebook and Twitter for her sales. Facebook has been successful but Twitter less so. However, her Twitter account is a good platform for showcasing what she does and for directing people to her Facebook account. It’s important to use more than one platform on social media if you want to increase your client base. It’ll be interesting to see if future sales turn more towards social media and less towards the craft fairs. Only time will tell.
As a consequence of lessons learned during the covid lockdown I’m pleased to see that Fiona has turned her attention to Etsy for her sales too. An online presence is great way to keep customer engagement. 
I think these paintings on old maps are fabulous. You have to admit, they do bring the map to life. Here is another example:
Shop Local In Lincolnshire – Use Websites, Social Media And YouTube
I’m no expert of course but it appears to me that one of the best ways to find a website (given that you probably didn’t know the sites name or even that you wanted to make a purchase) is through social media. I’ll say that bit again just to clarify, “through ‘social’ media”. Why the emphasis on ‘social’? Because I’ve noticed far too often that many people are using Twitter, Facebook and Instagram to show off their products but don’t realise that they need to talk to followers to get continued engagement and sales.
Put it this way, if you don’t talk to me on social media I’m not likely to notice you! Likewise, if you talk to me but I don’t talk back you’ll soon stop talking to me. Either way, I would be the loser so that’s why it’s always best to be ‘social’ on social media!
While being pre-occupied with social media I almost forgot about YouTube. Surely I can’t be the only person who searches YouTube on a very regular basis for music and information? I do think it’s a great platform for showing your products (you’ll have seen some of my YouTube videos if you’ve been reading my other blogs), courses and skills.
While the social media could drive potential customers to your website the same driving force could apply to your YouTube channel. I sometimes feature a local band on twitter. Invariably I find them on Twitter or Facebook first then either follow a link to their YouTube channel or take a few seconds to search for them in the YouTube search bar.
This band (Saboteurs) from Sleaford have really got my attention . You can follow them on Twitter @sabsbanduk for regular music posts and updates. Alternatively go straight to their website www.saboteursband.co.uk for lots more info and a chance to purchase their albums.
Have a listen to one of their albums by clicking on the YouTube link above.
Shop Local In Lincolnshire With YouTube
YouTube is arguably more useful than Instagram. They are both popular of course and Instagram has a huge customer base. However, YouTube is a constant. When a video is posted on YouTube it’s there to be found at any time until the originator deletes it. Finding a specific post on Instagram is much less easy.
As a shopper it’s easy to go to YouTube to search for what you are looking for. A good video will show you the product before you decide to buy. Subsequently, as the originator of a YouTube post you are able to upload the link to any social media platform or your own website at any time. An uploaded video can be an ongoing advert for many years because the link can be copied and re-posted multiple times.
Uploading a video to YouTube (this one is about Nordic Walking with @MandarinFitness) can be timeless. This video is often posted on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram to help encourage new customers to join the sessions. Simply following the link from the social media platform takes you straight to the advert.
The videos don’t need to be long or even professionally produced. Simply upload a video clip from your smartphone to YouTube then copy the link and post it onto your social media platform.
I hope you’ve found the blog useful. Don’t forget to shop locally wherever possible to support our local traders.
See You Soon…
I hope you like my brief blog about using social media for selling and finding new customers. Please feel free to leave a comment below and share the post with your friends and contacts. Hopefully I’ll see you when I search the #LincsConnect hashtag again soon.
Additional Blogs By LincsConnect:
Click the picture to discover more about this blog and get an insight into being successful on social media
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by admin | Apr 29, 2020 | Authors, books, Charity, Covid 19, Covid-19, COVID19, Food, Foodbank, Grimsby, Immingham, Lincolnshire, lincolnshire Business, Lincs Connect, LincsConnect, Louth, Pie, Take Away, Takeaway, Vouchers
Food Glorious Food By LincsConnect – 15 Years And Going Strong
This Food Glorious Food by LincsConnect blog was published during the Covid19 lockdown of 2020. There have been some lovely stories emerging about the organisations that have sprung up recently who’re providing food for those in need during the Covid-19 pandemic. We mustn’t forget the organisations that have been providing food and support for the homeless and vulnerable all year round though. I can think of several and during this lockdown period I have had time to contemplate and decide what I value and what I am truly grateful for. As I look around and see more and more people doing wonderful things for the community I realise that I could and should (and will) be doing more.
I find many of my contacts through Twitter, several of them really stand out for their kindness, selflessness and community spirit. Some of the things they do without the need for praise or recognition is truly humbling and it’s worth remembering that they don’t have to do what they do. They could have an easy life and leave the volunteering to someone else. That said, if all the volunteers stopped what they were doing to leave the help for others to do, nothing would get done!
Food Glorious Food By LincsConnect – Volunteers
Society owes the volunteers a great debt and with that in mind, I hope to write about some or all of them in my blogs to let their stories be known.
One such group is the Grimsby Food Kitchen which is run by Cath and Ken with help from some of their lovely volunteers. In normal circumstances (outside of the Covid-19 restrictions) Cath and Ken provide emotional support to the homeless and vulnerable people in Grimsby. Hugs and smiles usually flow freely.
I can’t imagine what it must be like to be homeless and without human contact. I can imagine though that the Grimsby Food Kitchen is much more than just a place to visit for Sunday lunch.
Grimsby Food Kitchen – The GFK provide so much more than just Sunday lunch. The smiles and kind eyes say so much more… Click on the picture for a link to the Facebook page
Food Glorious Food By LincsConnect – Generous Donations
Sometimes, when you’re faced with the worry of having to move premises the answer is right on your doorstep. A very generous donation by Pete and Tricia saw the GFK move into new premises rent free for as long as they need it. A donation of £4000 from the Lincolnshire Community Foundation @LincolnshireCF and generous donations from the Rotary International, Humberston Lions and many others help the GFK to continue. Donations from the general public plus outstanding support from the local press who regularly contribute on their twitter feed @GrimsbyLive and through their website GrimsbyTelegraph.co.uk help to make it all work.
With these donations Cath and Ken are able to make bulk food purchases from the cash and carry in order to cook the Sunday lunches and Wednesday hot dogs. Support is always helpful of course but when you are volunteers providing a no cost service that the support is pretty vital.
Food Glorious Food By LincsConnect – 5.00am Start
GFK Ready for service on Sunday and Wednesday lunch times
Alas, it’s not just a case of ‘turn up for work, cook, serve and leave’! There isn’t a kitchen in the centre so Cath cooks everything at home then transports it to 18 Clethorpes Road, Grimsby where she, Ken and their volunteers prepare to serve between 11.30am and 1.30pm. The additional voluntary help is essential if everything is to run smoothly.
Cath and Ken are always on hand to ‘dish out’ the smiles, hugs and support to those who need it and guide people to other agencies for additional support when required. I can imagine that the room is normally full of chatter and laughter but, with the Covid-19 outbreak they have had to adapt to a take-away service and social distancing. That will be difficult on many levels I’m sure.
I had a lovely chat with Cath yesterday and she explained how everything works. Although it’s very generous of people to turn up with a food parcel you can imagine the storage needed for small amounts of perishable foods – it just isn’t practical. The new Wednesday Hot Dog lunch sessions alone will need around 150 sausages each week so bulk buying is the only practical way forward.
Food Glorious Food By LincsConnect Charitable Donations
Having chatted with Cath I can tell you now that she just isn’t the sort of person who will ask for glory, praise, recognition…… or cash! As a result, I’m asking on her behalf. If you can spare ‘any’ cash please get in touch via Facebook Grimsby Food Kitchen or Twitter @CathHomewood to make your arrangements.
Let’s keep in mind that the GFK isn’t the only charity in the County that needs your financial help. If you would like to make a donation to a charity in your local area perhaps this short blog will have helped to jog your memory.
I would also like to say a special thanks to @GrimsbyLive for the use of their pictures for this blog.
“Never Betray Anyone’s Trust”
Cath & Ken
When dealing with people it’s important to be approachable and trustworthy. That applies every day of course but when you’re talking to vulnerable people it’s important that they are able to trust you. Cath told me that she won’t tolerate ‘he said, she said’ conversations where people are talking about others. It’s probably fair to say that the people who are turning up for food are like an extended family. When they need help or advice it’s important for them to know that the person they’re talking to will be there for them. In Caths’ own words “never betray anyone’s trust” seems doubly important.
Bless you Cath and Ken, you’re doing a fantastic job. Keep smiling and keep cooking.
Food glorious Food By LincsConnect – Did Someone Say Food?
This year (2020) the Louth Pie Day (#LouthPieDay) had a bit of a setback. Just about to celebrate it’s second year….. and then we had the lockdown for Covid-19.
Not to be disheartened Justine and Kiat made a subtle change to the hashtag and called it #VirtualLouthPieDay. What a brilliant idea! Louth Pie Day is here to encourage visitors to the various shops in Louth to sample and buy a variety of pies. If there is any competition going on I certainly wouldn’t like to have to select an overall winner! What’s your idea of a pie? Is it a pork pie? What about a steak and ale pie? Vegetarian pie or vegan pie? Oh yes, and then there’s the fruit pie of course…
Click on this picture to go straight to the Facebook page
Food Glorious Food – Unfortunately the shops were closed for customers this year so there were no pies to be bought. As a result the #VirtualLouthPieDay was conceived and facebook and twitter followers were invited to make their own pies and share pictures. The creations can be found on the Facebook and Twitter @LouthPieDay pages. If you would like to see what happened just type in #VirtualLouthPieDay to your search bar on twitter or Facebook. Do also follow the pages to make sure you don’t forget to enjoy the fun next year.
#LincsConnectJobs
The #LincsConnectJobs hashtag is still live so if you have any jobs to advertise just add in the hashtag to your advert and tweet it. You can also use the hashtag on Facebook.
To follow @LtsaSCITT on twitter just click on this picture to go straight to their profile, click the follow button and search their tweets for more information.
If you’re considering a carer in teaching, recruitment is still going ahead for 2020 via Zoom. If you are interested email pslack@lincstsa.co.uk today for a Zoom link and an appointment. Don’t let Covid-19 deter you. Where there’s a will, there’s a way!
Are You A Reader?
Author Lynette Creswell from Immingham
Author Lynette Creswell has several books to her name already and has now produced a book of short stories which is due to be released very soon.
Being dyslexic I much prefer to read short stories so this book will be perfect for me. Do you have a preferred genre or do you just pick up a book that takes your fancy at the time? I know some people can read a whole book in a weekend (or even faster). I’m afraid a ‘normal’ sized paperback can take me up to a year to read. It’s odd that I can enjoy writing so much and can plan a blog like this one in my head in seconds. It takes around half a day to research it, put it together and post it but when it comes to reading….. Well, a year to read a paperback tells you its own story.
There’s an empty space where a book should be!
I’ve been invite to the ‘Cover Reveal’ for the new book of short stories titled ‘Cat Thief’ and I’m pleased to be able to extent that invitation to you too. Don’t worry, it’s all online so we’ll be safe and secure; Hopefully I’ll see you (virtually) there on Saturday 2 May 2020 from 11.00am to 12.30pm
Click on the picture to book your virtual place….
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Food Glorious Food By LincsConnect – Looking Forward…
I’m certainly looking forward to getting back to some sort of normality and I’m sure everyone else is too. With that in mind, I’ll leave you with a gift voucher idea that’ll give you something to look forward to. You can buy your voucher now and look forward to enjoying a bespoke massage from the comfort of your own home later in the year. What’s not to like? If you would like to order your e-voucher just email massage@mandarinleisure.com
Click on the picture to go to the Mandarin Therapies website
Stay Safe everyone
