by Martin Thomas | Sep 30, 2022 | Lincolnshire Day, Lincs Connect
Lincolnshire Day
This year we shall be celebrating it on Wednesday. As always it’ll be on 1 October of course!
The Lincolnshire Flag was adopted for the County following a design competition in October 2005. Click here for more information
Lincolnshire Day – A Brief History
The day was created in 2006 by BBC Radio Lincolnshire and Lincolnshire Life magazine to commemorate the Lincolnshire Rising in October 1536. The Rising started in Yorkshire and was a protest against King Henry VIII decision to separate from the Roman Catholic Church and the dissolution of the monasteries. Nine thousand Lincolnshire protesters marched to York to protest to the king. King Henry VIII had the leaders executed and the Church of England was established as the religion of the land.
You’ll appreciate of course that this is a very brief history lesson. However, it does give a quick insight into the origins of our day.
In 2006…
Several other counties across the UK have a designated date to celebrate themselves. In 2006 a joint venture between BBC Radio Lincolnshire and Lincolnshire Life magazine officially campaigned for a special day for Lincolnshire. As a result the official day has been adopted as 1 October each year. It isn’t a holiday but it does give the local community a day to celebrate all that is good in the county.
Lincolnshire Day ‘Yellowbellies’
I haven’t found a definitive reason for the term ‘Yellowbellies’ but it’s thought that it may refer to the yellow bibs or waistcoats that were worn by the Lincolnshire Regiment. Other folklore reasons can be found for the term but suffice it to say that ‘Yellowbellies’ refers to Lincolnshire people. As a result, yellow is the colour of choice for local people to dress in.
Lincolnshire Day – Let’s Celebrate
Every day is a good day to celebrate Lincolnshire! We have lots to celebrate here from our rich heritage, the Cathedral, castles and churches. We have the Fens to the South, the City in the middle, the Wolds further North and onward to the rich heritage of North and North East Lincolnshire. Ancient woodlands, chalk streams, a fabulous coast, a network of waterways including rivers and canals. The list goes on and on.
Lincolnshire has a truly artisan feel with its diverse array of home made and crafted foods and drinks. Local breweries and artisan distilleries, chocolatiers, bakers and makers abound. As a result there is always something to celebrate, savour and admire.
Wherever you look in the County you’ll find local crafts, architecture and ingenuity. With a rich aviation heritage from ‘The Dam Busters’ to Bomber Command you ‘will’ discover something to explore, sample and celebrate.
Petwood Hotel
Situated in the beautiful village of Woodhall Spa is the absolutely stunning ‘Petwood Hotel’ with its distinctive building and fabulous grounds. You’ll always enjoy a warm welcome when you visit, with panelled walls, open fires (during the winter months) and rich wartime history I highly recommend it. I visited the 617 Squadron bar and can highly recommend that too. Ask at reception for directions. It certainly has a history all of its own so take your time. I can also personally recommend the afternoon tea!
International Bomber Command Centre
Celebrations wouldn’t be complete without a visit to the International Bomber Command Centre. Lincolnshire is known as ‘Bomber County’ for good reason. I owe my freedom to many people who made the ultimate sacrifice (as do we all) so make it a priority to pay a visit if you get the chance.
The Centre is easy to find from the City. With the Lincoln Cathedral and Castle behind you, looking out over the City centre where you’ll see the spire proudly standing on the top of the cliff. I took this picture with the spire in silhouette and I’m pleased to post it here for you.
Lincolnshire Day – How Will You Celebrate?
From countryside to beaches, food and drink to culture, heritage and architecture we have something for everyone. Arts and crafts abound but most of all, the ‘people’ are what makes Lincolnshire so special.
What’s On Lincs
For ‘any’ day; To discover what’s on in the County at any time check the #WhatsOnLincs and #LincsConnect hashtags on Twitter and visit the www.whatsonlincs.co.uk website. I have created the account to help and promote all things Lincolnshire so do pay a visit soon.
LincsConnect is available on Twitter and Facebook for all things Lincolnshire and locals can also place free adverts on the WhatsOnLincs website
Additional Blogs By LincsConnect:
WhatsOnLincs Explained
Lincolnshire Day Adverts:
Mandarin Therapies offers a fully mobile complementary therapies service including injury prevention, injury rehabilitation, biomechanics coaching and antenatal/postnatal treatment and care
That’s It For Now
I hope you enjoy reading my blog. Please don’t forget to have a look at the additional blog (link above) too.
by Martin Thomas | Sep 23, 2022 | Advertise, Lincolnshire, Lincs Connect, LincsConnect, Mandarin Therapies, Social, WhatsOnLincs
Free Advertising In Lincolnshire With LincsConnect
Free Advertising in Lincolnshire – #LincsConnect – Make it your ‘go to’ hashtag
This is probably the shortest and most important blog you have ever read!
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/exposure on social media you’re going to 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?
Ditch The ‘Like’ Button
Free Advertising in Lincolnshire – Ditch the Like button
Free Advertising In Lincolnshire with LincsConnect – Ditch The Like Button
If you’re using X (Twitter) I highly recommend that you ditch the ‘Like’ button. Rules vary from Twitter to Facebook/Instagram but it is now official that the ‘Like’ button on X is pretty much redundant.
Twitter is an interactive platform so your best results will come from interacting with your followers. That’s one of the main differences between Twitter and other platforms. What does the ‘Like’ button say about you on Twitter?
- I don’t have time for you so I’ll just press the like button instead of saying ‘thank you’ or interacting.
- I’m not that interested in you so I’ll just press the Like button and hope that you read my posts.
- I don’t understand algorithms and how they work so I’ll press the Like button and hope for the best.
- I can’t be bothered to talk to my followers.
- I don’t want to share your post with others.
When scrolling down your twitter timeline you will see tweets from people you follow, sponsored (paid advertising) tweets and tweets that have been retweet by your followers. You’ll never see a ‘Liked’ tweet!
The ‘Like’ button does have its uses though. It’s a good way of saving tweets for future reference. Beyond that, I’m struggling to think of a good reason to use it on Twitter!
Free Advertising And Social Media Interaction With LincsConnect
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. However, if you ‘talk’ to your followers they’ll remember you as that nice person/business who takes an interest. Obviously talking to your followers doesn’t mean telling them how good you are and what you have to sell them. Instead, you need to show an interest in other people to let them know you care about them. Given time they will ask you what you do and what you have to offer. As a result, you don’t need to do the ‘hard sell’.
#WhatsOnLincs – New To The LincsConnect Website
“…WhatsOnLincs is the new community web page on the LincsConnect website. You can use it to post free adverts from markets and car boot sales to charity events and entertainment, jobs, volunteering plus much more. You can even include pictures as well as links to websites. It’s all FREE so be sure to use it to find out What’s on in Lincolnshire…”
Take a look at the blog link below to read the full #WhatsOnLincs blog. Don’t forget to recommend it to your friends and out of town visitors too so that they can discover what’s on in Lincolnshire.
Helpful?
It’s probably my shortest blog ever read but I hope you find it useful.
Advert
Massage Bliss with Mandarin Therapies. Mobile complementary therapies.
Additional Blogs By LincsConnect:
Don’t Rely On Algorithms
See the #WhatsOnLincs blog in full
More Blogs By LincsConnect
That’s It For Now
I hope you found this Free Advertising blog useful.
by Martin Thomas | Jul 14, 2022 | Lincs Connect, ShopLincs
Budget Lincolnshire – A blog by LincsConnect in an attempt to save you money…
Budget Lincolnshire
The Budget Lincolnshire blog is here to help you Navigate holidays or any other trips. Let’s face it, they can be a financial challenge! With that in mind, the Budget Lincolnshire blog is here to offer some help.
The blog will never be complete of course so please feel free to recommend more tips and hacks. If you would like to recommend new entries please email me at martin@lincsconnect.co.uk
There are lots of national offers on at the moment and some of them are permanent all-year offers. Take a look at the supermarkets to see what deals they have. Many of them are offering free children’s meals during holiday times so they are a good option if you’re planning a day out on a budget.
Tesco have their ClubCard deals which allow you to collect points when you shop with them. They may not always have the cheapest prices in store or online though so be prepared to shop around. However, the ClubCard points can be accumulated and easily converted to vouchers. The vouchers can be redeemed for days out, membership (including English Heritage) at some chain restaurants including Pizza Express, Cafe Rouge and Ask amongst others. Be warned though, not all of the restaurants accept the vouchers so check before ordering your meal.
The club card offer is subject to changes of course so check before downloading. I believer that for every £pound that you have in your club card account, the downloaded voucher will be worth double.
The Club Card may change design from time to time and is also available on an App as well as a physical card.
Keeping It Local With Budget Lincolnshire
While there are many national deals and offers to be found on the internet the aim of this blog is to highlight the availability of ‘local’ offers. Hence the title ‘Budget Lincolnshire’. I have no doubt that I’ll miss some but with your help we can make this blog better by including more. You can help by emailing your suggestions. I guarantee that I’ll do my best to read them all and include as many as possible.
More Budget Lincolnshire
There are many different sites to explore on the internet to grab yourself a bargain. You could try Money Saving Central and Groupon who may have some local deals and vouchers for you.
The American Express Platinum Everyday Cash Back Card gives you cash back on every purchase with no membership/admin fee. In addition to the cash back offer it also gives daily discount offers. Several times a year it gives special ‘local’ deals to encourage you to spend locally. Typically the offer will be something like ‘Spend £10.00 at shop XYZ and receive £5.00 cash back. Other credit cards and bank accounts/debit cards will do similar so shop around for the best deal for you.
The Defence Discount Card is available for Armed Forces veterans. There is a small initial charge for the card but the local and national discounts available for card holders are significant.
These are just some of the deals and ideas I know about. If you have more to share please let me know by email martin@lincsConnect.co.uk
Major stores/pubs/supermarkets: Asda Cafe, Future Inns, Table Table, Yo Sushi, The Real Greek, Sizzling Pubs, Beefeater/Brewers Fayre, Dunelm Pausa Cafe all have special meal deals for children during holiday periods. In addition you’ll find childrens’ meal deals during the holidays at Whitbread Inns, Morrisons, Hungry Horse, Bella Italia, Cafe Rouge and Angus Steakhouse. Some offer free meals for children while others offer substantial discounts. However, they all expect the adult to pay full price in order to get the deal. It’s always worth shopping around to get yourself the best deal.
WARNING – If you can’t afford to PAY THE CREDIT CARD BILL IN FULL every month DON’T apply for an account. Interest rates (even 0%) on credit cards can soon spiral out of control. A 0% interest rate doesn’t last forever so make sure your bill is settled before the 0% offer expires.
#TopTip For Budget Lincolnshire
Putting fuel into the family car is getting ever more expensive. I’ve found a handy App which may be worth considering if you have a smart device. The PetrolPrices App does exactly what its title suggests. It doesn’t give you discounts but it does show you what the fuel prices are in your area. You can set the distance from your location and tell it to search for either petrol or diesel. It’ll help you to make an informed decision when setting out to buy fuel. You’ll find it in your preferred App Store:
A handy App to help you find the best petrol/diesel prices wherever you are in the country.
Once you’ve filled your car with fuel and decided where to go for your day out I recommend being prepared for a short walk. If walking is an option for you I suggest researching the area (Maps or Google Maps are handy Apps) to find the best places to park. Roadside parking is FREE but look for the signs to make sure you aren’t in a Residents Only area or restricted parking zone. Street parking isn’t always an option, especially in busy towns and cities so local council websites may help you find the cheapest car parks.
Walk, Cycle & Picnic Areas
Budget Lincolnshire is all about finding and sharing the best deals locally. Walking and cycling are free of course and a picnic can be part of your normal weekly budget. However, if you have driven to the start of your outing it’s worth checking for parking charges or making use of street parking if it’s available.
Clicking on this picture will take you to a list of Lincolnshire Nature Reserves
The list is by no means exhaustive but it’ll give you a good starting point for your research. Not all reserves are wheelchair friendly and some don’t allow dogs so do check before travelling. Additional reserves and parks that I can recommend are Whisby Nature Park (Lincoln) which is wheelchair and mobility scooter friendly and Hartsholme & Swanholme Lakes (Lincoln) which is partially wheelchair friendly. There are many parks and gardens across the County but always check in advance for charges. Some may offer discounts for families but they are likely to be standard charges and dependant on national memberships (RHS or National Trust).
If you’re looking for something less rural you’ll find The Arboretum in Lincoln which is close to the Usher Gallery and The Collection museum. Further afield in Grantham is Wyndham Park. The website is out of date at the time of posting this blog but it gives a good idea what’s on offer. Riverside Park, Newark is free and worth a visit. As always, it’s best to do your research before travelling so do make good use of the Tourist Information Centres.
Enjoying the great outdoors is predominantly ‘free’. We have a range or parks, paths, beaches and cycle tracks to enjoy. For a list of FREE things to do in Lincolnshire follow this link to the Visit Lincoln website. The Newark website does take you further into Nottinghamshire but some attractions are still local. Waters’ Edge Country Park and Visitor Centre is in Barton-on-Humber and offers free walks in the countryside. For information about this and more in North Lincolnshire follow this link to Visit North Lincolnshire
Lincolnshire has a long coastline which have earned several Blue Flags for their beaches. The coast is varied with lots of nature trails as well as busy seaside towns. You’ll be able to enjoy a variety of entertainment (both free and paid). Click on the link to discover what North East Lincolnshire has to offer. You’ll discover everything from nature watching on the Saltmarsh to the fabulous seaside resort of Cleethorpes. You’ll also be able to discover the Grimsby Fishing Heritage Centre as well as Grimsby Minster and Weelsby Woods to name just a few.
The Grimsby Fishing Heritage Centre has two prices for entry. The normal prices are £11.50 (adult, £8.00 (student and age 60+), £5.00 (child). However, a family ticket (2 adults and up to 5 children) is £25.00. That’s a saving of £23.00. There are also annual memberships available which gives you unlimited access for just a few pounds more. An adult annual ticket will cost just £5.00 extra. There are also vacancies for supporters so do contact the museum if you would like to volunteer.
Towards the South West of the Lincolnshire border is Rutland. I’ve spend many hours cycling and walking around Rutland Water and can highly recommend it for a day out. Cycling, walking, nature spotting, fishing, open water swimming and golf (the latter two are chargeable) as well as picnicking are all available.
Whichever walk, park, nature reserve or beach you decide to visit you’ll find that most are predominantly ‘FREE’. The only things you usually need to pay for are transport costs, parking, eating and drinking (if you don’t take a picnic).
Public Transport
Rail and bus travel can be limited across a large rural county such as Lincolnshire but you can still find services connecting major towns and villages. Finding a train to take you where you want to go can be challenging. With that in mind I’ve Listed some stations that could be worth checking to plot your journey. The list includes Rutland, central Lincolnshire, North Lincolnshire and North East Lincolnshire:
The list of railway stations in the LincsConnect area. Trains to London are from Newark, Lincoln, Grantham and Cleethorpes. Newark Lincoln and Grantham are direct. Trains from Cleethorpes are via Doncaster.
Railcards
The cost of a typical railcard is £30.00 for a year (cheaper if you buy a 3 years card) so make sure you are going to use it and save money before purchasing. The railcard will save you 1/3 of the price of normal travel. Most rail operators release tickets around 12 weeks before a journey date and the earlier you buy your ticket the cheaper it will (usually) be. Some sites charge a booking fee for advance tickets so to avoid the booking fee you might like to try booking direct with National Rail. Use the same site to find other railcard and discounts that may be available to you.
Bus
Bus travel is generally cheaper than car or rail but we all know that the routes are not always convenient. Make sure you plan your journey carefully and also check to see if you are eligible for discounted travel. Check out the £2.00 fare cap too as it may surprise you. Have a look at the Lincs Bus website as they have quite an informative site:
Visit the LincsBus website for route planning and follow @LincsBus on twitter for regular daily updates
Budget Lincolnshire – Child Friendly Events
Fantasy Island, Skegness discount voucher codes and deals. Click the link to discover more
Skegness Pier discount site. Click the link to discover more
Budget Lincolnshire – Meal Deals
BBC Food Family meals for under £1.00
Lucky Strike arcade and bowling alley, Skegness – 20% off food
Queens Head, Kirkby-La-Thorpe, Sleaford ‘Kids eat free’. Children under 12 can have a meal from the Kids menu with every main meal purchased
Museums
Grimsby Fishing Heritage Centre offers discounts for concessions (students and age 60 and over). In addition, family tickets and annual memberships both significant discounts.
Arts
Theatre & Cinema
Wellbeing
Mandarin Therapies (including Mandarin Mothers) provides a mobile complementary therapies service throughout the County with 20% discount for Defence Discount Card holders. Emergency Services and NHS staff enjoy the same discount. A discount for members (annual membership is required) booking regular sessions is also available.
Additional Blogs By LincsConnect:
Click/tap the picture to go to the #WhatsOnLincs blog
by Martin Thomas | Jun 18, 2021 | Advertise, Antenatal, Aromatherapy, Around Me, Art, Charity, Covid-19, Gainsborough, Lincolnshire, Lincs Connect, LincsConnect, LincsConnectJobs, Mandarin Therapies, Massage, Stress, Suicide, Support, Twitter
WhatsOnLincs – Gainsborough, Through The Eyes Of LincsConnect
WhatsOnLincs – Gainsborough near Lincoln UK. Gainsborough was once (in 1013) the capital of England. England was ruled from the Gainsborough Castle which is now the site of the Gainsborough Old Hall. The status was short lived but if ever there was a claim to fame, ‘this’ has to be a pretty good contender.
Managed by English Heritage, the Gainsborough Old Hall is closed at present but will reopen in summer 2021 (3 July). Follow @GainsOldHall on twitter for updates. Click on the picture to go straight to the English Heritage website page to book your advance tickets.
Getting To Gainsborough, Lincolnshire
Located on the banks of the River Trent, Gainsborough (capitol of England in 1013) has historically had easy access routes. Moving on, you’ll see on this map that Gainsborough is still easily accessible from the M180 to the North, the A1 to the West, the A15 to the East and the A57 from the South. These routes make Gainsborough ideally situated for your next outing to explore our rich heritage in Lincolnshire.
The Trent Bridge was completed in 1791 (there was formerly a ferry crossing) which put an end to commercial shipping as larger boats are unable to navigate under the bridge. However, rail links are very much alive and available. With two train stations (Lea Road and Gainsborough Central) rail travel is easy. Trains run direct from/to Retford, Sheffield, Doncaster and Lincoln from Lea Road. The Gainsborough Central station has direct routes to Cleethorpes and Brigg. It’s even possible for travellers to get to Gainsborough from the new capital (London) with just one change.
Gainsborough, Lincolnshire – easy access from every direction.
The Gainsborough Heritage Trail
Gainsborough Heritage have produced a free booklet which includes a 90 minutes walking route. To download the .PDF click on this map
The brochure which has been produced by Gainsborough Heritage is an easy to follow and very informative glossy paper pamphlet. As a result it will easily fold into your pocket or bag. If you’d like a copy click on the picture above to download a .PDF to print at home. If you prefer a printed paper version email your name and address tourism.info@west-lindsey.gov.uk The .PDF is ideal for carrying on your mobile phone. For more information follow Gainsborough Heritage Association on Facebook.
WhatsOnLincs – Gainsborough With Call Connect
Call Connect provide an affordable and convenient bus service throughout the County. Click on the picture to go to their website. You can also follow them on Twitter for regular updates @CallConnectBus
Call Connect provide a valuable bus service throughout the County. Gainsborough is well serviced by the buses so if you would like to book a journey simply register on their Call Connect website then book your journey. Obviously they are adhering to all of the Covid-19 safety measures so you’ll be required to sanitise hands and wear a face covering before your journey.
News News News
EU Settlement Scheme
Time is running out so if you or someone you know are from the EU and you wish to settle and work in the UK you need to act NOW!
For help with completing your application to settle in the UK contact South Lincs Citizens Advice NOW. Click on the picture or the blue link to email your interest.
A Note from Citizens Advice South Lincolnshire
“With just weeks to go before the EU Settlement Scheme deadline, our support helpline has seen a large increase in calls and referrals and we are working hard to help each and every client that contacts us for support with their application. Many of the enquiries were from people unsure whether they need to apply to the scheme or not, many are from people who did not yet make applications for their children and we are also seeing queries from people trying to track their applications that have not yet been concluded or are facing issues accessing their application or need to provide further evidence.
Our support team are working hard across Lincolnshire to meet the demand and we aim to help as many clients as we can in the run up to the deadline.
As well as providing telephone advice and online support, we also have drop in sessions and can offer face to face advice in different locations across Lincolnshire.”
“..EU citizens, EEA and Swiss nationals and those who hold an EEA family permit not to wait until the last minute to apply to the EU Settlement Scheme (EUSS).”
Where To Go For Help
Click on the picture to find the freephone number and link to download the application NOW.
Opening the blue picture above will show you the FREE 0800 448 0734 number to call for assistance and the website will also give a link to download the application. Multi lingual posters and more information are posted by @eusssupportlinc on Twitter.
If you know someone who may be wanting to stay in the UK please pass this information on
Local Charity
Click on the logo to go to the latest blog
Two thousand one hundred and sixty four and counting…. That’s how many Greyhounds this fantastic local charity have managed to re-home. That’s a fantastic achievement. To top it off they have a policy of guaranteeing to accept any dogs that are returned. It’s not ideal to have dogs returned but some new owners find they can’t cope with the reality of owning a dog. That said, looking at the percentages across other charities you’ll find this Gainsborough trust are performing well.
As a charity they are always looking at ways of raising funds. One of the successful fund raisers is their lottery. For just £1.00 a week you’ll be in with a chance of winning a cash prize and, with a limit of 216 members it’s pretty exclusive. Follow @LincsGreyhounds on Twitter for regular updates but if you would like to join their lottery visit the website Lincolnshire Greyhound Trust or call today:
07941 313 025
WhatsOnLincs – Gainsborough – Trinity Arts Centre
Actually, ‘I’ won’t be entertaining you but the fabulous people at the Trinity Arts Centre will. Pantomime tickets are already on sale so if you want to book your moment of ‘normality’ you’ll need to get a move on. Aladdin opens on 10 December 2021 with the last show on 2 January 2022. Click on the picture below to go straight to the booking page and follow them on Twitter @TrinityArtsGain for regular updates:
Panto season will soon be here so NOW is the time to book your tickets for the fun packed show. Family fun for everyone even if you aren’t taking children
Beginning life as the Church Of The Holy Trinity in 1843 this listed building has been completely renovated inside to become what we now know as the Trinity Arts Centre. Just in case you were wondering, yes it is located on Trinity Street – obviously! As expected, the Centre offers a large and diverse range of entertainment to cover most tastes. As a result this little snapshot of what you can expect is by no means exhaustive. Click on the picture to see more:
Just a taster… There’s lots more to see at the Trinity Arts Centre so click on the picture to go straight to the calendar and bookings pages.
WhatsOnLincs – Gainsborough – Bearded Fishermen
The Bearded Fishermen are a Gainsborough based charity supporting Mental health and Suicide Prevention. If you need help give them a call NOW:
0300 365 0019
The team are always available to help and have a proven track record. If you’re suffering, don’t suffer in silence! The Bearded Fishermen are here for you and offer support by phone, in person (face to face) and via video. So if you need them, call them NOW. The picture will take you straight to their website where you can access more information so don’t delay. You can call them on 0300 365 0019 or find them on Twitter @Brdfishermen_uk and Facebook Bearded Fishermen Charity
Not all super heroes wear capes – some wear beards. Don’t suffer with poor mental health and suicidal thoughts. click on the logo to go straight to the website for help
Advert
#MandarinTherapies and @MandarinMothers provide mobile complementary therapies from the comfort of your own home across the whole of Lincolnshire and beyond. Call 07966 174 878 to book today. Providing bespoke treatments so every massage is as individual as you. Treatments include Aromatherapy, Manual Lymphatic Drainage (MLD), Antenatal and Postnatal massage.
Gainsborough
Gainsborough has far more to offer than I can include in this blog but I hope you have enjoyed this little taster.
Something missing? Get in touch if you would like something adding to the blog. Local advertising is always welcome too of course so call me on 07966 174878 to have yours included here. The phone may go to answerphone if I’m with clients so you can also email me at martin@lincsconnect.co.uk
Additional Blogs By LincsConnect:
Click on the pictures to go straight to the most recent blogs:
LincsConnectJobs Hour
Sorry, Not sorry, Thank You
WhatsOnLincs – Gainsborough
That’s it for now. I’ll be doing more ‘Around Me’ blogs so get in touch if you would like me to feature your town.
You may also like to read about the ‘Aviation Trail’ by Visit Lincoln:
Aviation Trail by Visit Lincoln
by Martin Thomas | Jun 7, 2021 | Jobs, Lincolnshire, lincolnshire Business, Lincs Connect, LincsConnect, LincsConnectJobs
LincsConnectJobs Hour
LincsConnectJobs hour for jobs and courses is here for you every day whether you’re posting vacancies or looking for work.
LincsConnectJobs Hour For Jobs And Courses
LincsConnectJobs hour – to be more precise, it’s a hashtag so you need to add #LincsConnectJobs to your posts to help people find you. When you’re posting vacancies or searching for jobs and courses #LincsConnectJobs is the place to be. The hour starts at 10.00am every Monday and is open to all agencies and businesses or charities who wish to get their vacancies and courses noticed in the local Lincolnshire area. In addition, it’s the place for everyone to go to when searching for a job or course. It’s a local hub to help you find good connections as well as jobs and courses.
LincsConnectJobs Hour – It’s Here For ‘You’
#LincsConnect is the established hub (database) so when posting vacancies or courses I recommend the following format:
#LincsConnectJobs #Jobs
#LincsConnect
#Location (Where is the vacancy/course)? Use a hashtag for the location to make sure you reach out to people searching for news in their area. Include brief details about the vacancy.
#YourHahstag Include your own hashtag (if you have one) to let everyone know that they can search for your specific uploads.
Include a link to either yourself or directly to the vacancy information
Include a picture or video wherever possible as an attention grabber.
An example of a tried and tested format. Note the use of both #LincsConnectJobs ‘and’ #LincsConnect to get as much exposure as possible
Tried And Tested
The format in the picture above is tried and tested over 12 years so I know it works.
#LincsConnectJobs Is The Hub
#LincsConnectJobs isn’t trying to replace the work of others or steal their hard earned followers. Quite the opposite in fact. The #LincsConnectJobs and #LincsConnect hashtags are designed to be the hub or the ‘go to’ place for people to look to find you. Adding the two hashtags to your tweets on a daily basis will undoubtedly increase your readership and following.
Team Work Works
It may sound obvious but being precious about your own account and not sharing posts from others will only lead to your own posts stagnating. When we work as a team we can increase followers and readership for each other. It shows that you’re an ‘all inclusive’ site and improves your standing and respect on twitter. If you’ve been posting but only getting one or two retweets or interactions increasing your readership can only be a good thing!
It’s good to work together
Get Noticed To Get Results
Making sure you tell your followers about the #LincsConnectJobs hour will improve readership for everyone. That brings us back to ‘Team Work Works’. Using the #LincsConnectJobs hashtag is excellent but it needs a little time (and your input) to make it into ‘the’ place to look across the whole county. With that in mind you need to include the #LincsConnect hashtag too (not the @LincsConnect address) as it has been established for more that 12 years and is already recognisable across the county. Using both hashtags will help drive people to the #LincsConnectJobs hashtag so it’s a win, win situation.
LincsConnectJobs Hour – Courses
If you know of any colleges, schools or universities that are offering courses please point them to #LincsConnectJobs. After all, the courses are designed to lead to self improvement and self improvement may lead to fresh job searches.
#LincsConnectJobs Hour For Jobs And Courses – The Format
LincsConnectJobs hour for jobs and courses – Start each hour with a quick introduction. Let everyone know who you are, what you do and what you have to offer. Some of you may be on a fixed wage while others may be an agency working on fixed fees or commission. We all have to live and pay bills so don’t be afraid to be ‘up front’ with your charges.
Can’t Make It In Person?
Life is often hectic and committing to a dedicated hour each week can be difficult at best! Scheduling tweets is perfectly acceptable but do consider what you put in your posts if you are away from your desk. Here are some examples that I’ve found work well:
Introductory post: Good morning everyone, apologies for not being able to make it in person today. I’ve scheduled a few tweets for the hour but will visit the hashtag later to retweet for you and show my support.
Subsequent posts: My advice is to stick with the theme that you are not participating in person. I recommend that you use the hour to post informative messages about yourself. Tell people what you do. Let them know if you have a particular reputation in engineering or any other speciality recruitment. The hashtag is live 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Anyone can visit to read the posts at any time so make your posts relevant. Letting people know who you are and what you do is important if you want people to follow you. It’s really not ‘just’ about the job vacancies!
That introductory post is perfectly acceptable as you have pledged to support others. With that in mind, the others should feel comfortable retweeting your posts and offering you their support.
Be Part Of The Team
Would you like to host the hour? Hosting the hour will help to show your personality and will let people get to know the person behind the tweets. My diary is open so please do let me know if you would like to be a host.
Advert
#MandarinTherapies is a fully mobile complementary therapies service operating throughout Lincolnshire and beyond. Fully Covid-19 secure of course with treatments ranging from 1 to 2 hours. Call 07966 174878 to book
LincsConnectJobs Hour – Getting It Right
Perfection is a good goal but getting it right every single time is a difficult task. We are all human so be prepared to make a few errors (I still make lots of mistakes but try to learn from them). LincsConnectJobs hour for jobs and courses will only work if we are all consistent. By working together we will have the hashtag trending on Twitter, Google and other platforms (I’ve made that happen several times before).
Good luck
I hope you find this post useful. Please do feel free to email me at martin@lincsconnect.co.uk if you have any questions or suggestions.
Additional Blogs By LincsConnect:
Click/tap on the picture to go to the #LincsConnectValentines blog
Best wishes
LincsConnect is your Lincolnshire Blogger – often copied but never bettered. “Putting the social back into social media” #LincsConnect is always here for you.
by Martin Thomas | May 16, 2021 | Lincs Connect, LincsConnect, Support
Sorry, Not Sorry, Thank You
Sorry, Not Sorry, Thank You. A strange title that needs explaining. During February, March and April my mother was taken ill so I took on the task for the family of being the sole carer. Looking after my Mum in Harrogate, travelling up and down the A1 to be with my family in Lincolnshire while running my businesses through a difficult Covid period certainly took its toll. I’m not alone of course. I’m aware that many, many people have been doing similar and have felt the stresses and strains just as I have.
Sorry
I always set myself high standards so when I fail to meet them I experience frustration, guilt and even anxiety. Having posted many blogs for LincsConnect in support of others I was conscious that I could no longer meet that self imposed obligation. In my mind, the only logical thing to do was to post an apology on social media. Surely that was the right thing to do?
Not Sorry
Having spent more than 10 years supporting others on social media I felt obliged to post my apology and reason for my lack of attention here. It wasn’t the wrong thing to do but… It felt right. I wasn’t prepared for the reaction though!
Thank You
My Apology and your reaction
Having spent many hours caring, travelling and finally ‘grieving’ I posted this on Twitter. I was (and am) genuinely sorry for not being able to give everyone my full attention but when I was able to revisit the post to read the comments I realised the I had not need to apologise at all. The outpouring of support took my breath away! Thank You all for your kind messages and support. I really wasn’t expecting what I saw but it made me realise just how much love and support there is around me from people I have never met. You have no idea how much your messages have touched me.
The follow up message having still not read the reactions from the previous tweet.
Having not been able to bring myself to read the replies to my first tweet I was still feeling guilty in May so posted my second tweet. Once again the support was outstanding.
I’m conscious that I still have some catching up to do and some broken promises to repair but having read your messages of support I now realise that I have time because I have your understanding.
Thank You Once Again
I want to write to you all individually but I know that’s not practical. I know that when I post this blog there will be many of you who’ll miss it if I don’t post it to you individually. In that case, I shall do my best.
Sorry, Not Sorry, Thank You
I was and still am sorry that I couldn’t carry on doing what I have done for so many years. However, your messages made me realise that I don’t need to say sorry because you all understand how difficult that period had been for me. Thank You again for your understanding. This is the first blog I’ve written since January and it’s taken me a whole day to pluck up the courage to log on to write it.
It’s In The Post
Literally! Instead of posting individual cards out to everyone who took the time to write to me (I know others would have done too if they had seen the tweets) I’ll post this blog to you personally. When I say ‘personally’ I really mean it. Thank ‘you’ for your support. You have all helped me and I’m extremely grateful.
Stay Safe
Take care of yourselves, your family and your friends and please stay safe.
