by admin | Aug 16, 2020 | Advertise, Antenatal, Aromatherapy, Art, Authors, Bands, Beauty, beauty Therapy, Facebook, Food, Garden Centres, Gardening, Grantham, IT, Lincoln, Lincolnshire, Lincs Connect, LincsConnect, Mandarin Therapies, Massage, Mobile, Restaurant, Twitter, Vouchers
LincsConnect has been busy on your behalf and things are set to get even busier. Click on the picture to see what’s been happening… Help me help you in Lincolnshire and beyond
Help Me Help You In Lincolnshire With #LincsConnect
Help me help you in Lincolnshire with #LincsConnect by interacting with the many local users. It can’t have escaped your attention that I’ve been busy on your behalf. #LincsConnect help and support is a given of course with retweets on twitter and posts on Facebook to help promote your business and events. Blogs too of course! I know you appreciate what I do and I appreciate the fact that you share what I’m doing too. I still need you to help me, help you in Lincolnshire though.
#LincsConnect – is here to support all things Lincolnshire but it only works when we work as a team. With 12,500 Twitter followers (steadily growing) I know that your help is working for me too. However, at the risk of sounding cheeky, I still need more help. Working together as a team is even more important than it ever has been. You’re still posting your work using LincsConnect and I’m very grateful. LincsConnect is trying hard to share your work around Lincolnshire, Newark, Retford and Hull but I really need to ask more people to search the hashtag #LincsConnect (on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter) to help share the messages and support each other.
Just imagine, if all 12,500 local followers each searched the #LincsConnect hashtag and shared just one message….!
How Can LincsConnect Help You More?
What else can LincsConnect do for you? Please let me know as I have plans for the account and need to know that it isn’t missing something important.
#LincsArtCraftHour
If you read my last blog you will recall that we have a dedicated weekly hour set aside on Monday lunchtimes to help promote artists, crafters, jewellery designers and sculptors. Please take a look at the link below to refresh your memory:
I had a question for the Artists who join us and those of you who will be looking to see what masterpieces and bargains are on offer: Which hashtag would you prefer? Are you happy with #LincsArtCraftHour or do you think it would be better as #LincsArtCraft hour? The latter is shorter and more general as it can be used at any time while the original idea is very specific to the Monday lunchtime hour. Jointly you chose #LincsArtCraftHour so that is what we have been using for the last two years.
Guest Blogs
Do you have something to say that you would like to have included in the regular #LincsConnect blogs? Please do get in touch if you would like to have your work included as it’s always nice to see you here.
Help me, help you in Lincolnshire and beyond. If you would like to collaborate with your blog here please email me at martin@lincsconnect.co.uk
Help Me, Help You In Lincolnshire With Featured Twitter Hours…
Do you have any featured hours that you would like to see on twitter? How about #LincsAuthors, #LincsMarkets, #LincsConnectJobs #LincsIT, #LincsHousing, #LincsGardening, #LincsCharities #LincsFoodDrink …..? Who do you think should have their own featured hour? The hashtag is here to help you so whether you’re a trader, a charity or a potential customer, I wan’t to make sure that #LincsConnect has something for you. Please do email your suggestions to me at martin@lincsconnect.co.uk Perhaps you would like to host your own #LincsConnect hour? I’m always open to suggestions so please do get in touch. After all, help in Lincolnshire with #LincsConnect is a two way process.
Here To Help
If there is something you need would you like to do a skills swap? Would anyone be interested in a #LincsSwaps hour? An our each week where you can offer your skills to swap for something of equal value? Some of us may be finding finances a little tight at the moment but are willing to trade to get what we need.
Here’s an example: A local restaurant may be in need of leaflets for a local leaflet drop and be willing to swap a meal to the value of £xxx in return for 200 hundred leaflet. That’s just an example of course. The exact figures would have to be agreed privately by the restaurant and the designer/printer but you get the idea I’m sure. Again, if this interests enough people I’ll happily organise it. You’ll need to get in touch though so that I know whether to go ahead with the idea or not. Help in Lincolnshire with #LincsConnect only happens when we work together.
Advertising/Local Discounts
Advertising space is always available on the blog so if you would like a spot here please let me know. I could also arrange a feature with your advert to help highlight your business/organisation. Again, just get in touch to make arrangements. You can email me at martin@lincsconnect.co.uk
Perhaps you have a special offer or would like to offer readers a discount? You could have a voucher on here to share across the County.
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20% discount on Mandarin Leisure services for all NHS, 999 and military members across the County.
Featured Song Of The Week By A Local Artist
Each week I include a local artist, band or choir on twitter to highlight their work and show off the great talents that we have in our county. If you have a favourite band with music on YouTube that you think should be featured please let me know.
All last week I featured Alex Cavan from Grantham with his song ‘Waterfall’. If you would like to hear him just click on the picture below to go straight to his YouTube upload.
To hear Alex singing ‘Waterfall’ just click on the picture and if you would like to follow him on Twitter you’ll find him at @AlexCavanMusic
It’s For You…
The blog is here for you to support everything from the North to South, East and West of the County and bordering towns and villages too. It’s for you and the rest of our community so please, please, please do share this blog and lets see if we can get more people reading it and interacting.
Stay Safe
Stay safe everyone and keep looking out for your neighbours.
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:
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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
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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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