by Martin Thomas | Nov 15, 2020 | Aromatherapy, Art, Christmas, Cleethorpes, Covid-19, Discount, Facebook, Foodbank, Grimsby, Hashtags, Lincoln, Lincolnshire, Lincs Connect, LincsConnect, Mandarin Therapies, Massage, Mobile, Shop, Twitter, Vouchers, Website
A Lincolnshire Christmas Together
A Lincolnshire Christmas Together
We may not be able to physically spend a Lincolnshire Christmas together but I’m sure we’ll do our best to to make it festive and fun.
If the Covid-19 virus restrictions allow I hope there’ll be some form of limited travel allowed. On a personal note I think I prefer to spend my time with my family at home. Yes, it’s going to be different and difficult but ‘hopefully’ it’ll be a restriction for just this year. I’ve no doubt it’s going to be lonely for many people but with a little lateral thinking and our community spirit I’m sure we’ll find a way to reach out.
Christmas Is Coming Early
Obviously Christmas Day won’t be changing – December 25th will still be the day to celebrate with presents. FaceTime/Zoom/Teamer etc will help with an element of ‘cyber togetherness’ even if we can’t celebrate with physical togetherness. What will you be doing? You can make time for others less fortunate of course. I’ve made contact with a few agencies in the County and will post a few links later for those of you who are willing to have a look.
I’ve heard back from Cath who runs the Grimsby Food Kitchen and she told me that the traditional Chinese/Indian buffet will be held on 13 December for the homeless thanks to a generous £500.00 donation y Micky Dalton. Meat has been paid for by generous public donations and the outstanding support of Gary’s Meat in Freeman Street, Grimsby. As always though they need donations so please make a donation of £2.00 if you can. You’ll find more info on their Facebook page.
A Lincolnshire Christmas Together – Click on the picture to go to the Grimsby Food Kitchen Facebook page
Christmas Decorations In November…
Is that a ‘yes’ or a ‘no’ for you? Many people don’t want to think about Christmas before December but we’re in uncharted territory this year! I’ve been talking about Christmas since 7 September and trying to get people enthused. Why? Because it’s been a bad year for most traders and general public alike. If I can encourage people to plan their online shops early perhaps we can salvage some of the poor sales. In addition, if more people shop early for Christmas and, most importantly, shop locally, we’ll have a better survival rate for local businesses into 2021. ‘A Lincolnshire Christmas together’ really is our key to success. It’s not just about spending the day with family and friends (or not as the case may be) but making sure we stick together by shopping locally.
Black Friday?
Black Friday is an American tradition so why it’s popular over here I have no idea! In Britain it used to be the ‘end of season sale’ or ‘the winter sale’ followed by the ‘January sales’ and ‘Boxing Day sales’. It would be nice to get back to our own traditions wouldn’t it? At a time of financial uncertainties how useful is a big sale before the biggest spending season of the year? Looking at Black Friday with my cynical head on, it’s just a way of trying to get us to part with our hard earned money in the big stores.
Cyber Monday
The last Monday in November has become known as cyber Monday. It follows Black Friday and is, for many, the last pay day before Christmas. Many bargains can be had online but please don’t forget to support our local traders in their online shops and on the #LincsConnectChristmas hashtag. Please be aware that scammers and hackers will have posted ‘bargains’ too and they will do whatever they can to steal your money. Please stay vigilant and remember ‘if a deal seems too good to be true, it probably is’!
Lincolnshire Discounts
How would you feel about having a ‘free to use’ local discount scheme?
A Lincolnshire Christmas Together for all of us
A window, till or website sticker advertising local discounts will be appealing to shoppers. A screenshot of the discount logo presented at the till when making a local purchase will be easy to use. Terms & Conditions being open to shop and service owners for individual discount as appropriate will be easy to manage. Each provider setting a specific discount or offer rather than having a set figure imposed will make the scheme more workable too. Creating a special discount on ‘end of range’ items, ‘buy one, get one half price’, 10% off selected range or donations made to charity etc will give the provider the flexibility needed to make the scheme workable.
Tailored to fit your own requirements, a dedicated App will be the obvious next step. By working together we can create our own County wide scheme that will benefit everyone. I’ve mentioned it on twitter and it certainly generated some interest so do let me know if you’d like to join in. I’ll be interested to hear from traders and customers so please feel free to email me with your thoughts: martin@lncsconnect.co.uk
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A Lincolnshire Musical Christmas
If you’ve read my previous blogs you’ll know that I like to support everything ‘local’ and that includes music too. The @LincsConnect twitter account has a weekly featured artist, band or choir so that’s definitely worth popping over to see. With that in mind, I thought I’d share a song by a group of youngsters who’re surely destined for greater things. You’ll find them on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube so please look them up. These youngsters hail from Cleethorpes and their average age is 15. Yes, that’s ‘FIFTEEN’ – unbelievable!
Have a listen to the latest recording by Revivalry by clicking on this picture. Link to YouTube
Lincolnshire Shopping Lists
Do you make a shopping list? Santa likes a list so when you’re looking for Christmas gift ideas visit the #LincsConnectChristmas hashtag on twitter and Facebook. There are lots of lovely gift ideas so have a look at the posts by our local traders. After all, every penny spent there will be helping someone local and keeping the local economy going.
A Lincolnshire Christmas Together – Click on the picture to go straight to the #LincsConnectChristmas hashtag
A Lincolnshire Christmas Together – #LincsArtCraftHour
If you like arts, crafts and hand made jewellery etc visit the #LincsArtCraftHour hashtag for local inspiration. We’re really lucky to have such talented people in our County so please do support them.
Click on the picture to visit the hashtag but better still, please do join us on Twitter if you get the chance
A Lincolnshire Christmas Together – Local Shopping
During the recent #LincsArtCraftHour sessions we have seen quite a few artists and crafters joining in and showing their gift ideas. The hashtags highlight some of them so please take a look to see what they have to offer. Clicking on the picture below will take to some of our fabulous traders.
After all, Christmas ‘is’ coming and I’m sure that you’ll agree that it’s good to support our local traders:
For a Lincolnshire Christmas use the hashtag #LincsConnectChristmas and don’t forget to click on this picture to find some local traders who have lots of goodies for you
Dark Side – Domestic Abuse
Domestic Abuse ….. Rather than going away, this ugly and often hidden form of abuse is now more prevalent than ever.
Locked in together can cause some anxieties and tension for families but we usually have coping mechanisms and rational thinking that allow us to overcome the tensions with simple distractions. However, abusers and those suffering from abuse (physical, mental, emotional or financial) can really be finding life even more difficult now. Domestic abuse doesn’t have age limits or gender preferences. If you know someone who is suffering call the police today. You’ll find some useful numbers here but if there is an immediate threat of harm call 999. The Covid 19 lockdown won’t stop the police from carrying out their duties. They’re here for us 24 hours a day.
Click on this picture for more information. There is ALWAYS someone to help you
Click on the picture to go to the Lincolnshire Police Facebook page
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 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 11,000 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. We’re heading for a major recession and rise in the cost of living so 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 11,000 local followers each searched the #LincsConnect hashtag and shared just one message….!
Additional Blogs By LincsConnect
If you would like to read more about the ideas and tips please follow the link in the picture:
To see more about how you can Help me, Help You In Lincolnshire just click on this picture
That’s All For Now…
That’s it for the blog at the moment but I do intend to update this one and post several more blogs too. Get in touch with any requests by emailing me at martin@lincsconnect.co.uk
Stay Safe
by Martin Thomas | 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 Martin Thomas | Oct 18, 2020 | Christmas, Hashtags, Lincoln, Lincolnshire, lincolnshire Business, Lincs Connect, LincsConnect, Shopping
For A Lincolnshire Christmas Use #LincsConnectChristmas
For a Lincolnshire Christmas use #LincsConnectChristmas on your tweets to reach more local people. Search the hashtag to find lots of lovely gift ideas and bargains. If you’re wondering who is posting on the hashtag I suggest you have a look today. The hashtag isn’t just for Twitter though; There are posts on Facebook and Instagram too so go to your search bar and type in #LincsConnectChristmas to see what comes up.
For Christmas use #LincsConnectChristmas – A Lincolnshire Christmas
I don’t want to say “I told you so” but…. ‘I told you so’ way back in September! Christmas is coming early this year as people fear uncertain times ahead. Christmas shopping has started early for most people. If you’re a small business who isn’t prepared yet you’re in danger of missing out on your local market.
First posted in October 2020, this blog is still relevant today. Prices are rising, bills are escalating and interest rates are heading upwards. Plan early to make sure you don’t get caught out.
Many people have started (or already finished) Christmas shopping! Coupled with the growing numbers of unemployed and financially challenged, the ‘Big Boys’ will be putting on some huge discounts to increase High Street footfall and spending. Don’t miss out. Start selling and marketing our Christmas products now. Contact me to discuss a plan.
Hosting the #LincsConnect Hour on Twitter is an ideal way to reach out to locals. Get in touch today to arrange a date to host your Hour. I’ll say it again “For A Lincolnshire Christmas Use #LincsConnectChristmas“.
#LincsConnectChristmas is a seasonal hashtag which ‘trends’ globally each year so use it to reach out to your new customers. The #LincsConnect hashtag is here for you every single day of the year so I recommend using them both. To increase your chances of your messages being seen I recommend using both hashtags together.
Shop Online In Lincolnshire And Beyond
Shopping online is set to increase with the multi-nationals gearing up to steal the market. ‘Now’ is the time for the local independent traders to get their offers onto their websites and online shops. You can’t expect everyone to find you and buy your products though! Make sure you use your social media platforms to guide customers to your shop.
Once you’ve posted your goodies onto your online shop or local High Street shop you need to be working flat out to advertise. Continuous posting on social media will bring sales but not enough. You need to interact with people to get them to want your product. Sell, sell, sell doesn’t work on social media so for best results get chatting. Obviously your followers know what you do so you’ll need to reach out to new customers if you want to make your advertising work. Online shopping is very attractive in the current pandemic so ‘now’ is the time to get talking and making your social media sites look Christmassy.
Lincolnshire, Regional and National Deliveries
Many items can be posted in the normal way of course but if you have awkward sized gifts you might want to employ a courier. Including the cost of the courier in the sale price of the gift is an ideal way to plan finances. Negotiating with local couriers early will be your best bet for good prices and guaranteed time slots.
Travel may be a problem this year so grandparents may want to send a bike to grandchildren by courier. What about plants? Transporting plants by post can be difficult so a courier may be your best option. Negotiating rates early may be a good idea so perhaps now is the time to get it organised.
Charity Shops
Don’t forget our local charity shops when you’re shopping this year. As a result of de-cluttering during the lockdown, charity shops have had a bumper intake of stock. ‘Now’ is your chance to grab a bargain while helping out your local community. Many items will be brand new too so it’s always worth popping in.
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For Christmas use #LincsConnectChristmas – Help Me, Help You
To help me help you please copy the link to this blog into 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’. As a result 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.
Additional Blogs
Stay Safe
Keep a mask on and your hands clean to protect yourself and everyone else around you. Happy shopping and happy selling folks.
LincsConnect is your Lincolnshire Blogger – Copied but never bettered
by Martin Thomas | Oct 11, 2020 | Algorithms, Facebook, Hashtags, Lincolnshire, Lincs Connect, LincsConnect, Mandarin Therapies, Massage, Mobile
Don’t rely On Algorithms
Don’t rely on algorithms for Lincolnshire connections. In short, a computer algorithm can be set to find a solution to a single or set of questions. If you want any further information about algorithms I’m afraid I’m not the best person to ask! However, I do know that social media platforms use algorithms to plot your interests and feed you the information it thinks you want to see. If that’s the case, it’s pretty obvious that you don’t rely on algorithms for Lincolnshire connections unless you use key Lincolnshire phrases regularly.
Here’s an example to (hopefully) make things clearer: If your main interests are in makeup and beauty and you tweet and search for messages on that subject Twitter will feed you more. However, if your interests are in football and you tweet and search for messages on that subject, guess what….? You won’t be seeing tweets on makeup and beauty but you will see tweets about football. That’s algorithms for you!
That sounds great; you’re getting to see all the information you want (good or bad, true or false). However, you may have been steered away from your primary goal which is talking to, or doing business with your Lincolnshire neighbours.
I’m not a football fan so I don’t see posts about football. I do like to help and support all sorts of local businesses, charities and organisations though so I get to see a wide range of messages on social media. The algorithms have identified that I like Lincolnshire and connecting with Lincolnshire people to help and support them. However, if you’re mainly posting about football it’ll be pretty clear that you can’t rely on algorithms for Lincolnshire connections. However, help is at hand…
Don’t Rely On Algorithms – Connecting Lincolnshire – Reset The Algorithms
From what I can gather, the more you engage with the information fed to you by the algorithms, the more you are likely to see related posts. You can bypass the original algorithms though to reconnect with your Lincolnshire friends using these methods:
Lists
On twitter you have the option to Create lists. I have lots of Lincolnshire lists ranging from ‘Accountants’ through to ‘What’s On’ with all manner of Lincolnshire trades in multiple lists (depending on their expertise) as well as geographical location. You can create a list and call it whatever you like and you can add or remove people to/from the lists at will. You can even make the lists private or open for everyone to see. Looking at your lists you can quickly see the recent posts by the people you want to hear from. It’s an excellent way to keep up to date with your favourite social media friends or influencers.
Hashtags
The beauty of the hashtag is that it is useable across various social media platforms. If you type into your search bar ‘Lincolnshire’ you’ll see all of the posts that have used that hashtag. However, that could be overwhelming as so many people use that tag. I’ve seen many, many people adding the hashtag #ShopLocal to their posts but I have a strong suspicion that they haven’t searched the hashtag to see what’s on it! If you want to sell something ‘locally’ to Miami, Adelaide or Ontario then by all means carry on using that hashtag. However, if you really want to get the attention of your local Lincolnshire, Newark, Retford or Hull based contacts you need to be using the hashtag #LincsConnect. Try searching it now to see who and what pops up. I can guarantee that it’s going to be local.
#LincsConnect
My account has been through several guises before I settled on #LincsConnect. Would you believe that I even created the hashtag #ShopLocal over 12 years ago? It quickly became evident that, although it was extremely popular, it was neither use nor ornament for the local Lincolnshire area. After a few months I stopped using it and tried several other hashtags before settling on the one we all know now.
Don’t Rely on Algorithms – Connections In Lincolnshire
Searching the hashtag #LincsConnect will instantly show you who has been posting locally. The easiest way to connect with people is to get into polite conversations so why not give it a go now? The more conversations you have with local people on #LincsConnect the more the algorithms are likely to pick up what you want to see and feed you more relevant information.
Don’t Rely On Algorithms – What Else?
The #LincsConnect hashtag is an ideal way to search and connect locally. There are also some other hashtags that you may be familiar with that will be more specific to you:
If you’re looking for local traders to support or are a local trader yourself with something to sell or offer for Christmas you might want to search the #LincsConnectChristmas hashtag or add it to your posts for more people to see. I’ve had this hashtag trending on Twitter, Google, Duck Duck and other search engines
No introductions needed! The hashtag is plain and simple so use it to advertise your gift ideas and services. If you’re shopping for Valentines ideas simply type #LincsConnectValentines into your social media platform search bar to see who and what is there. I’ve also had this hashtag trending on Twitter, Google, Duck Duck and other search engines. My hard work pays off for you!
Many people use the #ShopLocal hashtag thinking that they are encouraging people to shop in their area. However, in reality, the #ShopLocal hashtag is far from local. I invented the hashtag around 12 years ago but scrapped it not long after when I realised it was being used globally. It was literally ‘too successful’! The hashtag to use on your local Lincolnshire tweets is now #ShopLincs as it truly is ‘local’ to you. Add it to your posts to show you’re a Lincolnshire seller and search the hashtag to find locals in your area who have something to sell.
I’m sure this doesn’t need any explanation? If you’re looking for jobs or are advertising jobs the #LincsConnectJobs hashtag will be very useful to you. The #LincsConnectJobs Hour is on Mondays from 10.00am.
Two hashtags! Adding a hashtag to a post sends your message to the relevant section in a massive global database. If you add two hashtags your message will be sent to both locations in the database. Using a specific ‘hour’ hashtag is extremely useful and can help you reach people with the same or similar interests as you. Have a look at #LincsArtCraftHour
Don’t Rely On Algorithms – Get The Picture?
In summary, the algorithms can steer you away from the people you really want to talk to so don’t rely on algorithms for Lincolnshire connections! Using the hashtag #LincsConnect and making your own lists can bring you back to the people you want to connect with. Adding a picture or video to your message will help you to be seen but it will also allow you to put a lot of information into a poster while making your initial message short and to the point.
New Lincolnshire #LincsConnect Hours
Would you be interested in joining a new themed #LincsConnect Hour to help you connect with like minded people as well as new customers? Some of my plans include other Hours. What would you think of a #WhatsOnLincs Hour each week?
I have lots of new plans for the new website but can’t run everything at the same time. With that in mind, would you like to take on one of the hours? It’ll help you connect with lots more people while at the same time encouraging people to use and search the #LincsConnect hashtag to expand our readership and support network.
Lincs To Useful Blogs
I hope you find this blog of mine interesting. Simply click on the blue link or picture below to go straight to the blog:
Advert
#MandarinTherapies provides Covid Safe bespoke mobile complementary therapies sessions from the comfort of your own home in and around Lincolnshire. Call 07966 174878 to book your appointment today. #ShopLincs
Local Shopping
During the recent #LincsArtCraftHour sessions we have seen quite a few artists and crafters joining in and showing their gift ideas. Below is a list of some of them so 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 Website
@MelLangtonArt Mel Langton Art
@BurtonWard9 Burton&Ward Burton Ward
@origartprints fiduncart artist
@elliestreasures elliestreasures Ellies Treasures UK
@chrisdobbinart watercolourportraits
@Amanda_schonhut Amanda Schonhut Photography
@jpbphotography Light And Dreams Photography
@Scarletimpress1 Scarlet Impressions Art Scarlet Impressions
@EnglandCreate Create-England
@ShaliniAustin Shalini.Austin
@Blackbird1976 HDArtIllustration
@KcbraidsBeads KC Braids & Beads KC Braids & Beads
@Anitas_Cards_4U
` TuLuDraws
@HeyBeretDesigns Hey Beret Designs
@JaneHaighArt Jane Haigh Art
@2021VisualArts 20-21 Visual Arts Centre
@MadeWithMud Made With Mud Made With Mud
Advertising
Would you like to advertise on the #LincsConnect blogs? You could be reaching a wider Lincolnshire audience if you do so please get in touch if you’re interested. You’ll be able to speak to me on 07966 174878. Likewise, if you have a blog that you would like linking here please get in touch.
Stay Safe
Covid 19 is still around and threatening to disrupt our lifestyle once again so please follow the rules. Wear a face covering that covers your nose and mouth, keep a safe distance from other people and keep washing your hands. Don’t forget to clean your trolly and sanitise your hands when supermarket shopping and keep your distance wherever possible. It could save your life!
Your very own Lincolnshire Blogger – Copied but never beaten
by Martin Thomas | Sep 15, 2020 | Afternoon Tea, Aromatherapy, Art, Lincoln, Lincolnshire, Lincs Connect, LincsConnect, Mandarin Therapies, Shop, Shopping
Click on the picture to go to the Twitter hashtag. You’ll see lots of local goodies there so give it a try for ‘Shoping made easy in Lincolnshire’
The Funny Thing Is…
Shopping in Lincolnshire with LincsConnect – use Hashtags! Do you find them confusing? Do you use them but don’t know why? The funny thing is that many people don’t really know how to use them so let me try to quickly explain:
A hashtag is just a label or name given to a section in a very large database. That’s it! It’s just a database. Every time you write a post and use a hashtag your post will go to the appropriate folder in the database. If you use two hashtags your message will go to two folders in the database. Use #LincsConnect and #ShopLincs for your shopping and online shopping in Lincolnshire.
Use The Search Bar
To search for your messages just go to the search bar in your chosen social media platform and type in the name of the hashtag. If you do you’ll find your post as well as every other post with the same hashtag. However, be aware that the hashtag is specific to the social media platform you’re using so if you type a message on Twitter you won’t be able to find your post if you search for it on Facebook.
The hashtags go to a huge database which is used globally so if you use the hashtag ‘#Lincolnshire’ you’ll see what’s been posted for our County. If you search the hashtag ‘#LincsConnect’ you’ll find all of the messages that have been using the hashtag in Lincolnshire. However, if you search the hashtag ‘ShopLocal’ and see how many countries are using that hashtag you’ll realise that it is anything but ‘local’.
Be Specific
Choose your hashtags wisely. If you’re trying to get the attention of your local community the #ShopLocal hashtag is no good to you but the #LincsConnect hashtag is very specific to Lincolnshire and our close neighbours. For shopping in Lincolnshire with LincsConnect don’t forget to add the hashtags #LincsConnect and #ShopLincs
At this point you may be wondering what the hashtag has to do with Shopping Made Easy In Lincolnshire? The answer to that is quite simple of course. Using Twitter just type in #LincsArtCraftHour to your search bar to see what local art, craft, sculpture and photographic posts have been included over the last few years. You’ll find everything from needlework to paintings, cards and photography and the list is growing steadily. Not only will you find pictures but you’ll also discover links to local Etsy & Folksy shops and Facebook pages too so you really can shop on line while keeping your money in the local economy. It’s a win, win situation don’t you think? To make life even easier for you I’ve included links to the most recent artists & crafters below.
Not on Twitter? Not everyone is of course so if you’re a Facebook user don’t despair because you can still access some of the messages from the local artists by typing in #LincsArtCraftHour to your search bar.
Facebook #Hashtags
If you’re a Facebook user please don’t despair because you can type in the hashtag #LincsArtCraftHour to the search bar to find everything that’s been posted there. You’ll find several blogs as well as some posts by the local artists. I haven’t tried it on Instagram yet but I can assure you it will be coming.
What’ve You Missed?
Lots of gift ideas have been posted including Christmas decorations and cards but the question really should be ‘who’ have you missed? That’s easy to remedy; You’ll find a list below which includes some contact details too.
Advert
Breakfast £3.70, Afternoon Tea £7.50 and 3 course dinners available too. What’s not to like? Why not visit The Eatery, 36 Park Street, Lincoln, Lincolnshire next time you’re in town? Please get in touch first though to book your visit. Just click on the picture to go to the Lincoln Age UK Facebook page or follow them on twitter @ageuklsl It’s all for charity and you get fed at a bargain price too!
The Local List:
Shopping in Lincolnshire with LincsConnect – This list is set to grow and grow so please do make a note to keep checking in to see who else has joined us:
Twitter Facebook Etsy/Folksy Website
@MelLangtonArt Mel Langton Art
@BurtonWard9 Burton&Ward Burton Ward
@origartprints fiduncart artist
@elliestreasures elliestreasures Ellies Treasures UK
@chrisdobbinart watercolourportraits
@Amanda_schonhut Amanda Schonhut Photography
@jpbphotography Light And Dreams Photography
@Scarletimpress1 Scarlet Impressions Art Scarlet Impressions
@EnglandCreate Create-England
@ShaliniAustin Shalini.Austin
@Blackbird1976 HDArtIllustration
@KcbraidsBeads KC Braids & Beads KC Braids & Beads
@Anitas_Cards_4U
@TuLuDraws TuLuDraws
@HeyBeretDesigns Hey Beret Designs
@JaneHaighArt Jane Haigh Art
@2021VisualArts 20-21 Visual Arts Centre
@MadeWithMud Made With Mud Made With Mud
Advert – Shopping In Lincolnshire With LincsConnect
Mandarin Therapies and @MandarinMothers provide a bespoke mobile complementary therapies service throughout the County of Lincolnshire and beyond. Call 07966 174878 to book your appointment today. Click on the picture to go straight to the Mandarin Therapies Facebook page.
More To Come
So far the active hashtags are #LincsConnect #LincsConnectJobs #LincsConnectChristmas and #LincsArtCraftHour but keep watching as there will be more interesting hashtags coming very soon.
In Case You Missed It…
Here are some quick links to take you to some more blogs that you may find interesting:
Charity
AgeUK Lincoln & South Lincoln are a registered charity needing your donations. However, you also have the chance to purchase an inexpensive meal here and be pleased to know that the profits will be going straight to the charity.
Let’s face it, you’re older now than when you first started reading this blog! Age creeps up on us all so it’s nice to know there is a charity here to help us when we need it. If you would like breakfast, afternoon tea or a full meal don’t forget to book your place early. Breakfast starts at 9.30am.
Stay Safe
Please go ahead and enjoy yourself but lease also remember to stay safe. Keeping a social 2m distance, regular hand washing and wearing a mask when required will help you, your family, friends and everyone around you.
