by Martin Thomas | Mar 29, 2020 | Afternoon Tea, Cleethorpes, Coronavirus, Kinema, Lincolnshire, lincolnshire Business, Lincs Connect, LincsConnect, Mother's Day, Petwood Hotel, Railway, Scunthorpe, Vouchers, WhatsOnLincs, Woodhall Spa
After The Coronavirus In Lincolnshire Part 1
After the coronavirus in Lincolnshire part 1 – What have we got to look forward to? Lincolnshire has lots to offer so get set to explore. As this is part 1, the title indicates that there are more parts to this blog and, by definition, more and more things to look forward to.
After The Coronavirus In Lincolnshire Part 1 – Let’s Socialise
The list is almost endless of course. The Coronavirus won’t be with us for ever I’m sure so it’s nice to be able to think ahead to life after ‘lockdown’. What would be your choice? Fish n’ chips perhaps? What about fine dining or a lovely pub meal? Perhaps a trip to the seaside or a visit to your local church? A really important thing to focus on is the social aspect of our lives. It’ll be lovely to just socialise again wouldn’t it.
The Kinema In The Woods
The Kinema In The Woods, Woodhall Spa, Lincolnshire
Perhaps it’s not an obvious choice for some but what about a trip to the cinema? Have you ever been to The Kinema In The Woods in Woodhall Spa? If you haven’t, I can personally recommend a visit. Blockbuster movies are available but something you might not have realised is how The Kinema has maintained its history. Yes, there are some new screens but the ambiance remains the same. You can still enjoy a good movie on the big screen but you’ll also enjoy an intermission to purchase your ice cream and drinks at ‘normal’ prices. If you’re lucky you’ll be able to enjoy the dancing feet of Alan Underwood as he entertains on the spectacular organ and remote piano.
The Kinema In The Woods, Woodhall Spa, Lincolnshire
Such is the fame of The Kinema that you will no doubt be able to find numerous pictures and videos of it when you search the internet. These pictures have been borrowed from their website but I’m sure The Kinema will be more that happy to see your pictures too if you care to share them on Twitter @TheKinema – I’m sure they will be delighted if you would follow them there too.
It goes without saying of course that The Kinema has suffered the same fate as the rest of us due to the Coronavirus lockdown. However, if you fancy purchasing some vouchers for birthday, Mother’s Day or any other day for that matter I can’t think of a nicer way to treat someone during our period of isolation.
You can order your vouchers by clicking here
The Petwood Hotel
Skipping across the village (just around the corner actually) you’ll be able to visit the fabulous Petwood Hotel. Yes, I know I’ve mentioned it before but it is a beautiful hotel with fabulous staff and, as the spiritual home of LincsConnect it does hold a special place in my heart.
The Petwood Hotel, Woodhall Spa, Lincolnshire
The grounds and building are always spectacular and each season helps to create a special magic. Not only have I organised Nordic Walking sessions from the hotel but Emma was kind enough to host the LincsConnect networking meetings on Friday evenings too. With a bit of luck they will return in the not-too-distant future (let’s keep our fingers crossed). However, in the mean time The Petwood Hotel is a lovely place to visit for Afternoon Tea, lunch, or a delicious evening meal. The history housed in the hotel is really quite breathtaking too so if you get the chance to visit for a coffee, a glass of wine or a G&T in the gardens be sure to take a wander around inside. You won’t be disappointed whatever the weather.
The Petwood Hotel, Woodhall Spa, Lincolnshire
It would be a poor show if you couldn’t get a gift voucher so the Petwood Hotel is ready to deliver (excuse the pun) there too. You can order and have a bespoke gift voucher delivered as a .PDF to your email address. What could be more convenient?
To order you Petwood Hotel gift voucher click here
Time Alone
There are so many lovely places to visit and things to do in our fabulous County of Lincolnshire so let’s not forget how diverse it is. From the beautiful towns and villages to the wide open spaces of the fens and the rolling hills of the Wolds. We really are lucky. Socialising, whether we realise it or not, is something we have (perhaps) taken for granted. It’s not until we’ve had the luxury taken away from us for a while that we realise how much we crave it.
I’m talking from a personal point of view of course but I wonder if I’m expressing the thoughts of many? I often like to be on my own; Walks alone, bike rides alone, driving alone….. ‘home alone’… but now I realise that I’m never really alone. Family is everything to me so now I realise that my periods alone are just times to reflect and rejuvenate.
After The Coronavirus In Lincolnshire Part 1 – What Next?
Being such social creatures perhaps it’s the simple things that we have missed the most? By the time this is all over will we have re-evaluated our priorities? I’m only speculating of course but will we be moving away from the big corporate organisations and move instead to the family run businesses and sole traders who will offer us the quality we want without the ‘designer label’ price tags?
As we become more ecologically aware will we be less inclined to travel so far and more inclined to value what we have on our doorstep? Let’s face it, we have so much on our doorstep that it’s difficult to decide what we want and what we are looking forward to the most. Personally I’m looking forward to getting back outside with my Nordic Walking groups to enjoy good company in the ever changing environment that Mother Nature serves to us.
After The Coronavirus In Lincolnshire Part 1 – The High Street Is Changing
The High Street is changing and will probably not change back to what we had become used to. Perhaps now is the time for the sole traders and small businesses to step up to the mark and become the national or even global kings and queens of the future. Could we do it? I’ve seen things change around me in a very short space of time. Politicians of all persuasions are talking to each other like never before while at the same time big High Street shops are closing their doors with little or no likelihood of them re-opening again.
All of this makes me ask the question; What have we got and what are we looking forward to…?
Fish and chips? How about Fish and chips at the seaside? A family day out with happy people making the most of our lovely coastline. Am I allowed to have a favourite? Skegness, Mablethorpe, Sutton-on-Sea, Anderby Creek…. They are all fabulous seaside resorts but my personal favourite is Cleethorpes. There is just something about it that has a draw for me and makes me want to be there. Lovely walks along the sea front eating my fish and chips from @PapasFishNChips located on the pier, crossing the light railway and spending time around the boating lake with a coffee from the cafe in the Discovery Centre
Boating lake & cafe at the Cleethorpes Discovery Centre. It’s always a ‘must visit’ place for me. Find them on Facebook and Twitter and give them a follow.
Grimsby & Cleethorpes – Two ‘Must Visit’ areas of Lincolnshire
Just a short drive away form Cleethorpes is Grimsby. If you get the chance to visit there please make a point of going to the Grimsby Central Hall. I have visited there several times and can highly recommend it. I once saw a performance of ‘The Armed Man’ (A Mass For Peace) performed by the Grimsby Philharmonic and was extremely impressed by the performance and also by the acoustics of the Central Hall.
Grimsby Philharmonic led by Susan Hollingworth BEM – if you get the chance to hear them perform you’re certainly in for a treat. Click here to visit their website.
The Grimsby Central Hall is really worth a visit. I was lucky enough to be given a tour once and was really surprised at what I saw. I’m not going to give too much away as I think the Hall is worthy of a blog of its own. However, in addition to being a fabulous building on the outside with a grand staircase on the inside and superb acoustics for performances, it also houses a Fishermans Chapel dedicated to local fishermen & Merchant Seamen who lost their lives at sea.
I’m not a historian or an architect but I really do love learning local history and taking in the architecture around me. If you see me walking around somewhere new I’m usually the one looking up. If you haven’t done it, I recommend you give it a try. Look up above the boring flat glass shop windows and doors and marvel at the fantastic building above. I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised.
Grimsby Central Hall – It’s not the best picture but it does show the grandeur and size of the building. Click here to go to their Facebook page
Scunthorpe
I know Scunthorpe has a lot to offer but right at the top of my list of things to do and places to visit in the area is the Appleby Frodingham Railway Preservation Society (Find them on twitter as @AFRailway). I’m not an avid train enthusiast or train spotter but this has really captured my imagination. I’m looking forward to the end of the Coronavirus restrictions so that I can pay a visit here. If you haven’t heard of it before I suggest you take a look at their website www.afrps.co.uk. You can email glenn@afrps.co.uk who I suspect will put you on a mailing list to let you know when their services begin again. In short, the trip involves a rail tour around the steel works at Scunthorpe. I have a feeling that it’ll be extremely interesting.
Appleby Frodingham Railway Preservation Society
How Long Should A Wish List Be?
In a County as big as Lincolnshire I think this wish list could go on and on! Perhaps it’s best if I pause for breath now though. I still have walks in the Wolds, expeditions in the Fens and outings in Grantham (the canal springs to mind) and lunches in Stamford to fit in. I think I’m going to have to do a series of blogs on the subject don’t you?
After The Coronavirus In Lincolnshire Part 1 – Any Recommendations For Part 2?
My list of things to do and places to visit after the Coronavirus restrictions are lifted is very long but not by no means complete. I know there will be many things that I haven’t visited but really ought to so if you have any suggestions please let me know.
“Stay Home Save Lives”
Have a good week everyone and keep smiling. We shall get through this pandemic if we work together. Don’t forget that #LincsConnect is here for you 24/7
https://www.whatsonlincs.co.uk
by Martin Thomas | Mar 27, 2020 | Charity, COVID19, Food, Lincolnshire, lincolnshire Business, Lincs Connect, LincsConnect, Louth
The Priory In Louth – Feeding The Vulnerable
Read on to discover how you can help.
Food And Support…
I had the pleasure of talking to Paul Hugill the other day about the fantastic work he is doing with his team to feed the vulnerable people in the Louth area. He really does ooze enthusiasm! If you ever need to speak to someone with some ‘get up and go’ Paul is your man!
Taking on the mammoth task of feeding the homeless and vulnerable, Paul put out a plea for assistance. Obviously in need of food, food and more food if this task is going to be achieved but he also needs more volunteers too.
You help out in the kitchen or from home, packing or delivery too so please get in touch. I’ll mention it here but I’ll also post a reminder further down too; Paul is desperately in need of fridges and freezers. Thanks to the very generous donations he has received he is able to get meals cooked and sent out but storage will always be in short supply.
Fridge And Freezer Donations
If you know of any industrial size fridges and freezers that can be donated on loan I’m sure Paul will be happy to hear from you. In addition, he is short of protein based produce so if there are any butchers out there who can make a donation you know what to do! Contact details are at the bottom of the blog. Links are also in the pictures. All help will be gratefully received.
What’s It All About?
Two nutritious meals a day for those in isolation or are vulnerable during the Coronavirus pandemic. If you think you can help with a cash donation please visit the just giving page and give whatever you can. Money is always welcome but so are donations of fresh food. Even cooked food which will help to take some of the pressure away from his own kitchen can be donated.
As well as feeding the vulnerable during this crisis Paul is also committed to helping to feed the homeless in the area by supporting and preparing meals for the East Coast Homeless Outreach. Outstanding! It’s all free of charge so your donations are very important. I’m not sure when he gets time to sleep. I do hope he manages to get some rest in between all the good work that he’s doing. Perhaps a quote from The Priory website might be a good idea here:
“…People are at the heart of what we do – you, our valued guests and or staff, most of whom may not have had the best start in life or have learning difficulties and whose potential has been overlooked.”
Just those few words seem to sum up what Paul is all about. Caring for and helping people seems to drive him forward and keep him motivated.
The Serendipity Initiative
With his team of willing staff he has set up a project under The Serendipity Initiative to help feed those in isolation during the Coronavirus pandemic. It’s a huge task. Your help, however big or small that might be, will be welcomed with open arms.
If you use Facebook you might like to take a look at this video as I think it explains more in just a few minutes than I could do in a thousand words.
Take a look at what Paul and his team for the community
Please also take a look at The Serendipity Initiative to see if you can help. Remember, if you don’t have cash, you don’t have food to donate, you aren’t able to help with food preparation, you CAN help by simply spreading the word. Talk you your friends, copy the links from this blog and post them on your social media pages or copy the link to this blog and post the whole thing. Every little helps so please try to do whatever you can.
Click the picture to open the link Tel 01507 602930
What’s Needed?
Right now Paul is looking for any help that you can donate, storage space, fridges, freezers and protein rich foods. All other food and cash donations are obviously always welcome of course.
Contact:
Here are a few useful contact numbers and addresses:
Tel Louth 01597 602930
eMail paul@sevendipityinitiative.co.uk
Website www.serendipityinitiative.co.uk
Facebook Serendipity Louth
Twitter @PrioryLouth
Paul has had a mention in a previous blog with his Serendipity Initiative and the work that is going on to support people during the Coronavirus Pandemic. If you would like to read more about that follow this link: ‘Coronavirus – We can Help Each Other’
Thank you all for taking the time to read this post. Please feel free to copy it and send it on to your friends by email or on social media. The more people we can get to see it, the better.
Stay healthy, stay happy and STAY IN.
Best wishes
by Martin Thomas | Mar 17, 2020 | Charity, Coronavirus, COVID19, Lincolnshire, lincolnshire Business, Lincs Connect, Networking, Uncategorized
Have We Become Numb? – Ring Any Bells?
I often channel hop when listening to my car radio between clients and recently I happened upon a programme on the BBC World Service. The general gist of the programme revolved around the psychology of giving to charity. Obviously all charities rely on us for donations and fund raising events but the programme got me thinking; Have we become numb to the pleading of charities? I know that many of you will give regularly to your chosen charity, some of you may volunteer while others might be supporting the charities by shopping in the charity shops or taking part in the many events that are held each year.
Who Or What Is To Blame?
Have we become numb to the fundraising calls of the local charities? Are we becoming numb to their pleading without even realising it? Perhaps you may recall the horrendous pictures on our TV screens of the ‘flies in their eyes’ images of starving children in African countries who were too weak to even blink. This is going to sound dreadful I know but perhaps those images have lost their impact now.
Charity adverts have evolved and may now include images of children in school wishing they could get a better education to have a better chance of fending for themselves in future years. The programme considered both images and the psychological impact of each. Both images raise funds for the charities but neither image is more effective than the other. Rather, some people are pre-disposed to giving to one image over the other with the net result being ‘both images work’.
Have We Become Numb?
These are just examples of course as there are a huge number of charities working in different ways to raise funds in order to help people and animals. How would it work though if there was just one charity in the world? Would that charity cease to exist as a result of its own success? Perhaps, but that’s just hypothetical of course because the reality is that there are thousands upon thousands of charities around the world.
In fact, these charities make so much ‘noise’ that perhaps we are losing touch with what they are trying to do. By ‘noise’ I mean TV advertising, radio advertising, newspaper advertising and of course the huge bombardment that we get on social media. That’s a “huge bombardment” of ‘everything’ and not just from the charities. Are we in danger of suffering from information overload and therefore switching off from the issues that really matter to us?
Lincolnshire Charities
We have lots of different charities in our region but we should all be thankful that they exist. We have the Lincoln YMCA @YMCALincs who look out for and care for many vulnerable people. They truly deserve our attention as they help to get people off the streets, into accommodation and give them a new start in life. If you haven’t heard of Leonie’s battle yet you need to give her a follow on twitter @chillibean2018 and follow her journey as she undergoes surgery and intensive physiotherapy to help her walk after having ben born Quad Cerebral Palsy.
Such a brave little girl and a dedicated Mum who is constantly fund raising in order to pay for her life changing surgery. At the other end of the age scale you’ll find @AgeUKLindsey who are an independent charity offering advice and support for the over 50s. I wonder if we all realise how lucky we are to have such a huge number of heroes in our County who spend valuable time looking after others?
What’s next?
Surely a blog of this sort in March 2020 can’t go out without mentioning Coronavirus (COVID-19). This dreadful virus has touched everyone here. A global pandemic which is having a huge local impact. On a personal note I have cancelled group exercise classes and in my role at LincsConnect I’m seeing first hand how worried people are becoming.
This pandemic isn’t just affecting health (although that is a huge worry) but the disruption it is causing is having a massive negative impact on businesses both large and small. I’ve seen a huge increase in businesses and charities posting to the #LincsConnect hashtag in order to get their messages around the County. Some are offering support, some are informing us of changes while others are asking for help. What can be done?
You’re Not Alone
Those of you who know me on twitter as @MANDARINLEISURE will no doubt remember that I post a positive and (hopefully) uplifting post each morning along with an excerpt from a song. I wake each morning (that’s always a good start)! with a tune in my head. It happens every day and I have no control over which song it will be. That’s my ‘ear worm’ so, being a friendly sort of chap, I have to share it. Well why should I have to suffer alone? It’s become a daily ritual now and I know that people from around the world are looking out for it and joining in with the fun. Here’s an example for you. Let’s see if you can guess the song:
Thinking of all the charitable work that’s going on around the county perhaps ‘now’ is the time to be thinking about how we can help each other. @LincsConnect has nearly 11,000 ‘local’ followers. If each one of them visited the hashtag #LincsConnect a couple of times a day to see who they could support we would all benefit hugely.
It’s all very well posting your message (on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter) using the hashtag #LincsConnect to tell people what you are doing, what you need or how you can help but it won’t do you any good at all if no one is bothering to look at the hashtag to see what or who they can support. I’m sorry if that sounds abrupt but the truth is, we are in deep trouble and we need to pull together to get through this problem safely.
I’m No Expert But…
I’m not an economist. I’m not a high flying business executive. I’m not an ace charity worker. I am just ‘me’ but I can see how we can start to help each other. I’m not talking about getting bread and milk for those who are in isolation. That has already been broadcast across social media (I’ll post my version of the form for you to print and utilise) and is certainly going to help many people. What I’m talking about is using and looking at the #LincsConnect hashtag to see who is in need. Trust me, when you help others you’re more likely to have that help reciprocated when you need it most.
STOP!
Perhaps if those companies who only post their own messages and never look to see how they can help others changed their habits during this period of uncertainty we could start to achieve more. There is an old saying: “What goes around, comes around”. NOW is the time to be supportive of others, to be charitable, to look to see what can be done for others because together we can be absolutely AWESOME!
Take a look at this video to see how you can help on Twitter: How To Search #LincsConnect
For Those Of You Who Are Able
As promised, here is the form for you to print and utilise. Please use it wisely.
What Next?
I’ve heard people asking “What will life be like after the virus”? There will be no income and (according to some) no hope! My answer to that is this:
Life after the virus will carry on. There will be an income because we will carry on working. I have hope and that hope is based on my belief in you.
Todays blog was a little different but I think it’s an important one. What do you think?
by Martin Thomas | Mar 12, 2020 | Hashtags, IT, Lincolnshire, lincolnshire Business, Lincs Connect, Lincs Police, LincsConnect, LincsPolice, Mandarin Therapies, Passwords, police, Security, VPN, Website
How secure is secure? Information on your computer, smartphone or TV could be at risk. There is some fantastic support around to help and guide so read on to discover what I’ve found:
How secure Is Secure? – Suspicious emails
Having had a few comments on my blogs my suspicions were raised as I noted the addresses of the emails. It’s nice to think my posts have reached a large global audience .de (Germany) and .xyz (who knows where?) but beware! Don’t approve comments without first checking their credibility. How? I put the question out to social media and as a result I received an interesting tweet from Liam @ZaddleMarketing
Liam advised me not to click any links or email addresses in those suspicious comments, confirming my fears that these posts were SPAM. A good security plugin for my WordPress site will solve the problem. Thank you Liam for your sound advice.
There are lots of good people on social media who can be trusted of which Liam is one. It’s always best to ask the question of your contacts if ever you’re in doubt.
Thank You Kerrin
Thank you Kerrin @Kerrinwilson999 for your hospitality (and the lovely cake of course). It was lovely to meet you and I’m looking forward to extending the reach of LincsConnect to include regular posts by you and your team. Thankfully I have already had some security tips from some of your colleagues and that information has proved invaluable. Hopefully you’ll enjoy my short post here today and will have time to add a comment too.
Meetings always seem more productive with cake!
Getting It Right By Chance
I’ve heard that smart speakers listen to our conversations. It’s not uncommon for adverts to pop up on our social media platforms directly relating to a conversation the previous day. It’s extremely uncommon (I’m led to believe) that an iMac can be infected but if it’s going to happen to anyone, it’ll happen to me!
Technology and I don’t always gel I’m afraid. Having feared the worst following a rash of phishing emails (ransom emails sent to my inbox supposedly from my own address) it was time for action. The safest solution was to contact Lincolnshire Police Cyber Crime Unit who responded very quickly with a visit to my office.
A full inspection of my computer confirmed that the emails were really just phishing emails and should be deleted. A nagging feeling that something wasn’t right remained after several other incidents with my computer. As a result I contacted Apple who decided a full restore and section by section re-build was required. I’m happy now that my computer and details are safe once again. If you’re worried about your online safety and security don’t hesitate to contact a professional for help.
What If…?
What if it’s true that the smart devices can leak our information? A recent BBC Panorama programme about Amazon revealed that they knowingly and openly harvest and use our information. I don’t think the machines (or people) are listening to every conversation but when key words are detected the link is made with you and your devices.
Recent news reports highlighted that smart devices can be hacked and accessed remotely. The video doorbells, video baby monitors and even smart TVs and smart fridges are all susceptible to hackers. Accessing our personal data can be very upsetting and worrying of course so we need to protect ourselves.
Basic Protection
How secure is secure? If we can access any devices from our smartphone it’s a fair bet that the unscrupulous criminals can do the same. The smart fridge, smart monitor and smart TV come with factory settings and passwords. These settings can be found easily online so to prevent hacking make sure you change the passwords immediately.
Hacking your fridge isn’t too much of a problem of course but accessing your router from your fridge or your smart TV etc may be more sinister.
How Secure Is Secure? Passwords
The obvious and most basic form of self protection is strong passwords. Do change the passwords from factory settings to something that you can remember. Family, friends or pets names do not make good passwords. These names are likely to crop up on your social media pages at some point so can easily be guessed.
Random passwords are by far the best option. For the best security have different passwords for different logins. There are some very clever Apps around that can store your passwords for you but I’m sure you’ll have a system that works for you.
Privacy
You can secure your devices by making sure they are protected by a security password, facial recognition, finger print and VPN (I’ll cover VPN later).
It’s better to be safe than sorry! Keeping your personal information safe should be a high priority and simple precautions may be all you need.
If you have data stored on you mobile device make sure it’s protected with a security code and backed up regularly. Some devices can be deleted remotely; Check so see if you can do that with your own device and make sure you learn how to do it.
How Secure Is Secure? Two Factor Authenticaton
Added security comes with two factor authentication – that’s when you get an alert on your chosen device to tell you that someone is accessing your other devices. My iPhone will prompt me to confirm that I am who I say I am when I log onto my computer. As a result I have to type in a ‘one time’ code before the computer will let me in. It takes seconds and provides an extra level of security.
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How Secure Is Secure?
Change your passwords from factory settings to secure ones that aren’t easily guessed. Use a different password for every device. So you’re good to go….? Well, not quite! Your router may not be secure so if you’re not sure ask your provider to guide you through changing the factory set password.
You’re ‘almost’ there… You’re now safe in your own home but not when you’re out and about if you’re using public WiFi. How secure is that system? Your final piece of security is VPN.
VPN
What is VPN? This is the explanation from Wikipedia: “A virtual private network extends a private network across a public network, and enables users to send and receive data across shared or public networks as if their computing devices were directly connected to the private network.” You might want to look this one up for yourself.
A ‘belt and braces’ approach to security but if you have any private or confidential information on your devices do read a bit more about it. It is a ‘paid for’ service so you’ll need to be aware of that and you’ll also need to be aware that not all internet routers are capable of installing it. Once installed on your home router ‘all’ devices using that WiFi connection will be protected under the higher level of security. I have it installed and the one I chose covers six devices. I have it on my iPhone and iPad so that I know I’m secure whenever I log into a public WiFi system.
It’s Good To Share
All of this information comes from trusted people I’ve spoken to who have been kind enough to guide me. I’m not an expert but some of the things I’ve learned along the way and printed here will no doubt be useful to you. If you are able to share other tips that may be useful for other users feel free to add a comment and send a message on twitter or Facebook using the hashtag #LincsConnect
Helping each other is always good of course. If you need additional help contact your Internet Service Provider (ISP) or local IT specialist. If you’re worried about cyber security contact @lincspolice and ask about their Cyber Security courses. I’ve been on one and can highly recommend it. After all, these are the experts who really want to help you to prevent crime.
Back Soon
Thank you all for taking the time to read my ramblings. I’ll be back soon with more blogs of course but keep watching as they are about to evolve into something quite unique.
Stay safe
by Martin Thomas | Feb 19, 2020 | Hashtags, Lincolnshire, lincolnshire Business, Lincs Connect, LincsConnect, Networking
Hashtags – What Do You Need To Know? Understanding The Difference…
Hashtags – What Do You Need To Know? While trying to update and secure my website I really do understand how frustrating and confusing this ‘tech stuff’ can be.
On social media the difference between the ‘#’ and the ‘@’ signs are significant but can easily be confused. Let me break it down into very simple terms which I hope you will appreciate:
Think of the hashtag as being a file that everyone can search and view. When you type it, it’ll light up in blue instead of the usual black text. You can use it for your own marketing and advertising by creating your own words that will follow the hashtag sign. Here are a few examples: #LincsConnect #Scunthorpe #Lincolnshire – if you are using this hashtags you are targeting anyone who may be searching for tweets that are pertinent to Scunthorpe and/or Lincolnshire. You are also targeting people who are looking at the hashtag file for #LincsConnect.
Hashtags – What Do You Need To Know? Creating A Hashtag
You can easily create your own hashtag of course. Simply type in the words after the hashtag sign. Let’s pretend that your company is called ‘Grow it’ and you sell seeds for the garden. You want to create a special offer of £10.00 discount for every £50.00 spend. You could use the hashtag #GrowIt10 and tell everyone to use that hashtag to claim their discount.
Own The Hashtag
You’ve created your hashtag but you really ought to make sure that no one else is using the same hashtag. To do that, simply type the words GrowIt10 into your Twitter search bar to see what comes up. Hopefully you’ll see a note displayed saying “No results for growit10”. If that’s the case, you’re good to go; use that hashtag as your own and search it regularly to see who has used it to claim their discount. If you see a string of tweets displayed using the hashtag or words ‘growIt10’ I suggest you have a re-think to come up with something that isn’t already in use. If you do use it regardless of anyone else using it you’ll have a job finding the tweets that are relevant to you.
Have Fun With The Hashtag
Twitter isn’t just about selling and information though. It’s a place to have some light hearted fun. If that is what you are doing, you can make up some tweets that are purely nonsense but funny to read. #SillyTweet #fun #IDidntMeanToSayThat #HarryPotterWouldBeProudOfMyEfforts …. Anything goes really! If you’re having a joke with someone the hashtags can serve as a great punchline.
Hashtags And Grammar
When creating or writing a hashtag you mustn’t use punctuation as the computers don’t understand it. Likewise, it doesn’t matter if you use all upper case, all lower case or a combination of the two.
Hashtags – What Do You Need To Know And What Does The ‘@’ Sign Mean?
Where the hashtag sends your tweet to a specific file or files (it could be #LincsConnect #Scunthorpe and #Lincolnshire as highlighted above), the ‘@’ sign is like a postage stamp because it sends the tweet to a specific account. If you post a tweet using @LincsConnect it’s because you want to speak to me personally. Only ‘I’ will see that tweet. If you want to let everyone in the County know about a sale, event or piece of information you need to be using #LincsConnect.
If you use multiple addresses ie. @LincsConnect @MandarinLeisure @MandarinLocal you’re involving those accounts in your conversation. It’s a handy way of talking to several people at the same time but can get confusing if they all answer at once!
Should You Use @LincsConnect And #LincsConnect In The Same Post?
Generally speaking, ‘no’! If you want to contact me tweet me at @LincsConnect but if you want to get your message out to all followers use the hashtag #LincsConnect. There is really no advantage to using both the hashtag #LincsConnect and the address @LincsConnect in the same tweet. In fact, using the address @LincsConnect can result in other people having their messages missed as the ‘chatter’ on the account increases significanty.
I hope this helps some of you. Happy tweeting…
