by Martin Thomas | Sep 17, 2023 | Lincs Connect, What's On Lincolnshire, WhatsOnLincoln, WhatsOnLincolnshire, WhatsOnLincs
WhatsOnLincs Explained
WhatsOnLincs is the Lincolnshire based community web page on the LincsConnect website. You can use it to post free adverts from markets and car boot sales to charity events and entertainment, jobs, volunteering plus much more. You can even include pictures as well as links to websites. It’s all FREE so be sure to use it to find out What’s on in Lincolnshire.
During one of the weekly #LincsConnect Hour evenings on Twitter (X) the overwhelming response to “where do you advertise to reach new customers locally” was “there isn’t anywhere”.
Don’t get me wrong, there are other websites available in the County but they focus on the larger events. As a result I devised the WhatsOnLincs page to include sole traders and small events as well as the larger ones.
Free Advertising
Free advertising – can this really be true?
All adverts are on the page are free to post. No commitment and no catch!
Sponsorship
While adverts are free to post it is possible to sponsor the website. Each paid advert will appear on every page of the site including the pages where people post their free adverts and where the general public search the website.
If you would like to sponsor the website with an annual advert please get in touch. Your sponsorship will help to pay for the additional storage space and upgrade of the package that will inevitably be required to grow the site.
WhatsOnLincs – Part Of The Dream
This page has been a part of my dream for LincsConnect for many years. As a community, self funded project finances have been tight. As a result, being a bit of a technophobe, I’ve struggled to get the website updated.
With finances in short supply for this community project, good will and community spirit are what’s needed to make things happen. I’m a firm believer in helping others with no expectation for reward. However, it’s really good news when someone steps forward to offer help.
WIN, WIN With WhatsOnLincs
Discover Events And More on WhatsOnLincs
Advertising is FREE so that means WhatsOnLincs is a great place to search for events, sales, special offers, jobs and much more.
Using the site is easy. It’s open to everyone to view so locals and out of area visitors alike can take advantage of WhatsOnLincs. The page is located on the LincsConnect website and is easily searchable from Google and other search engines.
Arriving on the page you’ll immediately see some of the free adverts. Searching by ‘date’ is a good way to find out what’s on in Lincolnshire and our surrounding area. The site really is easy to use but if you happen to encounter any problems please do get in touch.
With categories being added as they are needed I’m sure you’ll find something here. There’s everything from markets to jobs and festivals to lost, missing and stolen.
Have a look to see what you think and please don’t forget to tell your friends.
How To Upload An Advert
When uploading your advert consider these tips:
- When choosing a title for your advert make it look like something you would search for on Google or any other search engine. Typing “Join Us On Saturday” doesn’t tell people (or search engines) what you are actually advertising. Instead you should be more specific. “Lincolnshire Show” is a very specific title that will definitely result in internet searches.
- When typing your text (staying with the same example as 1. above) start with something like “Lincolnshire Show – find me at stand xxx on both days. Be sure to say hello and let us know where you saw our advert.
- No 2. above is a very specific invitation to get people to visit you at the show. Be sure to add your name in your advert so that people know who they are looking for. Likewise, add your own website or social media details in the contact info while posting your advert.
- Adding a date for your event: If your event is over one or two days then include those dates when typing the description for your advert. However, if your event is over several dates during the year I highly recommend that you place an advert for each date individually to make them stand out. There is no harm in copying and pasting your text from your original advert onto subsequent adverts to save yourself some time.
Advertising Your Posts
Possibly the most important task for you after having posted your advert and having it approved is ‘sharing’ it.
Once your advert/post has been approved (usually the same day as it is submitted) it’s really ‘really’ important that you visit your advert and share it on your social media platforms by clicking on the icons supplied at the bottom of your post. Not only will your post be delivered to your social media platform immediately but you’ll also be given the opportunity to make additional comments. When you’ve done it once, you’ll see how easy it is.
Advertising your post in this way will make life a lot easier for you but it will also help to keep the website at the No 1 position on Google as well as reading the word about the site.
Posting To Facebook
If you experience problems uploading your advert from the WhatsOnLincs website to your Facebook page and can’t open the YouTube link try clicking on the orange link below. Once you have watched the video simply click on the back arrow on your browser to return to this page. The video has no sound so follow the black arrow on your screen when you see it.
It’s important to open the Facebook page that you want the advert to appear on first.
WhatsOnLincs to Facebook 1
Thank You
My dream to help connect the County and our neighbours was given a huge boost when Jason from J & S Plumbing And Heating came forward to help set up the page on my website for me. Thank you Jason, WhatsOnLincs wouldn’t have materialised without your help.
With community in mind, Jason has also produced some helpful information blogs and videos so please do take a look at his website to see them for yourself.
Here is a link to one of his more recent blogs:
Click Here to go straight to the blog
Additional Blogs By #LincsConnect
Click or tap on the picture to go to the blog:
Fancy a brew?
by Martin Thomas | Jul 14, 2023 | Lincs Connect
Emergency – What3Words
Emergency – What3Words
Suppose you’re out walking or have gone for a drive when you come across an accident. You dial 999 to contact the emergency services don’t know exactly where you are.
You’re in the middle of the countryside but you don’t know exactly where. This is when What3Words is useful.
How Does What3Words Work?
Simply download the App to your smartphone and leave it there until you need it.
When you need to give the emergency services an exact location open the App and quote the 3 words displayed. That’s it! It really is that easy.
All you have to do is open the App and you’re immediately given 3 unique words that identify your exact location. It’s not complicated at all.
What3Words For Social Events
When opening the App you’re given the option to share the 3 words via social media, email or directly to one of your contacts. It’s a great way to pass on your location to friends if you are meeting in town.
Typing the three words into the search bar your friends are able to navigate directly to you using the App. As well as being the all important navigation tool in emergencies it’s also a brilliant tool for finding your friends.
Be Creative With What3Words
You can use What3Words wherever you are so it’s not just limited to Lincolnshire. If you are trading in a busy market and want to help people find your stall silly log in and post your What3Words. It’s so accurate that it’ll bring your customers straight to you. Just think how handy that would be in somewhere as busy as the Lincolnshire Show or Great Yorkshire Show.
Advert
Mandarin Therapies provides bespoke complementary therapies from the comfort of your own home. Call 07966 174878 to book. treatments range from 1 – 2 hours
More Blogs By LincsConnect
I hope you found this useful.
by Martin Thomas | May 13, 2023 | Lincolnshire, Lincs Connect, LincsConnect, What's On Lincolnshire, WhatsOnLincoln, WhatsOnLincolnshire, WhatsOnLincs
LincsConnect In Lincolnshire
The LincsConnect account is here for you to use. Here’s how to make the most of the hashtag in Lincolnshire:
Many people choose to add the hashtag #LincsConnect to their posts and rely on the @LincsConnect Twitter accounts to repost for them. However, it’s possible to get much more from the hashtag and this video will show you how:
Leaving your post for @LincsConnect on Twitter, @LincsConnect on Facebook, @LincsConnect on @Bluesky or @LincsConnect on Threads to repost for you has its limitations. Many people (wrongly) assume that @LincsConnect is run by a marketing company with dedicated time to manage the account. The reality is that the accounts are managed by one volunteer with limited time to spend on the account during the day and evening.
By following the tips on the YouTube clip above you’ll be able to create your own network from the #LincsConnect users. When you support each other, your network will grow and by using the hashtag, others will see your conversations too. As a result, while you are busy growing your own network, you’ll find it’ll also improve organically as more people join you. With almost 13,000 ‘local’ Lincolnshire followers on Twitter and a growing following on Bluesky, joining the @LincsConnect family will make perfect sense for you, your organisation, business or charity.
Why You Don’t Need To Include The @LincsConnect Address
While using the #LincsConnect ‘hashtag’ it’s worth noting that you don’t need to include the @LincsConnect ‘address’ in the same tweet! When you use the # hashtag you’re sending your tweet to the database for all to see and interact with. However, if you use the ‘@’ account name you’re sending your tweet to just one person! It’s all in the video so hopefully it makes sense now.
‘Quote’ Sparingly
When retweeting posts you’ll be given the option to ‘Repost’ or ‘Quote’ (Repost with a comment). The retweet (or repost as it’s now called) is by far the most effective way of helping to increase the visibility of tweets by others. Retweeting shows you support others by moving the retweeted post onto your timeline. It’s a very helpful way of supporting others, especially if they have very few followers.
The ‘quote’ option is only helpful if you own a powerful account that enjoys lots of engagement. The quoted tweet is shown as your own tweet for your followers to see. However, if your account isn’t powerful with a large engagement rate you won’t be doing anyone any favours by quoting! When quoting someone else’s tweet instead of retweeting it you’re effectively stopping the tweet from being seen by others. Think carefully before quoting a tweet and use the option sparingly.
LincsConnect In Lincolnshire Is Non-Political
The aim of the #LincsConnect hashtag is to support each other. However, please be aware that the hashtag is strictly non-political and non-religious. As a result, any political, religious, hateful or offensive (including bad language) messages will be dealt with swiftly.
LincsConnect Hour In Lincolnshire
Join us on Monday evening at 8.00pm for the #LincsConnect Hour where you’ll find lots of locals chatting. We often have guest hosts too so it’s always interesting. Follow the instructions in the video above to join in with the Hour. If you would like to host the Hour please do get in touch.
Join the Twitter based #LincsConnect Hour on Mondays at 8.00pm
WhatsOnLincs By LincsConnect
During a #LincsConnect Hour one Monday evening I asked where people were advertising for their events etc. The overwhelming response was that there is nowhere to advertise that covers the whole County!
After suggesting a dedicated page on the website for everyone to advertise for free the response by 100% of the people was ‘yes please’. You can use it now to discover what’s on in Lincolnshire and our surrounding area as well as post your events and much more.
I asked, you responded so I organised it. The WhatsOnLincs website page has been developed especially for you. You can use it to post your events, special offers, vacancies etc by completing the simple ‘Event Submission’ form on the LincsConnect website. It is hoped to cover the whole of the What’s On Lincolnshire categories. However, if you try to post something and can’t find a suitable category, just ask me to add it for you. If you want to find out what’s going on in the County just go to the ‘WhatsOnLincs’ page and type in the date that you are searching for. This is quickly becoming a very popular site to find out what’s on in Lincolnshire and surrounding areas.
It ‘is’ that simple!
Click or tap on the link to go straight to the WhatsOnLincs (WhatsOnLincolnshire) page
Paid Adverts
If you would like to advertise on the LincsConnect website please get in touch. Paid adverts are visible on every page and will be seen by anyone placing a free advert or searching for information on the WhatsOnLincs page. You can contact me through the ‘Contact‘ page on the website of click on this link to email me directly: martin@lincsConnect.co.uk
Additional Blogs By LincsConnect:
Social Media Trends
LincsConnect Stars
Free Advertising In Lincolnshire
LincsConnect Hour
Sponsored Blog
Mobile Massage In Lincolnshire With Mandarin Therapies
That’s It For Now
I look forward to tweeting with you soon.
by Martin Thomas | Apr 20, 2023 | Lincs Connect
Be Kind Lincolnshire
Be Kind Lincolnshire – it’s easy to do.
Fancy a brew?
Covid 19 – What Did We Learn?
Lockdown 23 March 2020. That was something to remember wasn’t it! We had some amazing people in the County who went above and beyond to help others. I remember being in isolation while suffering with Covid (contracted the day before lockdown). That’s when I put my IT fears to one side and learned to blog. The blogs highlighted all the good things that were going on in the County and as a result I managed to help many people.
I discovered lots of good people in Lincolnshire who did some amazing things from feeding the vulnerable and front line workers to good natured people who put themselves out to help others. I blogged about them and told the County about them through my popular social media channels. This blog isn’t about ‘me’ though, it’s not even about the people who did some truly great things during the Covid epidemic.
Be Kind Lincolnshire – Did We Learn Any Lessons?
Did the lessons we learned during the Coronavirus pandemic stand the test of time? Are we still helping each other? Do we still go out of our way to be kind?
Cost Of Living Crisis
Fast forward three years and we have a new problem. Many people are struggling with the cost of fuel bills and increasing food prices. As a result of the large debt incurred during the pandemic when we were paid to stay at home plus, more recently the tragic war in Ukraine, the cost of living has dramatically changed. I know there are other factors to consider too but I’m not an economist and the causes aren’t the focus of this blog.
How are we dealing with this crisis? During the lockdowns we learned that our local economy is vitally important. We shopped locally then and felt proud to do so. That pride swept across the whole country as we all tried hard to support our local traders.
Are we still putting the same efforts into supporting our local traders and service sector now as we did in 2020?
Be Kind Lincolnshire – Courtesy Counts
How tolerant are we now? We learned to be humble during the pandemic as we realised how fragile life is. We learned patience, inclusivity and tolerance so has anything changed? Have we reverted to our pre-pandemic attitudes of ‘self preservation’?
#LincsConnect Hour Every Monday Evening
Join us on Twitter every Monday evening from 8.00pm
Talking about the #LincsConnect Hour now may seem a bit disjointed but bear with me…
We often have guest hosts for the Hour who usually set questions to get the other participants to join in, think and have fun. However (you must’ve guessed something was coming?), almost all of the hosts rely on LincsConnect to do the advertising for them and invite people to participate. As far as free advertising goes, it doesn’t get much better than this.
Be Kind Lincolnshire With #LincsConnect
The whole point of #LincsConnect is to provide a platform for locals to network and advertise freely. The #LincsConnect Hour provides an (almost) captive audience where we all use the hashtag to chat and network as it was intended.
Why then do most guest hosts abandon their new contacts at the end of the Hour? Many perceive the searching of the #LincsConnect hashtag after the Hour to be too time consuming! My challenge to you is to spend 5-10 minutes each day searching the hashtag to be kind to your fellow Lincolnshire traders, charities and organisations. Simple words of encouragement or congratulatory remarks on a job well done is all it takes. Sharing a few posts to increase readership is one of the kindest acts you can do on social media.
Fancy A Brew?
Fancy a brew?
Forming relationships through social media is a great way to do business but sometimes you might want to go beyond your social media platform.
Giving encouragement is kind and sharing posts could be life saving for some businesses. Take note of what is going on around you. Sometimes you need to reach out to ‘actually’ support someone. That could be in the form of giving to a local food bank, helping a charity, choosing to buy from a local trader or even uttering the words ‘fancy a brew?‘
Food For Thought?
I hope this blog has given you some food for thought. There are lots of ways you can help and support others and the feeling you’ll get from knowing you have helped is second to none so give it a go today.
The Donation Genie is an online search area for you to make donations to your local food bank. Search by postcode to discover what is needed most
Additional Blogs By #LincsConnect
Click/tap on the picture to go to the blog:
How To Use #LincsConnect In Lincolnshire
Free Advertising In Lincolnshire
That’s It For Now
I hope you found this blog interesting and thought provoking. Please feel free to leave comments.
by Martin Thomas | Apr 17, 2023 | Lincoln, Lincolnshire, Lincs Connect, LincsConnect, Mandarin Therapies
LincsConnect Stars
Read on to discover how you can join the Lincolnshire LincsConnect Stars and be in with the chance of a featured spot in this blog.
LincsConnect Hour
Join the LincsConnect Hour stars on Monday evenings on Twitter at 8.00pm. You’ll find new friends every week so search #LincsConnect and stay there to follow the chat. Likewise, you’ll find your friends on the #LincsConnect hashtag every day so pop in for a chat.
LincsConnect Hour Hosts
The Hour is often hosted by me but guest hosts are welcome to take over for an allowed hour. The Hour generally runs along the lines of ‘Simon Says’. Starting off with introductions including individual personal adverts then we proceed with questions or prompts to read and repost (not ‘Like’). That’s a general rule but it is flexible and open to interpretation.
Lincolnshire LincsConnect Stars
Use the #LincsConnect hashtag daily for your advertising and networking. It’s free and simple to use
I’ve seen people post their messages but get no response. You can use the #LincsConnect hashtag on your posts to reach out to a wider local audience but for best results you need to visit the hashtag regularly to chat and repost for others. “What goes around, comes around”
LincsConnect Stars
Taking the Hour a stage further it was suggested that I should produce a Gif for #LincsConnect so that’s exactly what I’ve done.
People who join in with the #LincsConnect Hour on Twitter are given the opportunity to post multiple adverts but also invited to win the virtual star. Enter this daily fun competition which simply requires you to visit the Lincolnshire #LincsConnect hashtag to support others there with a retweet and comment.
The competition runs every day with a new member being selected according to how many people they support on the hashtag. In addition, one of the lucky winners will be selected to have a feature in this blog.
The blog will be updated each month with the new winner so play the game to be in with a chance of being featured here.
Join The Lincolnshire #LincsConnect Stars Club
The #LincsConnect Stars are the ones who take the time to chat to others and share posts. You too can become a #LincsConnect Star by utilising the hashtag regularly to support others there.
The Stars – In No Particular Order
As a result of following the instructions to support your fellow #LincsConnect members to reach out to a wider audience you will be in with a chance to win a virtual star and a feature in this blog.
Advertising isn’t free of course so it’s going to cost you in time. Spending a minimum of 5 minutes of your time each day is perfect. The more visits you make to the #LincsConnect hashtag to support others, the greater your chance of winning the Star and blog feature.
Don’t forget to post your own free adverts on the #LincsConnect hashtag too if course.
Sponsored By:
Mandarin Therapies and @MandarinMothers provides bespoke mobile complementary therapies across the whole County and beyond. Go to the bio to discover more and click on the picture to go to the website
How It Works
One visit to the #LincsConnect Hour won’t instantly make you famous or popular with other #LincsConnect members. One Hour may not even get you any sales but taking the concept and applying it daily will help you to gain more recognition and may well lead to increased sales. Spend a few minutes each day chatting with and sharing posts to maximise your impact on social media.
LincsConnect Stars
Join the fun to make good connections and help each other. As a result, your adverts will reach a wider audience so join us for the #LincsConnect Hour on Mondays at 8.00pm and on the #LincsConnect hashtag every day.
Your Editorial Here
As a special ‘thank you’ to those who interact with the #LincsConnect hashtag there will be an opportunity for an editorial here. One winner each month will be chosen so make sure you’re taking part. You have to be in it to win it!
The editorial will include a picture of choice and links to websites etc. The editorial will update each month. To increase advertising opportunities winners are encouraged to use the blog to post on their social media pages. As a result more people will see the blog which will increase awareness of the competition.
Congratulations J&S Plumbing & Heating
J&S Plumbing & Heating “Quality as standard”
Jason dedicated just a few minutes each day to searching the #LincsConnect hashtag on Twitter. As a result he has won this free editorial – congratulations Jason. In addition to the free editorial J&S plumbing & Heating have increased their profile on Twitter and are steadily increasing their following.
Jason has also launched his own Twitter hashtag #JASSafetyTips so if you have any questions about your plumbing and heating or would like to see answers to questions you hadn’t thought to ask, just search the hashtag. You’ll find J&S Plumbing & Heating on twitter under the name @JASPlumbLincs and on Facebook under jasplumbandheat so be sure to give them a follow.
Click on the picture to go straight to the J&S Plumbing & Heating website
As a satisfied customer I have no hesitation in recommending Jason for your boiler purchase, servicing, and maintenance. We had two large old boilers which Jason removed and replaced with a single new efficient Worcester boiler. Quick, clean, efficient and at a fair price so naturally I’m very pleased with the job.
One year later a service is due so I received a text reminder with a link to the website. As a result, one click took me to the right page and after filling in my name and address the service it was booked. By following the simple instructions I even had a choice of preferred days and times for the visit. A follow up text to confirm the appointment followed just minutes later. That’s what I call good service.
Spread The Cost With J&S Plumbing & Heating
There are 5 fully qualified heating engineers on hand to look after you. As a result it’s unlikely that you’ll have a long wait for your work to be booked in and carried out. Jason even has monthly payment service plans available to help you spread the cost. Qualified in gas, oil and LPG heating systems J&S Plumbing & Heating have you covered. Their strap line says it all: “Quality as standard”
Congratulations to Serena Twibell Arts
Always here to support other #LincsConnect users, Serena has surely deserved her prize of a free editorial here. When Serena isn’t painting or or creating hand sewn lovelies & home decor pieces from felt and vintage fabrics (never far from a cup of tea of course) she and her husband are collecting vintage items to go on sale in their shop at Hemswell Antiques.
The stock is always changing of course so I strongly recommend that you pay a visit to Canberra Antiques Centre (Unit 52) to have a look for yourself. When you get there you’ll find that the very helpful reception staff will be pleased to guide you to Twibell Arts.
Unit 52 at Canberra Antiques Center, Hemswell. Click on the picture to find Canberra Antiques Centre
Painting And Creating
Serena is truly gifted as you’ll discover when you follow her on Twitter and look at her Etsy Shop. Again, the stock is constantly being updated as the artwork and creations are all original. However, you’ll be able to keep up to date with what’s new by following @TwibellArts on Twitter or Serena.Twibell on Facebook
Incredibly detailed miniature paintings as well as exquisite creations, Serena has every gift occasion covered so a visit to her Etsy shop is a must. Click on the picture for a shortcut to the shop.
Call 01522 708 208 to book an appointment today or click on the links above to go to the website and social media sites.
Additional Blogs By LincsConnect:
How to use LincsConnect in Lincolnshire
Free Advertising With LincsConnect
That’s It For Now
