by Martin Thomas | Nov 25, 2023 | Lincolnshire, Lincs Connect, LincsConnect, LincsConnectChristmas, ShopLincs
For Christmas In Lincolnshire Use #LincsConnectChristmas
For Christmas in Lincolnshire use #LincsConnectChristmas and #ShopLincs on your social media posts to reach more local people. Use the hashtags to post your gift ideas and bargains then encourage your followers to search the hashtags to discover more.
Trending
#LincsConnectChristmas is a seasonal hashtag which ‘trends’ globally each year so use it to reach out to your new customers. The #LincsConnect hashtag along with #ShopLincs are here for you every single day of the year so I recommend using them all.
The #LincsConnect hashtag trends most weeks during the #LincsConnect Hour on X so make sure you use it to your advantage. You’ll find more information later in this blog.
For Christmas In Lincolnshire Use #LincsConnectChristmas – It’s Free Advertising
Competition at this time of year is fierce so ‘NOW’ is the time to advertise websites and online shops.
Social media may not be the place to sell at Christmas but it is an ideal platform to guide readers to shops and websites. Include links on your posts to make life easier for readers to find your shop. Use social media to highlight offers and promote what you have to offer and make time to follow up any enquiries.
You can’t expect everyone to find you and buy your products so make sure you use your social media platforms to guide customers to your shop. I am repeating myself but I’m happy to do that if it helps you to understand the usefulness of social media as a tool to reach out to new customers.
#LincsConnect Hour
The #LincsConnect Hour takes place on X (Twitter) every Monday evening from 8.00pm. You can use it to reach out to local people with your adverts, chat and general support. The hashtag trends most weeks too which makes it the perfect platform for advertising yourself or organisation.
Hosting the #LincsConnect Hour on Twitter is FREE and 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 Christmas In Lincolnshire Use #LincsConnectChristmas“.
For Christmas In Lincolnshire Use #LincsConnectChristmas & Advertise On WhatsOnLincs
WhatsOnLincs is the new community web page on the LincsConnect website. You can use it to post free adverts from markets and car boot sales to charity events and entertainment, jobs, volunteering plus much more. You can even include pictures as well as links to websites. It’s all FREE so be sure to use it to find out What’s on in Lincolnshire.
New categories are being added as demand increases. As a result, there are new categories including ‘ShopLincs’ and ‘Christmas Events’. You can use this categories to advertise yourself, your Ofers and Christmas events. Advertising is FREE on the site too so please to make the most of it.
Once you have posted your advert you can copy the link to post on any social media platform. This will save you from having to type new adverts each time.
Here To Help
LincsConnect has been working hard to help local traders, organisations and charities but we do need to help each other. By posting links from the website to your social media platforms you will be helping to promote the free website. That’s all I ask of you!
Be A Sponsor
You can pay to advertise on the website of course. Each sponsor will have their logo and website/socials link on each page of the website. Anyone who views the site or posts a free advert will see you. If you would like to become a sponsor and would like more information please get in touch.
Advert
Mandarin Therapies & Mandarin Mothers provide bespoke complementary therapies from the comfort of your own home. Treatments include Antenatal & Postnatal therapies and Aromatherapy massage as well as injury prevention and injury rehabilitation. Ask about the bespoke Biomechanics assessments too. Call 07966 174878 to book your session or to order a personalised gift voucher in time for Christmas.
Additional Blogs
Merry Christmas Everyone
I hope you all have a lovely Christmas and I look forward to chatting to you all sometime soon.
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
Advert
Mandarin Therapies provides bespoke complementary therapies from the comfort of your own home. Gift vouchers are available now and are valid for 12 months. Click on the picture to go to the Facebook page or click on this link @MandarinMothers to follow on twitter.
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 | 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.
by Martin Thomas | Aug 30, 2020 | Antenatal, Aromatherapy, Art, Christmas, Covid-19, Domestic Abuse, Hashtags, Hotel, Lincoln, Lincolnshire, lincolnshire Business, Lincolnshire Heritage, Lincs Connect, Lincs Police, LincsConnect, LincsPolice, Louth, Mandarin, Mandarin Therapies, Massage, Mobile, Museum, Networking, police, Postnatal, Restaurant, Twitter, Vouchers
#EatOutToHelpOut Ends But…
Looking forward to a bright Christmas in Lincolnshire in 2020. The #EatOutToHelpOut scheme officially comes to an end on Bank Holiday Monday 31 August. I sincerely hope it has been a great boost to our local businesses and economies.
Not all of us have been able to take advantage of course as we’ve experienced some serious income deficits during the lockdown period. However, ‘every little helps’ so let’s hope that the Lincolnshire restaurateurs have been able to recoup enough income for them to feel confident to spend more of their money locally.
Recession?
We’ve heard the stories about the recession and possible price rises over the coming months but there are also stories about ‘green shoots’ in the economy. The resilience of the British people to get on with their businesses to make money and pull the economy forward is a key to our success.
There’s much speculation with stories of ‘doom and gloom’ but I think it’s important to remember that many of the stories are literally just ‘stories’ written by journalists (trained or untrained). They may have an agenda unbeknown to us and may even be from a foreign country.
With that in mind, my cup is definitely half full. Focusing on the bright side and being determined to make business work is what I do. I truly believe that we (that’s you and I) are capable of making our businesses successful regardless of the circumstances surrounding us. Do we need help? Do we need to collaborate? Do we need to focus on the good things? Absolutely!
I’m prepared to accept help and advice all day long and I believe it’s one of the keys to success. Knowing when you’re out of your depth and needing help is crucial. As is knowing when to employ an expert to do a job properly. When we work together we can often achieve much more so let’s Keep working and talking to each other.
#LincsConnectChristmas
Use the hashtag to promote your business, charity gift idea or event this Christmas
After a pretty dreadful summer I believe we need to look forward to a bright Lincolnshire Christmas. We don’t know what the future will bring with Covid-19 but we do know that Christmas is coming! Whether you like it or not, celebrate it or not, or even believe in it or not, the fact remains that it will be here on 25 December and we need to be prepared for it. We may not be out partying as we have in previous years but we are resilient enough and creative enough to make it a good celebration.
#LincsConnectChristmas starts on 7 September to coincide with the new #LincsArtCraftHour. Combining the two will give us the opportunity to see what our local talented and creative people have to offer. We’ll have the opportunity to shop early and safely by avoiding the usual Christmas rush because, well, let’s face it, we really don’t know yet if there will be movement and shopping restrictions in place to avoid another Covid-19 wave of destruction.
A Christmas Hamper
In previous years we’ve had a virtual Christmas hamper where we’ve been able to add items of our own or recommend items from other traders. The idea seemed to work well so I think it’ll be a good idea to do it again.
It’s time to start filling the Christmas Hamper…
The hashtag works on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram so let’s start thinking about filling it up with lots of local goodies. Perhaps an example here might be useful. How about these messages:
“I think the #LincsConnectChristmas hamper needs some speciality chocolates. I highly recommend @BonBonLincoln who produce exquisite designer chocolates”
“No #LincsConnectChristmas hamper will be complete without some bespoke Christmas cards by @CardsOfGrimsby”
Adding a picture with each message will soon get the attention of local shoppers and will make the #LincsConnectChristmas hashtag the place to look for local independent Christmas shopping. With your help we can get this hashtag noticed and talked about around Lincolnshire and beyond to turn it into the ‘shop window’ for everyone to see.
A Christmas Meal
With no #EatOutToHelpOut scheme in place hotels, restaurants, cafes and bars will want to advertise their special meals and party events so the #LincsConnectChristmas hashtag is going to be ‘the’ place for them to advertise and I’m sure they’ll appreciate our support.
Let’s Work Together
I’m sure we can make Christmas a huge success but I do think that we will have to work together to achieve it. Am I confident? Absolutely!
Put It In Your Diary
The #LincsConnectChristmas and #LincsArtCraftHour both start on Monday 7 September at noon. Use the hashtags, search the hashtags and tell your friends about the hashtags. They’re here for ‘you’.
Advert
Mandarin Therapies & Mandarin Mothers provide bespoke mobile complementary therapies in the comfort of your own home, hotel or nursing home across the whole of Lincolnshire and beyond. Gift vouchers are available for that special person too.
Previous Blogs
To find out more about the #LincsArtCraftHour follow this link to the previous blog:
Community
A message from Supt Paul Timmins of Lincolnshire Police following some sad and tragic deaths on Lincolnshire roads recently:
Click on this picture to open the video in Twitter
Click on this picture to open the video on Facebook
We see far too many road deaths in Lincolnshire so please always ‘be aware’ and don’t become a statistic. We love you just the way you are…. ‘alive’!
Domestic Abuse
Domestic abuse doesn’t have age limits. 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.
A Helpful App
Visit your App Store to download this free App to your device
Let’s pretend you’re out walking or have gone for a drive when you come across an accident. You dial 999 to contact the emergency services for help but then you don’t know exactly where you are. You know you’re in the middle of a field or on a country road but you couldn’t direct the emergency services to the incident. I imagine you might feel completely helpless!
I saw a post on Twitter asking the public to download the App What3Words so obviously I did. I didn’t expect to ever have to use it but thought it would be a good ‘insurance policy’ should the unexpected ever happen. I have actually used it though. I was able to give the three words that were displayed on my iPhone screen to the control room who directed the fire service to the field fire that I had discovered on my way home last winter. 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.
When opening the App you’re given the option to share the 3 words via social media or email or send it directly to one of your contacts so it’s a great way to pass on your location to friends if you are meeting them in town. Typing the three words into the search bar your friends are able to navigate directly to you using the App so as well as being the all important navigation tool in emergencies it’s also a brilliant tool for finding your friends.
Louth Museum
Perhaps you could try out your new What3Words App with your friends. If you’re on your travels why not pop in to Louth Museum? It’s open to the public again and there is no need to book. The museum is over two floors (stair lift available for those who may need it) and you’ll be respectfully requested to wait outside if the museum is full when you arrive. Covid-19 regulations are in place of course so don’t forget your mask. I’ve had a look at the website www.louthmuseum.org.uk and discovered a virtual tour as well as Ruth’s Blog page. I thought you might find this interesting; It’s a factual account of the Lincolnshire floods in Louth on 29 May 1920. Imagine seeing a 2m wall of water heading into town…
Click on the picture to read the blog
Just imagine how useful What3Words would have been in this situation if it had been available then. Technology has certainly moved on at a remarkable pace!
Stay Safe
That’s the blog done for now but if you have something that you would like me to include or would like to advertise please get in touch. Have a lovely Bank Holiday everyone. Look after yourself and look out for your neighbours.
