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Thousands of high street businesses will get a sales boost this Christmas thanks to a digital initiative being led by West Lindsey District Council.

The council has teamed up with retail technology specialists Maybe* Tech on a Local Rewards programme to drive footfall to high street stores across the region during and after the pandemic.

The council said 4,400 businesses from across the West Lindsey district will have the chance to be included in the scheme, with each offered free training and tools to take part via the www.localrewards.chat site.

The technology allows shoppers to see businesses near them, view and engage with their social media content and shop with them via Facebook Messenger and WhatsApp.

For every pound a shopper spends in-store they earn a point which can be used to claim rewards.

Every business that signs up to manage their listing on the Local Rewards High Street Guide will also have access to a range of social media tools from Maybe* Tech.

West Lindsey District Council leader Coun Owen Bierley said: 鈥淲e are delighted to have brought Maybe Tech on board for the next 12 months to support our businesses.

鈥淭he impact of Covid-19 changed the way businesses operate and following discussions with local businesses we recognised that we needed to offer additional support.

鈥淢aybe* Tech has proved to be successful in other areas and we want our businesses to benefit too.鈥�

Local Rewards allows businesses to communicate with, and reward shoppers, so small businesses can access to the same sort of tools and know-how that big businesses with bigger budgets have.

Businesses can also cross-promote and support their High Street neighbours to create an online network of connected traders.

Nicola Brooksbank, who owns Nice & Naughty Cafe Bistro, in Market Rasen, said she was signing up.

She said: 鈥淪ince the pandemic I have noticed an increase in businesses working together for the greater good of the high street.

鈥淲e use each other鈥檚 shops as much as possible and promote each other.

鈥淩ather than competition, we realise that our customers are one and the same, so the more we promote each other, the more we all see our takings double.

鈥淪ocial media is very important to my business.

鈥淣ot every like returns a sale, but the more you have the more sales you will get. We have doubled both our Instagram and Facebook followers since the pandemic, through targeted posts.

鈥淲e are also doing videos with the aim that we create a large following sharing our beliefs in community, healthy eating, and home-cooked food.

鈥淭his includes recipes and creating a story people can get behind and want to follow. Social media is a positive that can only be good for us all, when used correctly and in a targeted way.鈥�

鈥淚'm looking forward to signing up to the programme and hope others will too."

Maybe* Tech chief executive Polly Barnfield OBE said: 鈥淎round two thirds of shoppers regularly look online for inspiration and the Local Rewards programme groups all social media content by location to encourage people to browse their local high street and then rewards them for their local spend.

鈥淗igh streets need infrastructure that until now has only been available for online businesses and this programme will help local businesses level the playing field,鈥� adds Barnfield.

鈥淭hey need to communicate with shoppers in real-time and be able to showcase what鈥檚 available.

鈥淚n order to compete, High Street businesses need to up their digital game, promote their physical stores and collaborate.

鈥淥ur platforms help them collectively to do that and we are delighted to be working with businesses across every high street in the West Lindsey district.

The announcement comes just days after West Lindsey District Council has approved a new Economic Recovery Plan, to encourage investment, support businesses, develop growth and employment and harness the potential of green recovery.