I'm not that special but thanks LinkedIn
Over the last few weeks, LinkedIn started emailing its users congratulating them for having either one of the top 1%, 5%, or 10% most viewed profiles in 2012.
People went nuts.
Twitter blew up with Tweets proclaiming Look at me, LinkedIn says I am relevant! Who's a connection badass? I am, that's who! Now bow and kiss my ring!
Back the bus up Guss! Hate to burst your bubble but if you received one of these emails and proclaimed your awesomeness you did exactly what LinkedIn hoped you would....promote them some more. It was a marketing ruse. It was a brand-building game. It was bogus.
I'm not saying your profile wasn't one of the 5% most viewed in the world. I mean with 200 million+ users worldwide I am sure most of them were glued to your every move in 2012. I mean don't at all find it a coincidence that your best friend, co-worker, or colleague also had one of the top 5% most viewed profiles on the planet either. I am sure a little of your LinkedIn mojo happened to rub off on the right? It had to...I mean you're in the top 10% of all LinkedIn!
Bottom line, this was a well-executed plan by LinkedIn to breathe new life into the relevance of their tool. It created a frenzy of excitement and more brand recognition for them. Of course, it made you feel like a rock star in the process right? So what's the harm in that?
The harm is we got played. Most of us who got this email from them instantly helped play a role in the marketing game for LinkedIn. We helped drive more demand, and more traffic to their tool, and of course, we all logged into their site to admire our own profile works of art.
Riddle me this, if your profile was one of the top ones listed how many jobs offers did you get in 2012? I mean the recruiters must have become really, really annoying throwing themselves at you. How many companies sought you out for your product or service? Probably was your best year ever in business right? How many of the millions of people sent you connection requests? I mean you're a rock star right by LinkedIn's standards and who doesn't want to be connected to a rock star! So I bet those invitations had to be fast and furious from the tens of millions of adoring fans of your profile that you had spent hours clicking accept or reject.
That's where this congratulations on being such a power user of LinkedIn starts to unwind. If your profile is nearly as hot a property as they say it is, remember top 10% of all 200 Million + users, I'm sure Pepsi, FORD, Google & GoDaddy are lining up to have you help them promote, sell, consume, sit on or in their product or service. After all, a man or woman with that kind of influence is powerful stuff. The endorsement deals and product pitches have got to be crazy for you. Just imagine how popular you'll be with all that momentum and very public recognition from LinkedIn in 2013. How will we all keep up?
Oh darn, I need to go...Virgin Airlines is on line two.
"Hello, this is Steve Harper one of LinkedIn's top one-percenters! What can I do for you, Sir Richard?"
Ripple On!!!