I like LinkedIn messaging. It's a great networking tool and every bit as powerful as face to face networking opportunities both in group and one on one meetings. LinkedIn offers the ability to showcase one's expertise, create authority and build great business and personal relationships.
Sadly, I've seen a shift over the past few years to more sales pitches in the form of status updates and messages, connections being made for that sole purpose and more bulk messages. While bulk messages in themselves aren't always a negative, when you're looking to strengthen the relationships you have already established, lumping me in with 20+ other 'Robert's in your contacts is certainly not a positive way to connect with me.
LinkedIn Messaging Etiquette
I received a LinkedIn message from an individual connection recently. It was a Season's Greetings eCard with a clickable link. From a professional perspective, LinkedIn is about connecting and building relationships. I think sending a Christmas message, and any personal message for that matter, is a great idea. Connecting personally develops stronger professional relationships. What bothers me in this case - not only wasn't the post personalized, but it was sent, as I reference above, to more than 35 contacts and clearly from a block of the sender's contacts as the majority of the names where 'Robert' or alphabetically close.
Regardless if the intent of the message, it came across as merely an attempt to keep the sender's name top of mind. Personally, I see this as spam. Since every relationship I have on LinkedIn is considered before simply accepting, I'm hesitant to just remove someone from my list so I sent a simple message:
While I appreciate the card, I find being included on bulk messages like this to be spam.
I would prefer to be left off such messages and those other than of a personal nature.
Thank you.
Robert
I expected a short apology and in the end, no true harm done and as they say, no foul. What I received back, however, surprised me:
This is LinkedIn!! I prefer to only do or discuss business matters that are not of personal nature on the Professional Business Entrepreneur LinkedIn website.
Just simply wishing you a Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays hope the rest of the season warms you up from being so suspicious and you actually enjoy yourself!!
Not only did I not receive an apology, I ended up being accused of being suspicious and not enjoying myself or the holidays. What struck a chord with me more - this individual prefers not to use LinkedIn for business matters (cannot say I really understand that one since LinkedIn is a professional oriented networking site) and the sender wasn't actually wishing ME anything. It was a wish to a collective. At least make it personal to me so I know you care about me as a connection.
I normally would have let it drop at this point but as a social media and marketing consultant I felt it was a good teaching opportunity. I sent this......
It's not about being suspicious. Your initial message was not personalized (something I teach being critical for developing relationships) and that message was only a link to an ecard.
I have used LinkedIn messaging successfully to grow my businesses and consult with others to do the same. I regularly send greetings and other personal messages as well as those for business but I do so with each tailored to the recipient. If I include you as part of a bulk mailing it, to me it (and it should to you) shows I don't value you personally. How does one grow a relationship if nothing is personalized and the recipient is just part of a collective?
Even the vast majority of my connection requests are personalized with how we know each other or why I want to connect if we do not.
Since this is a network to build relationships, I simply asked to be left off bulk messages as I find them to be spam. I would have openly welcomed a personalized greeting sent only to me.
Case in point, I did recently receive a similar message, replied with a thank you, spent some time on their profile and found they could be a valuable resource for a colleague whom I then referred. Why? They took the time to build that relationship with me.
Robert
.....to which I received no further replies.
So how do you send that 'message' to all of your connections? A status update like Maria Orth's may not be seen by everyone, but it is the right way to do it.
The Take Away:
Regardless of the social site you use and regardless of whether the nature of your message is personal or professional - the end goal is to develop and grow relationships. You do that by connecting personally. Bulk messages have value when used correctly. Just make sure you are using them correctly.
I'd love your thoughts on how LinkedIn messaging is being used or how you use it.