LinkedIn Needs to Fire Their Direct Response Copywriter

Jul

A short post this morning prompted by an email from LinkedIn yesterday evening advising me that I had a new connection request:

My points of contention? Let’s see:

Random population of anyone’s “title” into the email. Total fail. Kinda like a Twitter auto DM.
The assumption that anyone requesting a connection with me would have an answer for any question of mine.
The assumption that their answers would be “high-quality.”
The fact that I’m going to show you your erroneous thinking in one image.

Sometimes fields that are auto-populated are not such a good idea. After all – if Old Spice can make it personal, so can LinkedIn.

Special thanks to @jodiontheweb for her quick hand at Photoshop today.

http://socialmedianotebook.com Kapil Apshankar

Love this, Erika.

Automation (or in this case auto-population) in social media can certainly lead to inappropriate interpretation of messages, and a potential reputation damage.

Besides, the overall message itself can be incorrect – which it is in this case. The choice of words here, in my opinion, are a classic case where some crisp writing could have helped align the message with the overall scheme of things – and what the email was supposed to drive.
http://www.vongehrconsulting.com/ Erroin Martin

The second picture does ask an interesting and thought provoking question.
Jon Warren

Small question, are you sure that the person didn't put “CFA” as part of their name? I've received many such emails from various people lately and don't recall a single one with the person's title listed in that email. In looking up people on their, I have found people who put their title as part of their last name on there. In double-checking, I can understand their doing that. There is no “professional title” field on LinkedIn, so people who think their titles are who they are put it in their name field.

But, yeah, LinkedIn f'd up in their decision to make a professional networking site without a specific field for that type of information.
http://www.redheadwriting.com The Redhead

Yeah, lots of people put their title in their name. Just like me – I'm a Bullshit Artist
http://www.redheadwriting.com The Redhead

'Tis why I'm here.
http://www.redheadwriting.com The Redhead

Welcome, Kapil – thanks for stopping by!
Mal Daly

Automated DM posts show clearly that the sender hasn't learned my first rule of social media.

SM Rule #1: Put the bullhorn down.

Nobody needs another spam-channel.
http://www.redheadwriting.com The Redhead

Funny – I pay for cable and there's no Spam Channel. Oh wait – the Home Shopping Network is still on air, isn't it? Nevermind.
GabrielleNYC

Great Post!!! – Simple and to the point
http://www.redheadwriting.com The Redhead

Thanks for stopping by, Gabrielle!

LinkedIn Needs to Fire Their Direct Response Copywriter

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