Expert Feature: LinkedIn Birthday Reminders Provide Surprising New Marketing Opportunities
“You know you’re getting old when the candles cost more than the cake.”
– Bob Hope“Age is a case of mind over matter. If you don’t mind, it don’t matter.”
– Satchel Paige
No matter how you view getting older, every one of us wants to be remembered and acknowledged.
And simply remembering someone’s birthday has a powerful effect.
I don’t know why, but I am horrible at remembering people’s birthdays.
My mind just doesn’t seem to work that way.
Thankfully Facebook has solved that problem for me with my friends.
I am now notified when it is a friend’s birthday and I can wish them a “Happy birthday!”
But what about birthday wishes to acquaintances?
Are they socially awkward or a wise thing to do?
You’ll discover the surprising answer in today’s post.
Melanie Yunk shares an experience she had with LinkedIn birthday wishes from acquaintances and the lesson she learned…
A Birthday Wish from A Stranger?
Have you received a LinkedIn notification that includes a birthday reminder?
I was surprised by this new feature and at first thought it was not appropriate for this business audience. Wishing business contacts, especially those I barely know seemed somewhat ridiculous.
Then, on my recent birthday, many of my contacts showered me with lovely birthday messages.
I must confess, these greetings were a welcome surprise.
The Surprising Lesson
Some of these contacts were people I didn’t remember as contacts, so I stopped and took a good look at their profiles and connected with a few of them.
My profile also received a number of new views, more than I typically receive in a week, another valuable benefit to this new feature.
Though we sometimes overlook special events that aren’t universal to large groups of people, especially in today’s virtual world, special occasions like birthdays give us another opportunity to connect and build name and brand recognition.
In addition to acknowledging a contact’s special day, you’re putting your image, business name and message in front of him or her. Natural curiosity makes people want to know more about you when they receive your personalized greeting.
The new birthday reminder provides a unique approach to finding new prospects on LinkedIn that may otherwise seem out of reach.
Next time you receive a birthday notification, take the opportunity to reach out and create a connection with your contacts.
Try it for yourself and see what happens!
