If you are a networker, like me, you check your LinkedIn account analytics regularly. You like to be “in the know” about who is looking at your profile, and perhaps locate new professionals you’d like to connect with for one reason or another. Today in my travels on LinkedIn, I was doing my usual checking…
I went in to see who had viewed my profile in the last week, and how I was showing up in search results and how often. If you aren’t familiar with that, it’s available to free LinkedIn users with minimum statistics – but you click on the link at the right (shown here with the big red arrow). Premium linked users can also get more analytics about search results, keywords, etc.
So anyway – there I was checking out who had viewed my profile, and I discovered what I thought was a spammer on LinkedIn. I know it happens, but it often catches me off guard, the fake accounts on LinkedIn. Much easier to get away with on Facebook, not so much on LinkedIn.
Snow E. Mann on LinkedIn
There I find that Snow E. Mann has viewed my profile, and I stop dead in my tracks. Wait a minute. LinkedIn is allowing fake names now? I actually got banned from Google+ for a long time for using my real name, which they thought was a fake name, but is really my name… and here LinkedIn is allowing this crazy name? Seriously? It was about to change my perception of LinkedIn.
This Snow E. Mann is an “Independent Consultant” no less… of course, spam, sales… it all makes sense. I’m getting ready to report this imposter the LinkedIn police. I am so done! I’m off to get more info, do some research, find out what I can, so I click on Snow E. Mann to view the fake profile… and what do I get?
A complete shock… that’s what I get. And to all of you at LinkedIn, I say Well Done! Well Done! (And Happy Holidays to you too!)
This was the very last thing I expected. When I think of this particular social networking, I don’t think fun or festive… I don’t really think in terms of adding personal touch either, but this was good. Very good.
{ 6 comments… read them below or add one }
Wendy,
I saw this this AM also. My initial reaction was similar to yours. Who the ? What the ? I like the subtly used here by LI. Since Snow E. Mann viewed both of our profiles, I assume we made the ‘Nice’ list.
Happy Holidays!
I wonder how many will actually click on it. I thought it was just fantastic (once I figured it out).
Merry Christmas Ed! (And yes… still no tobacco – today is day 35!)
Wendy? Nice list?
Checked it out. Thought perhaps someone in my network had renamed themselves. I enjoyed the laugh and like you thought, “Well done!” Ho, ho, ho!
Agreed – very clever on their part, and they kept it simple — saw the same thing a few days ago on my acct too; loved it!
Sue… very funny… And to think I gave you a gift or two!
Greg & Matthew – I’m still surprised to realize that LinkedIn did something fun!
Merry Christmas!