Do you just have to work for a multinational to become a LinkedIn Power Profile?
In this guest post, Chris Reed suggests that LinkedIn’s Power Profiles, recently launched for marketing and advertising in Hong Kong and Singapore, are designed to promote their association with executives who work for multinationals, and ignore SMEs and entrepreneurs who are more engaged with the platform.
Why aren’t more LinkedIn Power Profiles from small companies?
When I look at the recent list of LinkedIn Marketing Professional Power Profiles for both Singapore and Hong Kong all I see are people who naturally get views just because they work for a large multinational, even if they have terrible and incomplete profiles.
Surely LinkedIn should be rewarding people who punch above their weight and generate views through content engagement, blogging, social selling and clever employer branding not just because they are the CMO of a massive chain of hotels or bank or FMCG or technology platform?
And no I don’t have sour grapes because I wasn’t listed. I have been a LinkedIn Power Profile for five years running in Singapore, and despite the fact that they listed me last time round I actually had the most viewed profile of all other Power Profiles before the list was published.
Of all the Power Profiles in Singapore, 10 were for marketers at multinationals and only two for smaller marketing agencies, myself and Simon Kemp.
In Hong Kong, the number was even more skewed towards multi nationals with none being from smaller companies and 11 being from multi nationals.
I wouldn’t mind if the CMOs that made the list actually engaged on LinkedIn. But take a look at their profiles and you’ll see most of them are incomplete, most clearly do not know how to use LinkedIn (for example many have no background profile, no summary, no keywords, no blogging or are even connecting).
Most are not even sharing/liking/commenting any content at all about either their own company, their industry or anything else.
I’m not sure how many of these qualify for being a LinkedIn Power Profile when they’re clearly not even using LinkedIn.
Here are a few examples of what I mean.
The CMO of Mandarin Oriental [Michael Hobson]: No summary, no experience, no background picture, no sharing. It’s virtual ghost town of a profile.
Scott McBride [chief digital officer of IPG Mediabrands]: The same… no summary, no experience filled in, minimal groups, minimal sharing apart from the Mumbrella story about being a Power Profile (irony).
CMO of Schneider [Chris Leong]: No background picture (just the default LinkedIn blue, which basically means you don’t know how to use LinkedIn), a summary but no description under experience or links to her work/brand/website.
Guilet Libby at Dentsu Aegis Network [concept creative copywriter]: Ironically for a copywriter, has no summary section and doesn’t talk about what he does at Dentsu. He has one word on his projects section which links to his website, which doesn’t work.
Scott [Spirit, chief digital officer] at WPP: Has no background picture, minimal summary, experience and groups, and only shared one thing in two weeks. Nothing happening at WPP?
Nicole Seah [channel strategic, VML]: Only has 152 connections! Need I say more. (she does at least blog to them…)
I believe that to be fair to everyone, LinkedIn should rank Power Profiles based on views and engagement rather than just being a CMO of a multinational multimillion dollar operation as they appear to now, where the sexiest brands are featured first.
In the interests of transparency, why aren’t the views of their pages given?
Surely that’s easily done, and in any case everyone can see in the “professionals like you” section how you rank on LinkedIn, hence why I know I beat everyone on the Power Profile list.
Could they be hiding the real figures so they can promote the profiles of people who work at MNCs?
Surely it should be a more democratic and open ranking system.
Chris Reed is the founder and CEO of Black Marketing
I work in a marketing related role. I have lived in HK for a decade. And yet I knew only two people on the HK marketing and advertising power profile list. Some influence.
Saying that, it’s hard to care. It’s LinkedIn FFS. Facebook for Dereks.
ReplyChris, Congrats for being one of LinkedIn Power Profiles 2016 in Singapore! Thanks for sharing your thoughts here. This year, the campaign was launched in 4 markets (Australia, Hong Kong, India, Singapore) with diverse representation – industries, business size, gender, experience, etc.
In addition to Singapore and Hong Kong lists that you have shared, here are the LinkedIn Power Profiles Lists for India and Australia:
https://members.linkedin.com/power-profiles-2016/in/home
https://members.linkedin.com/power-profiles-2016/au/home
In its third year, LinkedIn Power Profiles is the list of most viewed profiles on LinkedIn across top categories. We used member data over 2015 – 2016 to arrive at the Power Profiles 2016 list. We also applied filters to capture engagement levels and other actions on the platform. Due to member privacy, we do not share the number of profile views and other member-specific data. Thank you for your understanding here in advance.
Reply@ Chris – Indeed, the Power Profile seems purely based on vanity metrics i.e. the number of times someone clicked on the page, rather than someone of relative influence who really uses LinkedIn i.e. a Power User…These lists are probably a selling point for LinkedIn to promote their Advertising rates
ReplyExcuse me folks, can someone explain what this guy is ranting about? If those profiles are the most viewed, what’s the big deal? Not sure this is the best way for this guy to drive new business into his “agency”.
ReplyThanks “Linda Lee” however you missed the whole point of the post, there needs to be greater weight given to SME marketers who are actually engaging on LinkedIn rather than MNC marketers who get views just because they work for a large company.
You say you look at engagement metrics as well as views but that’s clearly not true as hardly any of the Power Profiles in Singapore or Hong Kong actually do any engaging at all! Most don’t blog or share posts or comment/like let alone use your Sales Navigator or anything else….. so what metrics are you using?
Also you say views and stats are private but that’s also clearly not true as I can see where each of these profiles rank in my network and amongst professionals like me in my LinkedIn rankings as can other people who regularly tell me…..they can see when profiles have been picked just because you want to impress large corporations rather than work with entrepreneurs like myself…think you need more transparency not PR answers….
ReplyChris, Congrats in having the courage to view your concern and insights, especially given that you are a Power Profile and flying the flags for SME and SMB in the region.
@Alina Morais well said.
@Frank, I’m not sure he is ranting, per say, just using empirical data to express a viewpoint as a Power Profile nominee. In his opinion, the point is, SMB and SME are under represented, further does the number of profile views alone represent power and marketing influence.
ReplyIs this some kind of game for kids? Who has the most viewed profile?
Frankly, who cares?
What a ridiculous pastime.
ReplyIf someone made a spoof of an industry article about advertising, they would find a photo like this and make up the given headline. At least now they don’t have to.
LinkedIn content reads like a global banks internal communication.
Reply@LOL
ReplyPlease stop.
True as it is, you’re just baiting you-know-who for a long and rambling defence of LinkedIn .
I can give you a short and sharp defence of LinkedIn, would that be better? 😉
ReplyAnd Seriously-Lah, it’s called personal branding, I can give you a few tips, I have a feeling that you need some….
ReplyCheers Philip, great points, and you’re not a anonymous……
ReplyLOL no it’s called measurement, you might have heard about it….
I would guess you have no views….
ReplyChris is upset over a popularity contest? What is this? Friendster?
ReplyFriendtster? Really? You’re using a closed down social media site from years ago as a reference point? What about MySpace?
ReplyLinkedIn is just a database for lazy recruiters who have no real contacts.
Keep your profile there as a formality but don’t expect anything great …. all they do is mine your data and serve you stupid ads…..in your inbox as well.
Reply@laggards
ReplyThat has been my exact experience.
I don’t even bother replying.
And don’t get me started on Sales Navigator.
Pulled the plug on that money pit for my company.
Laggards that’s the way it used to be but not anymore, now it’s very much used for sales and marketing lead gen and publishing blogs, both of which are great for your personal brand and employer branding.
ReplyAgree Alina, thanks for sharing
ReplyUnderstand @laggards but that could be that you’re just not using it right…we specialise in using Sales Navigator for both myself and my clients and we always generate leads. It does work if used properly
ReplyShould one accept ‘add me’ requests on linked in from people one has never worked with before?
Get the feeling they are just a bunch of a-holes who have no interest in forging any substantial ties in real life…..they just want to see your friend list to see if they can benefit from some of your contacts…..true?
Reply@LinkedIn good question, not the Syrian generals or African Bank Managers or Colonel Gadaffi’s Daughter…but everyone else yes why not? It’s all about networking. You have more to benefit from peoples large contact lists than they do in many circumstances.
It’s like networking but virtual, you never know where it may lead and who they know. Vice versa you may be able to help them. Quid pro quo. Embrace it and you’ll be amazed what can happen.
ReplyHave your say