As Santa gets ready, albeit masked-up and sanitised for his annual festive expedition delivering gifts to children around the world, how do we find him in this modern, connected world?
We used to write notes and send them up the chimney, post letters via a convenient custom postbox at the local shops, and then along came technology and the ability to send a message via an online form. But did you know you can easily find Santa on LinkedIn? The trick is working out which one is actually him.
Just search for ‘Santa’ on LinkedIn and you will find 13,000 results, which is a little suspicious given there is really only one of him. It seems he has doppelgangers, tribute personas or people moonlighting as Santa …. But surely one is really him.
Here are some contenders;
Santa in New York, who delivers via UPS, but we all know Santa has reindeer and a sleigh.
This Santa also in New York, has added a background image but I suspect this isn’t the right one as he mentions television and the skill of acting.
Another Santa with acting skills but based in Glasgow, and we know Santa can’t be hired unless he is an Uber driver in plain clothes in the off-season.
Santa based in Greenland who is looking for opportunities but doesn’t have a photo, or much information.
Sweaty Santa Claus from Alaska who enjoys fitness, which is another clue as to what he does when not delivering gifts.
This Santa in the UK is the MD of Christmas. He uses LinkedIn to recruit helpers, share how he is adopting technology and collecting for charity. He shares his story and how he works in the About section, uses the Feature section and shows his education, relevant skills and even has endorsements and recommendations. This is a Santa with potential if only he had a branded background image. I decided to help him by reviewing his profile;
Fake LinkedIn Profiles
So many Santa profiles to choose from, but who is the real deal?
Did you know that according to the LinkedIn User Agreement it is wrong to create a profile in a name that isn’t yours. The Dos and Don’ts section states that you agree to ‘Use your real name on your profile‘ and you will not ‘create a false identity, misrepresent your identity’. Which means that some of these profiles may be putting Santa’s identify at risk! How do we pick out the real Santa?
LinkedIn Location Search
One way to track down the real Santa is to consider where he is actually based.
I took to Google which shares a range of places…
“While some believe Santa’s residence to be the North Pole, others say his residence is in Korvatunturi in Lapland.” Metro
“Everyone knows Santa comes from Finland. What some people don’t know, however, is that it is possible to meet him in person all year round. Santa’s official office, situated on the mysterious Arctic Circle, is open to each and everyone.” Visit Finland
“The real Santa Claus—the historical figure upon which the legend is based—never lived anywhere near the North Pole. Saint Nicholas of Myra was a fourth-century bishop who lived and died far from the Arctic Circle, in what is now Turkey.” Smithsonian
Armed with this information, let’s narrow the LinkedIn search down to Finland and Lapland, which gives us 362 possibilities.
This Santa is at the top of the list, and while he doesn’t have great spelling, he sounds legit;
“Coordinator of the production process. Marketing innovator. He replied personalny to more than 300 milion letters. Designer and engineered the words fastest toy delivery service.The first man to visit all 196 countries in the world. “
Could this be the real Santa Claus? He doesn’t appear to have any followers but also hasn’t shared any content. Unfortunately, Santa doesn’t have a background image showing off his brand or team, and not being active means he isn’t taking advantage of building a network or reaching their connections. But then does Santa need to be connected?
The search continues.
What can we learn about LinkedIn from Santa?
It is important to be found easily and establish credibility. We can increase our visibility and build relationships through sharing useful content and engaging in conversation, and we can all give gifts without the need to purchase or wrap anything, through recommendations and endorsements. And there is the gift of your presence. What will you gift to your LinkedIn network this festive season?
If you need help with your LinkedIn presence, book a Profile Review to get insights and actions in an in-depth recommendations report.