I am a writer. A journalist. A wordsmith. A public relations and communications practitioner for more than 30 years. I build personal and brand reputations—I've been described as a master storyteller (I've written novels too)—but a small LinkedIn feature called a 'non-instructional nudge' or, as I call it, a 'hollow prompt,' has left me lost for words (and no, it has nothing to do with AI).
A hollow prompt is an instruction or suggestion that lacks substance or direction. It makes me wonder how to respond.
Let me explain. LinkedIn is a networking platform—a professional space to share ideas, celebrate wins, inspire, educate, inform, build a profile, establish expertise, and advance your career. LinkedIn also serves as a sales tool, but culturally, people seem to resist 'total strangers reaching out to sell me something' (correct me if I'm wrong).
Few seem to like selling or being sold to. But as entrepreneurs, we all have to do it. So, you identify potential clients and send them a connection request. They accept the invite (believe it or not, prompts without personal notes have a higher conversion rate).
Then, the hollow prompt appears:
"Jane Smith has accepted your invitation. Let's start a conversation."
A conversation about what exactly?
I could go back and say:"Hey Jane, thanks for accepting my connection request. I build reputations and humanise brands with thought leadership and authentic storytelling. Is this something you'd be interested in?"
I imagine Jane would find that a bit annoying—or am I wrong? I would predict a stunning silence follows.
Maybe I could ask, "How's the weather your way?"
Or perhaps, "I want to know you better (which sounds nefarious), let's catch up."
I don't know. It feels a bit odd.
