Wishing someone a happy birthday on LinkedIn can be a nice way to strengthen your professional relationships and show you care about your connections. Here are some tips on how to properly wish someone a happy birthday on LinkedIn.
Should You Wish Someone Happy Birthday on LinkedIn?
Wishing someone a happy birthday on LinkedIn is appropriate in certain circumstances. It’s a good idea to wish happy birthday to close contacts like:
- Coworkers
- Direct colleagues and teammates
- Your manager or direct reports
- Mentors
- Close professional contacts you’ve worked with extensively
For more distant connections, wishing happy birthday may come across as strange or inappropriate. Use your best judgment based on your relationship.
How to Wish Someone Happy Birthday on LinkedIn
Here are some tips for wishing someone a happy birthday professionally and politely on LinkedIn:
Post on Their Profile Feed
The most direct way is to post a short birthday message on their profile feed. Keep it professional and polite, like “Wishing you a very happy birthday!” or “Hope you have a wonderful birthday!”. Add a birthday cake or celebration emoji to make it extra festive.
Send a Direct Message
You can also wish them a happy birthday by sending a direct message. This feels more personal than a feed post. Say something like “I wanted to wish you a very happy birthday today! I hope it’s an amazing one.”
Comment on Their Post
If they’ve posted about their birthday, you can leave a comment wishing them a happy birthday. Just keep it brief and casual like “Happy birthday!” or “Hope you have the best bday!”
Connect via Email
You can also send birthday wishes via email if you have their contact info. This is better for closer contacts you work with regularly. Say something like “Wanted to send you quick birthday wishes for a fantastic day!”
What to Include in a LinkedIn Birthday Post
When writing a LinkedIn birthday message, here are some things you may want to include:
- Wish them a happy birthday specifically
- An exclamation point to show enthusiasm
- A birthday cake, party hat, or confetti emoji
- Well wishes like “hope it’s a great one!”
- Mention of a recent milestone or achievement of theirs
You generally want to keep the message short, casual, and focused on birthday wishes. Avoid inside jokes, unprofessional comments, or overly effusive praise.
How Formal Should a LinkedIn Birthday Post Be?
LinkedIn birthday posts should maintain a professional, polite tone. Here are some tips on the appropriate level of formality:
- Use their first name if you know them well, or “Hi [Name]” if less familiar
- Avoid very formal language like “I sincerely wish you…”
- Don’t use informal nicknames or reminders of inside jokes
- Skip excessive exclamation points or emojis
- Keep the message focused on birthday wishes rather than praise
In general, match the tone you’d use in a professional email or conversation at work. Stay warm but polite and reserved.
Should You Tag Other Connections?
In general, avoid tagging other people when wishing someone happy birthday on LinkedIn, unless you know they are close contacts who would appreciate the tag. Randomly tagging connections can come across as strange.
How to Reply to Someone Wishing You Happy Birthday
When someone wishes you happy birthday on LinkedIn, here are some good ways to respond:
- Thank them warmly like “Thanks so much for the birthday wishes!”
- Express appreciation for them thinking of you
- Mention looking forward to connecting more in the new year
- Share any fun birthday plans if appropriate
Avoid simply “liking” the message, if possible. Send at least a quick thank you message to show you noticed and appreciate the gesture.
Should You Wish Happy Birthday to Someone You Don’t Know Well?
As a general rule, avoid wishing happy birthday to LinkedIn connections you don’t know well or haven’t interacted with much. It can come across as strange or intrusive. Exceptions could include:
- Someone prominent in your industry or company where it may be expected
- A close second-degree connection who you interact with occasionally
- Someone you’re looking to build a relationship with
Use good judgment based on your relationship. When in doubt, skip the birthday wishes.
How to Find Out It’s Someone’s Birthday
Here are some ways to find out it’s a connection’s birthday on LinkedIn:
- Check notifications for “It’s [Name]’s Birthday”
- Look at the birthdates listed on their profiles
- See birthday notifications pop up when you visit their profile
- Notice if they post about their birthday
- Check the calendar integration with your email contacts
Don’t go digging extensively to find birthdays. Stick to connections where it comes up naturally based on your existing interactions.
Should You Post on Your Own Birthday?
Posting about your own birthday on LinkedIn is fine in moderation. You can post a simple message like “Grateful for another year!” or “Cheers to [age] years!”. Just avoid excessive self-promotion or TMI about birthday celebrations.
Some connections may wish you well directly or in the comments. Be sure to thank anyone who reaches out.
Wishing Happy Birthday to Leadership & Executives
When wishing happy birthday to leadership like your CEO or executives at your company, keep it very professional. Avoid inside jokes, excessive exclamation points, or over-familiarity. Stick to a simple, polite message like:
“Wishing you a very happy birthday!”
“Hope you have a wonderful birthday [Name]!”
Only do this if you have an existing professional relationship. Avoid wishing happy birthday randomly to executives you don’t interact with.
Using LinkedIn to Discover Professional Interests
Pay attention to what connections post about their birthday or how they react to your birthday wishes. This can provide insight into their personal interests and personality outside of work. You may discover shared hobbies or perspectives that help strengthen your professional relationship.
Should You Send a LinkedIn Birthday Gift?
Sending a small LinkedIn gift certificate to close professional contacts can be a nice birthday gesture if appropriate. This may include:
- Your manager or a mentor
- Direct colleagues you work very closely with
- A top client or vendor contact
In general, avoid sending LinkedIn gift certificates randomly or to distant connections. Make sure you know they would appreciate it based on your relationship.
Following Up After Wishing Happy Birthday
Follow up with the person after their birthday to further strengthen the relationship. You could send a message like:
“Hope you had a great birthday celebration! Let me know if you’d like to grab coffee/virtual chat soon to catch up.”
This shows you care about continuing the relationship, not just surface-level birthday wishes.
Avoiding Potential Issues
To avoid potential issues when wishing happy birthday on LinkedIn:
- Make sure you have the right date before posting!
- Avoid embarrassing stories about the person or inside jokes
- Don’t wish happy birthday to strangers or very distant connections
- Skip inappropriate images, animations, or emojis
When in doubt, keep the message professional and focused on simple birthday wishes.
Wrapping Up
Wishing someone happy birthday on LinkedIn can strengthen relationships when done properly. For closer business contacts, a post, direct message, or email with warm birthday wishes is appropriate. Just keep the tone professional and avoid over-familiarity. With a little care, you can show colleagues you value them while observing workplace courtesies.