Informed: the podcast for LinkedIn® users
John Espirian
"Informed" is for you if you'd like to understand more about how LinkedIn works so that you can be an effective user of the platform.
It's hard to know whom to believe with so many self-appointed gurus out there telling you the latest hacks for going viral and earning 7-figure deals. And even LinkedIn's own publications often don't speak to the reality of using the platform.
But for those who see past superficial promises and sanitised reports, this podcast provides evidence and thoughtful opinion. With a track record of more than 10 years of sensible, no-nonsense advice about honest best practice for LinkedIn, Informed is a trusted source of insight by many thousands of regular listeners.
The show was created by Mark Williams, who's affectionately known as "Mr LinkedIn". Mark retired in late 2025 and handed over the reins of the show to John Espirian, the relentlessly helpful® LinkedIn nerd. John is a LinkedIn trainer and consultant, the founder of the Espresso+ community, the creator of the UpLift Live conference (the UK's original event dedicated to LinkedIn best practice), and the author of the personal branding handbook Content DNA.
John's reputation is for getting to the point and for not being a salesy douche canoe, so you can expect short, sharp episodes with zero ads or sponsored slots. This also is NOT an interview show, so if you've read this far then please don't pitch yourself for a guest appearance. However, you're welcome to get in touch if you have a LinkedIn question you'd like John to cover on the show. (To do that, search for the "Informed podcast" company page on LinkedIn and send a message.)
This podcast is not affiliated with, endorsed by or approved by the LinkedIn® corporation. John Espirian is an independent trainer and does not work for LinkedIn® – while it would be great to have LinkedIn's endorsement, the show's independence from the corporation means you, the listener, are never fed an airbrushed political spiel.
It's hard to know whom to believe with so many self-appointed gurus out there telling you the latest hacks for going viral and earning 7-figure deals. And even LinkedIn's own publications often don't speak to the reality of using the platform.
But for those who see past superficial promises and sanitised reports, this podcast provides evidence and thoughtful opinion. With a track record of more than 10 years of sensible, no-nonsense advice about honest best practice for LinkedIn, Informed is a trusted source of insight by many thousands of regular listeners.
The show was created by Mark Williams, who's affectionately known as "Mr LinkedIn". Mark retired in late 2025 and handed over the reins of the show to John Espirian, the relentlessly helpful® LinkedIn nerd. John is a LinkedIn trainer and consultant, the founder of the Espresso+ community, the creator of the UpLift Live conference (the UK's original event dedicated to LinkedIn best practice), and the author of the personal branding handbook Content DNA.
John's reputation is for getting to the point and for not being a salesy douche canoe, so you can expect short, sharp episodes with zero ads or sponsored slots. This also is NOT an interview show, so if you've read this far then please don't pitch yourself for a guest appearance. However, you're welcome to get in touch if you have a LinkedIn question you'd like John to cover on the show. (To do that, search for the "Informed podcast" company page on LinkedIn and send a message.)
This podcast is not affiliated with, endorsed by or approved by the LinkedIn® corporation. John Espirian is an independent trainer and does not work for LinkedIn® – while it would be great to have LinkedIn's endorsement, the show's independence from the corporation means you, the listener, are never fed an airbrushed political spiel.
Episodes
Mentioned books
Sep 10, 2022 • 49min
Comment-worthy posts
If you want to increase the impressions of your posts, don’t focus on impressions! Instead, you are better served by focussing on making your content comment-worthy. This week I’m going to take a look at a failed post that had great potential and examine how it could be changed to attract more engagement.Mentioned in this episode:This show was created by the original host of the show, Mark Williams.
Aug 20, 2022 • 34min
To link or not to link...
That is the question! With LinkedIn announcing a new feature allowing links to be added to photos or videos, I thought it was worth discussing the topic of links in posts again. A short episode this week.Mentioned in this episode:This show was created by the original host of the show, Mark Williams.
Jul 30, 2022 • 58min
Ego Posting
Some people post about a good deed they have done, show a picture of their flashy new car, or casually mention that they are on an exotic holiday. Most of us would never post anything like that but it can’t be denied that such posts typically attract high engagement so I thought it would be a good idea to explore this technique and evaluate whether it’s a good idea or not!Mentioned in this episode:This show was created by the original host of the show, Mark Williams.
Jul 23, 2022 • 1h 5min
LinkedIn Changes Roundup
July 23rd 2022. Having been away for a few weeks, partly holiday, partly family health issues…I needed to catch up with what’s been happening so who better to call than our good friend John Espirian.Mentioned in this episode:This show was created by the original host of the show, Mark Williams.
Jul 2, 2022 • 1h 2min
LinkedIn Outreach
What are you doing with your connections? Are you just engaging with their content and occasionally sending them a message or are you making the effort to talk with them face to face? This week I talk with Kathryn Strachan, the MD and Founder of Copy House, a technology content marketing agency about how she has used a LinkedIn outreach strategy successfully on LinkedIn.Mentioned in this episode:This show was created by the original host of the show, Mark Williams.
Jun 18, 2022 • 1h 1min
LinkedIn Premium
Do you need it? Is it worth the money? Which one is most suitable? It’s been over 3 years since I covered premium upgrades so I thought it was time for a bit of a refresh.Mentioned in this episode:This show was created by the original host of the show, Mark Williams.
Jun 11, 2022 • 59min
What should LinkedIn be?
Should LinkedIn primarily be a source of information or a networking platform? Inspired by an interesting post I saw about the problems associated with posts that contain links. Plus plenty of new and rumored features and of course a brilliant post of the week.Mentioned in this episode:This show was created by the original host of the show, Mark Williams.
May 28, 2022 • 1h 11min
Self Portrait Posts
Why do people post images of themselves on their LinkedIn posts? Does it help with engagement or is it just egotistical nonsense? This week I discuss this with Lynnaire Johnston and you might be surprised at the conclusions!Mentioned in this episode:This show was created by the original host of the show, Mark Williams.
May 14, 2022 • 1h 6min
Connections
LinkedIn connections: Do you need them? How many is enough? Are they overrated? Is it better to have followers? Plus changes to the feed algorithm, a 16-year-old gets banned and a brilliant post of the week from an Uber driver!Mentioned in this episode:This show was created by the original host of the show, Mark Williams.
Apr 30, 2022 • 57min
Posting with AI
You sit down to write that LinkedIn post. You have a good topic but you know it’s important to stop the scroll with a strong headline and motivate those who read it to comment…and you're stuck! Maybe a robot can help? Have you considered the benefits of using AI to stimulate better copy ideas and structure?Mentioned in this episode:This show was created by the original host of the show, Mark Williams.
