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
Mar 16, 2024 • 1h 6min
427. Newsletters Revisited
Exploring the potential for all LinkedIn users to create newsletters, mysterious 'Who viewed your profile' filter, AI enhancements driving Premium subscriptions, sneaky way to get free Premium, assessment of native AI post generation, and a remarkable LinkedIn post of the week.
Mar 9, 2024 • 1h 11min
426. Followers & Connections
Explore the shift from followers to connections on LinkedIn, with insights on new tools for staff retention. Discuss the impact of personal engagement on the algorithm and the importance of networking efficiently. Delve into managing notifications and feeds on LinkedIn, and reflect on intentional connections and International Women's Day.
Mar 2, 2024 • 58min
Fixing The Feed
Has your feed changed recently? Are you seeing posts from people who are unfamiliar to you? This may be due to LinkedIn™️ deciding that they know what 'quality' content looks like. Not you...you are clearly not in a position to decide this for yourself! This week I discuss what we can do to fix this. That plus; AI comments are getting very annoying! The real reason customised invitations are being limited and a cool workaround. A very sneaky change to your data privacy settings Saved posts feature urgently needs updating My take on Public groups Profile verification favours men! Post of the week Mentioned in this episode:This show was created by the original host of the show, Mark Williams.
Feb 24, 2024 • 1h 3min
The Collaboration Con!
Are you sure you want to be providing LinkedIn™️ with your hard earned knowledge for a badge? Do the benefits of collaborative articles add up? That plus; An update on the revamped Services section A voice message tip Sales Navigator improvements New profile photo feature Another new 'Pay to spam' feature update B2B Deep sales playbook. Useful or a Sales Navigator ad? Are LinkedIn Corp' Sales professionals using LinkedIn™️? Mentioned in this episode:This show was created by the original host of the show, Mark Williams.
16 snips
Feb 17, 2024 • 1h 2min
LinkedIn™️ Algorithm Report 2024
Discussing highlights from Richard van der Blom's LinkedIn algorithm report, changes to profile settings and creator mode, the impact of LinkedIn advertising, optimizing post-saving strategy, analyzing post timing for engagement, and excitement for the Uplift Live event in Birmingham.
Feb 10, 2024 • 1h 9min
INteresting People - Nanna Sondrup
This week I find out about the 'person behind the profile' with the LinkedIn content Queen herself Nanna Sondrup Nanna was very open and honest in this chat where she describes a troubled childhood experiencing terrible bullying and parents distracted by her brother who had severe ADHD challenges. She herself was later diagnosed with Dyslexia and ADHD yet has managed to become a very well known LinkedIn™️ expert in Denmark. Join me in hearing why Nanna is such an INteresting person!Mentioned in this episode:This show was created by the original host of the show, Mark Williams.
Jan 27, 2024 • 1h 20min
Launching a B2C business on LinkedIn™️
Guest Anna Williams, a coffee shop owner, shares her experience of relaunching her business on LinkedIn™️. They discuss topics such as being a LinkedIn 'Top voice', profile verification, community top voice badges, sponsored articles, relevance of hashtags, launching a B2C business on LinkedIn™️, and overcoming the fear of posting.
Jan 20, 2024 • 1h 5min
This podcast is under threat!
Big news this week...The LinkedIn Corporation are attacking me and I need some creative ideas from you to be able to move forward. More of that later, also included in this episode I talk about; Uplift Live conference - I can offer you a discount. Profile custom buttons are really good but are they too effective? Verification issues and privacy concerns New Events features New features for collaborative articles More skills (that most of us don't need) New 'Daily' feature in LinkedIn™️ learning Public profiles get a revamp and there are winners and losers! Post of the week Mentioned in this episode:This show was created by the original host of the show, Mark Williams.
Jan 13, 2024 • 1h 13min
Interesting People - Ashley Leeds
Welcome to the first edition of interesting People, a new type of show for the LinkedInformed podcast. We often come across people on LinkedIn™️ who look interesting and produce content we find valuable...so we follow or connect and over time we feel as though we get to know them better. But do we REALLY know them? interesting People interviews are designed reveal more about the background, personal lives and characteristics of some of our favourite people on LinkedIn™️. For this first episode, I sat down and had a good old heart to heart chat with Ashley Leeds. Ashley always comes across as energetic and very positive...but is he always like this? We discuss the traumatic events that influenced his childhood, why he quit his promising career as a Chef, how he met his wife Debbie, his kids, his many career and job moves and how he ended up being the 15-minute LinkedIn™️ guy! I absolutely loved finding out more about Ashley and I'm sure you will tooMentioned in this episode:This show was created by the original host of the show, Mark Williams.
Jan 6, 2024 • 1h 6min
2024 LinkedIn™️ Predictions
Every year I dust off my LinkedIn™️ crystal ball and look at what changes I think we will see on the platform over the coming year...every year I get it spectacularly wrong! I like to think I'm ahead of LinkedIn Corp' with my thinking because often my predictions eventually come to fruition a few years later! Either way, it's always fun to do and gets us thinking about what we want from LinkedIn™️ (in truth I produced a wishlist rather than a list of predictions, this year is a bit of a mix) So here are my predictions and wishes for this year...Mentioned in this episode:This show was created by the original host of the show, Mark Williams.
