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
Dec 10, 2022 • 57min
Who Are Your LinkedIn Posts For?
Are you posting the content you want your audience to see or what they really want to see? This week, I tackle this issue plus; An update on LinkedIn competitors Why multi-image posts are awful! What to do when you see a typo in someone's content New creator analytics New products search 41 Big Ideas that will change our world in 2023 Are ads killing your feed? New SEO for Articles / Newsletters Why has date connected been 'de-ramped'? Do LinkedIn Pods Work? Post of the week Mentioned in this episode:This show was created by the original host of the show, Mark Williams.
Nov 26, 2022 • 1h 8min
The F Word on LinkedIn!
Fake, fake, fake! Fake profiles are everywhere! And they are in danger of killing this valuable resource What can LinkedIn do to stop them and what can we do to help? This week, I talk about this important subject and Candyce Edelen shares a story about that reveals how far some organisations go to 'game the system'.Mentioned in this episode:This show was created by the original host of the show, Mark Williams.
Nov 19, 2022 • 54min
How to improve your homepage feed
Are you bored by your feed❓ Do you see too many viral posts or content from the same authors? Perhaps you could try one of your other 2 feeds? Also; Profile verification won't happen for small company employees New industry classifications might impact your profile Auto-captions are finally here! Native post-scheduling insights The author of this post of the week got banned for replying too much! Mentioned in this episode:This show was created by the original host of the show, Mark Williams.
Nov 12, 2022 • 1h 12min
How often should you post?
Does it pay to post 2-3 times a day or 2-3 a week or month? Should we be putting out LinkedIn content daily or less often? This week I'm covering the tricky subject of posting frequency. Also; Are LinkedIn being disingenuous about the recent HiQ ruling? I chat with John Espirian about this years algorithm research An amusing and very topical Twitter related post of the week Mentioned in this episode:This show was created by the original host of the show, Mark Williams.
Nov 5, 2022 • 1h 1min
How to get featured by LinkedIn
Does it help the visibility of your content to be featured in the LinkedIn 'Today’s News & Views' or 'Daily Rundown'? And if so, how can you improve your chances of being featured? That plus; An update on 'About this profile' LinkedIn native post scheduling insights LinkedIn Recruiter now helps you find your own employees! A new LinkedIn post preview and format tool. Are LinkedIn avoiding accessibility? A company page that invites you to recruit it's employees! Post of the week Mentioned in this episode:This show was created by the original host of the show, Mark Williams.
Oct 29, 2022 • 1h 7min
Revisiting Skills
For years I've been telling anyone that will listen that Skills are one of the worst features LinkedIn has ever produced...but is that still true? I decided to take a fresh look at Skills to see whether they have improved. Also covered; Headlines still count for search results - confirmed! The new 'About this profile' feature...is it any good? New LinkedIn AI goes head-to-head with AI-based image generators Will LinkedIn's new 'suspicious message' feature be a help or a hindrance? Microsoft's quarterly financial results show continued growth for LinkedIn Should we stop Liking before we comment? How can you accurately measure the impact of Dwell time (posts) Finding your old posts New types of links for image, video, and template posts Mentioned in this episode:This show was created by the original host of the show, Mark Williams.
Oct 22, 2022 • 1h 1min
Oh I've been tagged...
Welcome to another edition of LinkedInformed. This week I'm covering; LinkedIn accept defeat on Re-sharing LinkedIn Top Startup lists Sales Navigator 'Deep sales' Where is the LinkedIn Podcast Network? Native post scheduling is close Thoughts on the new UK Creator Accelerator Program cohort Keywords in profile headlines How to leverage being tagged in a post What to write in company page post comments Post of the week Mentioned in this episode:This show was created by the original host of the show, Mark Williams.
Oct 8, 2022 • 51min
Optimizing your posts & engagement - Part 2
Welcome to LinkedInformed 371. Here's what you can expect this week... The strength of (moderately) weak ties and how this applies to LinkedIn New Page commitments Scheduling content with Aaron Pickering Part two of my chat with Nigel Thomas regarding LinkedIn content and engagement. Mentioned in this episode:This show was created by the original host of the show, Mark Williams.
Oct 1, 2022 • 1h 4min
Researching People on LinkedIn
How to research people effectively on LinkedIn and how to use what you find. Plus Finding people to tag in your posts Finding comment-worthy content LinkedIn conquer Germany Could the new focused inbox kill InMail? The story behind last weeks post of the week. A post of the week about branding Mentioned in this episode:This show was created by the original host of the show, Mark Williams.
Sep 24, 2022 • 1h 4min
Optimising your posts & engagement
This week I sat down for a chat with Nigel Thomas who recently approached me with the following message; Big fan of the podcast and I'm reaching out because I believe I can bring your audience value. Here are 3 topics which I think they'd resonated with: 1- Getting Noticed: I can break down my exact posting strategy including focusing on headlines, optimizing for mobile, and how to write in a way which evokes emotion. 2- Engagement: Most people know engagement is important for LinkedIn but not many engage in a way that attracts their ideal clients - I'll explain how. 3- Networking: Likes and hearts are great for dopamine but the real power is in relationship building. I'll uncover how to build power connections to skyrocket growth. Are you up for it? I was...so here he is!Mentioned in this episode:This show was created by the original host of the show, Mark Williams.
