Informed: the podcast for LinkedIn® users cover art

Informed: the podcast for LinkedIn® users

Informed: the podcast for LinkedIn® users

Written by: John Espirian
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About this listen

 "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.John Espirian Economics Marketing Marketing & Sales Self-Help Success
Episodes
  • 474. What is real and what is fake on LinkedIn?

    474. What is real and what is fake on LinkedIn?
    Jan 10 2026

    What is real and what is fake on LinkedIn? We're looking at some fake accounts this week.

    Postbag

    Gillian Whitney voice note

    Can anything be done to stop DMs fragmenting when sending LinkedIn recommendations?

    LinkedIn security fake account

    Update on fake LinkedIn security accounts via Guy Strijbosch

    Where did all the Top Voices go?

    Keep your headline short: check out some tips on the importance of making a quick impact with your profile headline.

    UpLift Live conference discount

    Our most recent LaunchPad call went well, and now we're offering a conference discount to Informed listeners.

    Use INFORMED to get 20% off an in-person ticket to UpLift Live 26. That offer is valid until 11.55pm UK time on Saturday 17 January, and then it's a 10% discount after that.
    Show More Show Less
    14 mins
  • 473. My top 10 LinkedIn questions

    473. My top 10 LinkedIn questions
    Jan 3 2026

    Happy New Year!

    Postbag

    Hanne Møller – reposting your own post

    Caryn Yuen – hashtags

    I know LinkedIn has removed the ability to follow hashtags, but people can still use them. Some include hashtags within the body of their post to draw attention to certain words, while others add several at the end in a more Instagram-style approach. So what purpose do hashtags actually serve on LinkedIn now?

    My top LinkedIn questions

    1. Where do I start?
    2. What do I post about?
    3. Should I post personal stuff?
    4. How do I approach people?
    5. Do I need LinkedIn Premium?
    6. Should I switch to creator mode?
    7. How do I increase my Social Selling Index (SSI)?
    8. Should I put links in posts?
    9. Do I need a company page?
    10. How do I get more engagement and visibility?
    Show More Show Less
    10 mins
  • 472. Year in Review: LinkedIn's version of Wrapped

    472. Year in Review: LinkedIn's version of Wrapped
    Dec 20 2025

    What's in your LinkedIn Year in Review? This is LinkedIn's version of Spotify Wrapped.

    Postbag

    Should a CTA be included in the headline?

    Caryn Yuen

    If the CTA is very short and part of a reasonably short overall headline, then that’s OK. Headlines that are too long won’t be read by humans, and if the intention of the text isn’t clear to the AI-powered LinkedIn search, that could do you harm.

    How to share achievements

    Famey Lockwood

    LinkedIn has a new template for an individual to announce an achievement – degree, certification, award, etc. While the post is flashy and eye-catching, the question that I have and don’t understand is where does an individual show the actual document for the achievement? If the document is posted as a comment, the document isn’t always viewed in the feed. In addition, a person can say they have an achievement without actually having the evidence. (I have seen an individual post she had a certification from an organisation that I belong to so I knew the certification did not exist.) So, does LinkedIn want us to say we have an achievement without showing the evidence? There’s too much room for errors.

    Check out the Add profile section button on your profile, where you can add relevant items that work better than the templated LinkedIn post:

    1. Licenses & certifications
    2. Projects
    3. Courses
    4. Publications
    5. Honors & awards

    My LinkedIn Year in Review
    1. Joined in 2008 (but I wasn't active until 2017)
    2. Active for 344 days (most of us got the same)
    3. Top 5% (again, most of us got the same)
    4. Peak times 10am–7pm (yawn)
    5. 1 certificate
    6. 634 new connections
    7. 1382 connections "on the move"
    8. 10K+ profile views
    9. 1708 searches completed
    10. Most used Premium feature: InMail (no way)
    11. 192 posts (public posts only – I've done way more private posts)
    12. 9173 reactions
    13. 7076 comments
    14. 3796 new followers
    15. 3300 comments on others' posts
    16. 1025 reactions on others' posts (must be more!)
    17. 18 reposts
    18. Support was my most used reaction after likes
    Show More Show Less
    15 mins
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