Informed: the podcast for LinkedIn® users

Career

"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...

Location:

Cheshire, United Kingdom

Genres:

Career

Business

Business & Economics Podcasts

Description:

"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.

Twitter:

@mr_linkedin

Language:

English

Website:

http://linkedinformed.com/

Email:

mrlinkedin.uk@gmail.com

Episodes

488. Reporting users on LinkedIn

4/25/2026

How do you report someone and what happens when LinkedIn ignores your feedback? See Melanie Goodman’s post ——— LinkedIn has a new CEO: Daniel Shapero Content DNA is 6 years old – read sample chapters Espresso+ members now get the full 32-chapter audiobook for free. What comment features do you want? Crosscheck AI feature Your LinkedIn headline matters Are you a solo or small business owner? Join the Espresso+ community now to improve your LinkedIn and online presence. Find out more at jesp.me/join Support the show Informed is not a sponsored podcast, so all production and hosting is self-funded. To make a small donation, go to jesp.me/informed-tip – thanks in advance!

Duration:00:15:29

487. Current jobs market stats

4/18/2026

Postbag Mary Wu voice note about the use of someone else's account. ––– Grad's Guide 2026 – some stats around the current jobs market. Main reportUK versionUS version Creative Collision at LinkedIn HQ on 28 April There is no 360Brew anymore? AI People search reaches all of the US Are you a solo or small business owner? Get ongoing support to improve your LinkedIn and online presence by joining the Espresso+ community. Find out more at jesp.me/join

Duration:00:10:47

486. Collaborative content

4/11/2026

Postbag Voice note response to Mark Lee’s question, from Tonny Mikkelsen. Mark’s real question was about limiting content searches to the UK only. There's no good route for that, as the "All filters" panel on post searches does not include anything about location. ——— Post collaborations Differences between desktop and mobile versions of LinkedIn Customise your profile username

Duration:00:13:17

485. Direct messages and algorithmic immunity

4/4/2026

Postbag Should I delete posts on LinkedIn? Richard G Abrahams: Should I write a newsletter? Mark Lee: Can I target my posts to certain locations? Clip from my UpLift Live 26 talk on "direct messages and algorithmic immunity". I put in around 12 hours of editing time to get the replays ready, and we have about 17.5 hours of content in total now available over the past 3 years of the conference. Get your replay ticket Social Insider report on document post engagement rates Look out for messages saying "Email not reachable" and "Update your email to ensure you don't lose access to your account" – they're legitimate messages but seem to be associated only with LinkedIn accounts that have Gmail email addresses. Hopefully, this is a temporary issue only. Ryan Roslansky's book: Open To Work released

Duration:00:19:02

484. UpLift Live 26 conference

3/30/2026

Last week we ran the third annual UpLift Live conference in Birmingham. This episode contains some reflections on the day from me and from some of our attendees and speakers. Our speakers for the 2026 conference were, in order: John EspirianTony RestellNicole OsborneMic AdamGuy StrijboschHeather MurrayPhill AgnewDave HarlandBrenda Meller No Postbag this week – but please do send in your questions for next week's show. If you missed the conference and would like to watch the talks from 2024, 2025 or 2026, please grab a replay ticket at uplift-live.com/replay

Duration:00:12:56

483. Is LinkedIn a social media platform?

3/21/2026

A quick look at a document that explains why LinkedIn should be considered a social media platform just like all of the other big players. Postbag Teresa Ward: should we use @mentions in comments? Lionel Guerraz: on saving money with tech tools ——— Don't use the vertical pipe | symbol in your headline Is LinkedIn social media? UpLift Live 26 is almost here. Still time to get your ticket at uplift-live.com

Duration:00:16:49

482. User interface glitches

3/14/2026

This week's show "acknowledges" the challenge LinkedIn seems to have in presenting a stable user interface to its users. Postbag Voice note from Kaye King about improving our feeds Voice note from Christian Harris on LinkedIn groups Voice note from Kate Nankivell about line spacing in the About statement ——— LinkedIn is showing a weird mix of languages on the user interface. Why? Throwback to 5 years ago when I posted a video of how to say hello and thank you in many different languages Deliberately using typos to make text look real? (Please never do this.) LinkedIn is the most cited domain for professional queries, according to research by Profound

Duration:00:17:08

481. How to get LinkedIn content seen?

3/7/2026

This one tip will help content creators get their external content seen. Postbag Espresso+: Comment "X" and I will DM you – is that a good idea? Judi Hays voice note … about voice notes ——— Getting content seen: one approach that works for me How to reduce your LinkedIn notifications Company page invitations reduced from 250 to 50 Removing date/time stamps Some news about the UpLift Live 26 conference

Duration:00:14:10

480. LinkedIn voice notes

2/28/2026

Among other topics, this week's show is about LinkedIn voice notes. I love them! Postbag Mark Lee voice note on spam comments Niraj Kapur has sent a voice note about AI, based on the content of last week's episode. I'll be sending more voice notes from now on – see my guide on LinkedIn voice notes My average post length based on 5 years of data I want to do more guest podcasts! See my past appearances on other podcasts LinkedIn's weekly sharing tracker now gone. There are more than 10 such updates coming in the next LinkedIn Roundup for Espresso+ members. LinkedIn Local in Birmingham: join us on 6 March. There's now a "living" LinkedIn newsletter that links to all my episodes of this podcast and that I will update each week.

Duration:00:17:46

479. Is AI going to take all our jobs?

2/21/2026

Is AI coming for all our jobs? That's the main topic this week, with lots of resources for you to check out so you can work out on which side of the fence to fall. Postbag Anon: How can I make my Featured items look the same size? Other topics in this week's show: Something Big Is Happening AI article by Matt Shumer Frank Prendergast has shared a voice note about this. Check out Frank's podcast with Justin Collery: The AI Argument See this annotated version and podcast as a rebuttal to Matt's article, produced by Ed Zitron. About that Matt Shumer post – another rebuttal, by Gary Marcus. Watch a clip of Mustafa Suleyman, CEO at Microsoft AI, speaking to the Financial Times about what AI will do to white-collar jobs. LinkedIn Local programme to shut down at the end of 2026. LinkedIn action on automated comments LinkedIn Future of Work fund open till 15 March 2026 – apply here What's your oldest post on LinkedIn? Bonus content I found after recording: check out episode 11 of The Last Invention, which includes interviews with Ed Zitron and Gary Marcus.

Duration:00:18:48

478. UpLift Live interview with Phill Agnew

2/11/2026

This week's show comes out early to remind you of this weekend's price rise for the UpLift Live 26. We have an interview with our final speaker, the host of the Nudge podcast, Phill Agnew. Postbag Ashley Leeds: Premium banner image buttons Caryn Yuen: Some experts say that sharing glimpses of your personal life can help build your brand and make it easier for your audience to connect with you. How important do you think this is? How often should one be doing this? How do you decide what’s worth sharing, and what’s not? ——— Phill Agnew interview: our final speaker at UpLift Live 26 on 26 March 2026. Get your ticket at uplift-live.com and see all speaker interviews at uplift-live.com/speakers More in this episode: Conference planning videoBanner image size blogAbout those post-it notes

Duration:00:15:15

The post-Milan Postbag

2/7/2026

Being away for a week in Milan did wonders for people asking me questions for the show! Postbag Richard G Abrahams: As a fiction author, given that time learning and using social media is time not spent writing and editing fiction, and given that LinkedIn is a business platform, is there really any value for me to go through the learning curve to promote my novels? Will I really get return for the effort? Ashley Leeds: How are LinkedIn group recommendation emails generated? How is your Espresso+ podcast on Apple? Kate Clark: What's your view on LinkedIn events? Caryn Yuen: Some experts recommend posting daily to build your personal brand, and some even suggest posting multiple times a day. What posting frequency would you recommend on LinkedIn, and why? Also in the show: Updates on my speaking gig in Milan, with slides for Espressians. Banner image safe zone tip Saves and sends – how to access what you've saved MS earnings call FY26Q2 Open Profile Premium messaging Top Voices UK UpLift Live price rise to £299 on 14 February. Get your tickets for our third annual conference in Birmingham on 26 March soon!

Duration:00:19:19

476. Audio pronunciations + mystery speaker reveal

1/24/2026

This week we look at audio pronunciation on your profile. Postbag Sara Gallagher: How can I realistically tell what advice is applicable to me, and what "works" because of the skewed sample but won’t in the broader LinkedIn universe? Does it just come down to trial and error? Is your security certificate valid?Recording an audio pronunciationMystery speaker for UpLift Live 26 Illiya Vjestica is running a bonus UpLift Live 26 webinar on Thursday 5 February at 4pm, on the topic of presentation best practice. This one's free for all ticket-holders to the 2026 conference.

Duration:00:14:42

475. Recommendations and video testimonials

1/17/2026

Main topic is how others can be your marketing department via their recommendations and video testimonials. Postbag Mark Lee: I’m wondering what would happen if I chose to start another newsletter on a different topic potentially of interest to a different subset of my connections. Do all my connections get notified of the new newsletter? Does it have an impact on what happens with the other newsletter? Do all new connections get notified that I have two newsletters? Do off-topic posts work? Dates and times on posts Recommendations and video testimonials

Duration:00:14:32

474. What is real and what is fake on LinkedIn?

1/10/2026

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.

Duration:00:13:35

473. My top 10 LinkedIn questions

1/3/2026

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

Duration:00:09:40

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

12/20/2025

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: My LinkedIn Year in Review

Duration:00:15:18

471. Is LinkedIn Premium worth it?

12/13/2025

Postbag Does the industry setting matter on your profile? Christopher Johnson (voice note) LinkedIn industry options help page Fake accounts with similar headlines? LB Brittingham I'm searching for other experts supporting introverts and I keep coming across profiles with "introvert living in an industry of extroverts" or similar. Many seem like real accounts. Maybe it's some sort of LinkedIn insider knowledge/meme? Kind of like newbies to Threads don't understand the rage bait from fake accounts when they first get there. I'm wondering if the same thing happens on LinkedIn. LinkedIn release a community report twice a year and the latest one covers January to June 2025. They say they've stopped 61.2M fake accounts at registration. 22.2M have been restricted proactively before reports were needed by members, and only 385,900 accounts were restricted following member reports. If you suspect you see a fake account, you can report it via the More button on their profile. Main topic: Is Premium worth it? I joined in May 2021, paying £399.90+VAT. That's £479.88 per year or ~£1.31 per day. Here's what you get on Premium Business: You might get a discount to stay when trying to cancel Premium, but I'm not offered that. LinkedIn now has 100 million verified members, and Zoom will soon show your LinkedIn verification badge. Some interesting videos to check out on YouTube: Rory Sutherland Behavioural Science & Marketing Q&AAlgorithmic bias discussionLynnaire Johnston and Mark Williams UpLift Live 26 free ticket prize draw – ENTER NOW Come to the LaunchPad call on Thursday 8 January 2026 at 11am GMT where the winners will be announced live!

Duration:00:16:22

470. How many active members are on LinkedIn?

12/6/2025

This week's main topic looks at how many active accounts there are on LinkedIn. See my LinkedIn membership tracker, particularly the updated section titled "How many active users are on LinkedIn?" Postbag – What do you think of people customising their pronouns? In short, don't do it! – There are quite a few LinkedIn experts who seem to attach an image to every single one of their posts. Do text-only posts perform less well than posts with images? Looking at my own data since the start of 2024, my text-only posts get 27% more impressions than my posts where I include an image. Other topics Lynnaire Johnston's livestream with Mark Williams (creator and former host of this show) at 8pm on Wednesday 10 December 2025: "LinkedIn, Legacy and Letting Go". UpLift Live 26 LaunchPad calls for those attending or considering attending our conference on LinkedIn best practice: Thursday 8 January 2026 at 11am UKFriday 20 March 2026 at 1pm UK I'm speaking in Milan, Italy at Inspire Day, on 29/30 January 2026. Congratulations to Gus Bhandal on the launch of his The Squeeze membership!

Duration:00:11:36

469. Engagement pods

11/29/2025

Postbag via Beth Kirk: Loving the informed podcast! I have a question around the proactive use of DMs to build relationships on LinkedIn. Do you have any top tips for people with established audiences please? — Look for opportunities to start conversations: birthdays, job changes — Look through your network to find key referral partners and potential clients, then scour their profiles and content for anything that could start a conversation — Don’t jump in out of the blue with a sales message. That will look like a campaign. Be more human! — If there’s any sign that the other party might be open to it, use a voice note or even a video note to further humanise. I get great response rates. via Espresso+: Does anyone get high levels of impressions with comments as a company page? via Espresso+: How to be found through ChatGPT? via Espresso+: Does an emoji in the Name field lead to spending one day in LinkedIn jail? Engagement pods Pods are unholy alliances of LinkedIn users who are trying to artificially boost their posts’ visibility in the LinkedIn feed. LinkedIn are trying to crack down, with a new video about this by Gyanda Sachdeva, a VP of Product Management at LinkedIn. Thanks to an update from Tony Restell, UpLift Live26 speaker, who got this direct from LinkedIn: Any profiles or companies you come across that are selling fake engagement services, please report directly via email to trademark@linkedin.com

Duration:00:13:26