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 Link click analytics 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!
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 pronunciation Mystery speaker for UpLift Live 26 – who is it?
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.
475. Recommendations and video testimonials
17/01/2026 | 14 min
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
474. What is real and what is fake on LinkedIn?
10/01/2026 | 13 min
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.
473. My top 10 LinkedIn questions
03/01/2026 | 9 min
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 Where do I start? What do I post about? Should I post personal stuff? How do I approach people? Do I need LinkedIn Premium? Should I switch to creator mode? How do I increase my Social Selling Index (SSI)? Should I put links in posts? Do I need a company page? How do I get more engagement and visibility?
"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.
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