I'm an independent LinkedIn® trainer, offering training sessions, consultations and workshops for individuals and businesses who need support on the latest best practices on LinkedIn. I've researched LinkedIn deeply since 2017 and am now an international speaker, author, podcaster, conference organiser and community manager.

👦🏻🧒🏽  𝗘𝗦𝗣𝗥𝗘𝗦𝗦𝗢+ 𝗖𝗢𝗠𝗠𝗨𝗡𝗜𝗧𝗬
Our private community includes two live Q&A calls per month, a discussion group, a video library with 200+ premium pieces of content with captions and transcripts, a podcast, and other member benefits. This is the best place for ongoing learning and support around LinkedIn best practice and online business promotion.
£42/month, no minimum contract

🟦   𝗟𝗜𝗡𝗞𝗘𝗗𝗜𝗡 𝗧𝗥𝗔𝗜𝗡𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗦𝗘𝗥𝗩𝗜𝗖𝗘𝗦
⚙️   Group training: best for corporations and organisations. Usually works best with up to 12 people on each session but I can train much larger groups on request.
Starts at £799

⚙️   Consultations: best for self-employed business owners.
60 mins: £199
20 mins: £79

🟩   𝗪𝗛𝗬 𝗠𝗘? 
I used to be a software and hardware tester before becoming a technical copywriter and editor, including being a director of the UK's largest membership organisation for editors and proofreaders. I've since specialised in organic visibility on LinkedIn, bringing all of my technical communication expertise combined with a deep knowledge of how the LinkedIn platform works.

I have trained hundreds of clients on LinkedIn best practice, including training other LinkedIn trainers in advanced strategies. I now have 120+ LinkedIn recommendations and 60+ guest appearances on podcasts.

My personal branding handbook Content DNA has 100+ positive ratings on Amazon. First 6 chapters are free on request.

I created and co-host the UpLift Live conference on LinkedIn best practice, the UK's only conference of its type, with 150+ attendees each year.

I'm the host of the Informed podcast, a short weekly show that shares LinkedIn tips. It's the longest-running podcast on LinkedIn best practice, with almost 500 episodes since 2013.

🟧   𝗨𝗦𝗘 𝗠𝗬 𝗦𝗘𝗖𝗥𝗘𝗧 𝗪𝗢𝗥𝗗
1.   Include the word "pineapple" in your invitation to connect.
2.   Accept with your full heart that pineapple on pizza is double delish.

🥶   𝗜𝗖𝗘𝗕𝗥𝗘𝗔𝗞𝗘𝗥𝗦 𝗬𝗢𝗨 𝗖𝗔𝗡 𝗧𝗔𝗟𝗞 𝗧𝗢 𝗠𝗘 𝗔𝗕𝗢𝗨𝗧
🐶   Boxers: the best dog breed
⚽️   Liverpool Football Club
⚔️   The Traitors (BBC)

I used to be heavier: jesp.me/fat
I'm an actual lord: jesp.me/truth

John Espirian

⛔️ "LinkedIn security" is NOT a real account. A lot of people have been asking about comments appearing to come from an official LinkedIn account – except that the account usually has no profile pic and no followers.

It's fake and clearly set up so that it can comment on posts with the express aim of worrying members enough to get them to click on dodgy links. Don't fall into that trap.

LinkedIn should update the company page setup screens to make "LinkedIn" a reserved word that people can't use in a page name.

Also useful would be to prevent accounts with 0 followers from being able to post links, to stop the endless cycle of fake accounts being set up for spam purposes each day.

LinkedIn Help (which is a real account): please do something. We independent LinkedIn trainers are acting as your unofficial support department here.

PS. I'm going to mention the topic on this week's episode 474 of the Informed podcast.

Posted: 6 Jan 2026 at 8.54am (GMT)

Relentlessly helpful® LinkedIn® nerd. Independent LinkedIn trainer & LinkedIn speaker. Creator of Espresso+ community & UpLift Live conference. Host of Informed podcast. Not a douche canoe 🛶

🕥  Some people have asked why I put a date and time at the bottom of my posts. 

1. It's a protest against LinkedIn
The date and time is encoded into the long ID that's baked into the web address of each post. So, LinkedIn definitely have the data but choose not to display it. I think this is wrong. I'm not one to praise Twitter but they've been showing dates and times on tweets for almost TWO DECADES. It's mad that we don't see this basic info on LinkedIn. Instead, we see fuzzy relative times (6h, 2d, etc.).

2. It might help readers
If someone wants to quote something I've written, they know exactly when it was published. It's possibly hubris to think anyone would do that, but I'm just trying to be helpful in the event that I say something worthy of amplification.

———

This post's ID is 7416787304414965760. Sufficiently nerdy people know how to extract the exact date and time of posting from that number. But most don't, hence I put it in plain text at the bottom of my posts, like this …

Posted: 13 Jan 2026 at 10.24am (GMT)

PS. Annoyingly, TikTok also doesn't display a date and time on posts, but again that info is recorded and discoverable.

"Link engagement": this is even more of a reason NOT to put links in comments, as your individual post analytics now reveal how many clicks your links in posts have received.

I'd still avoid links in posts whenever possible, but if you have to include them, at least you can now see how effective they are.

Posted: 30 Jan 2026 at 3.10pm (GMT)

There are only 3 things about you that are shown on every LinkedIn screen:

Your NAME
Your PHOTO
Your HEADLINE

(We'll talk about names and photos another time …)

The HEADLINE is increasingly important because comments are being seen more than ever, and that's where a short, eye-catching line of text can encourage clicks through to your profile, which is where connections are made.

Focus on the first handful of words (~40 characters) of your headline and make a bold statement that will spark intrigue and capture brain space.

Instead of being a comedian – "oxygen consumer", "former baby" – be clear and deliver some relevant truth in the smallest space possible. Set an expectation that you're confident you can fulfil. I often refer to the headline as "the biggest promise you can keep."

My "relentlessly helpful" phrase has done a lot of heavy lifting for me since I came up with it in 2017, and it's why I wrote the book Content DNA. 

If you haven't touched your headline for ages, it's time to refresh it for 2026. If you need help, let's talk about it.

Posted: 8 Jan 2026 at 9.58am (GMT)

Reset The LinkedIn Room, in 4K.

Posted: 14 Jan 2026 at 1.32pm (GMT)

Thanks to everyone who's supported the Espresso+ community since I launched it on 31 January 2022 (while in the middle of a nasty bout of chickenpox!). We made it to four years and counting 😎

I'm currently on the way home to South Wales after delivering a LinkedIn masterclass at Inspire Day in Milan yesterday. Back in the saddle soon with our latest Espresso+ LinkedIn Roundup of all new features and news over the past month, exclusively for members. It's been a busy one!

Posted: 31 Jan 2026 at 11.17am (GMT)

I have no idea whether these numbers are good (what does that even mean?) but on the off-chance that anyone is interested, here's how the Informed podcast is doing. These stats are from Captivate FM, my host for the show.

Latest episode 474 is out today, on the topic of fake accounts. You can listen on Apple and Spotify. 

Posted: 10 Jan 2026 at 3.46pm (GMT)

Thanks to everyone who came to yesterday's open LaunchPad call ahead of the UpLift Live 26 conference, including some past and future speakers. It was a fun session and 16 lucky people out of the 130 who entered won something in our prize draw. 

Top prize was a free ticket to the conference, plus there were consultation sessions and business books being given out. If you won, look out for an email from me this morning.

We have one more LaunchPad call on the way on 20 March, exclusively for conference ticket-holders. We're also soon offering a couple of valuable bonus webinars to ticket-holders.

The main conference is on Thursday 26 March in Birmingham, but there's also a livestream+recordings ticket if you can't make it in person. Prices will be going up soon, so now is the time to hop aboard. 

If you want to level up your LinkedIn knowledge in a day, UpLift Live is the place to be. Please shout if you have any questions, and thanks again to everyone for your support.

Posted: 9 Jan 2026 at 8.56am (GMT)

TEST: posting something off-topic should not get lots of views. Let's see:

Last night's Golden Globes winners

Best film – drama
Hamnet

Best film – musical or comedy
One Battle After Another

Best male actor in a film
Wagner Moura, The Secret Agent

Best female actor in a film – drama
Jessie Buckley, Hamnet

Best television series – musical or comedy
The Studio

Best television limited series, anthology series or television film
Adolescence 

Best television series – drama
The Pitt

Best female actor in a television series – drama
Rhea Seehorn, Pluribus

Best standup comedy on television
Ricky Gervais, Ricky Gervais: Mortality 

Best supporting female actor on television
Erin Doherty, Adolescence 

Best film – non-English language
The Secret Agent

Best film – animated
KPop Demon Hunters

Best director – film
Paul Thomas Anderson, One Battle After Another

Cinematic and box office achievement
Sinners

Best female actor in a television limited series, anthology series or television film
Michelle Williams, Dying for Sex

Best male actor in television limited series, anthology series or television film
Stephen Graham, Adolescence

Best male actor in a film – musical or comedy
Timothée Chalamet, Marty Supreme 

Best female actor in a film – musical or comedy
Rose Byrne, If I Had Legs I’d Kick You 

Best screenplay – film
Paul Thomas Anderson, One Battle After Another

Best original score – film
Ludwig Göransson, Sinners

Best original song – film
Golden, KPop Demon Hunters

Best podcast
Good Hang with Amy Poehler

Best male actor in a television series – musical or comedy
Seth Rogen, The Studio

Best supporting male actor on television
Owen Cooper, Adolescence

Best female actor in a television series – musical or comedy
Jean Smart, Hacks

Best male actor in a television series – drama
Noah Wyle, The Pitt

Best male actor in a supporting role in a film
Stellan Skarsgård, Sentimental Value

Best female actor in a supporting role in a film
Teyana Taylor, One Battle After Another

PS. Saw Hamnet yesterday. Didn't think it was that great. Sorry!

Posted: 12 Jan 2026 at 7.52am (GMT)

The Espresso+ community turns 4 years old next week 🎉 That prompted me to revise the Experience item about it on my profile. 

Did you know that each Experience item can be up to 2000 characters long and have media attached to it?

Here's the new text:

———

Launched on 31 January 2022, Espresso+ is an online community of 100+ small business owners and solopreneurs. 

Membership offers learning, support and accountability for those who want to grow their business visibility on LinkedIn and online in an ethical, organic way.

Community members – "Espressians" – get:

• Private discussion group
• 2 Live Q&A calls per month
• Expert Q&A calls
• Monthly roundup of new LinkedIn features
• Video library & audio podcast
• Premium blog articles
• Audio podcast
• Email updates and offers
• Other member benefits

All video content is captioned along with full written transcripts, and an audio version of all content is available via our private Espresso+ podcast.

Members are based around the world, with community call times organised to cater for as many time zones as possible. 

Approximately one-third of members are LinkedIn trainers/specialists, meaning that Espresso+ is the home for some of the most experienced and knowledgeable power users on this platform; however, people of all technical abilities are welcome in the community. The golden rule is: don't be a douche canoe.

The discussion group is an ideal place to get quick, authoritative answers on common questions about building an effective online presence on LinkedIn and beyond.

The community contains no ads or sponsorships, and members are not asked or expected to support other members' content. To be clear, Espresso+ is NOT an engagement pod!

Membership costs only £42/month, with no minimum contract.

———

As you can see, I don't use the traditional CV-style writing that's typical for the Experience section. As a self-employed business owner, I'm not looking for a job, and so I can use this space to give an indication of the value of the community. 

What will the new AI-powered algorithms make of this? No idea yet. But it's all true and if it moves anyone to find out more about the community, it's done its job.

I hope this post might spur some of you to consider reviewing your own Experience items for 2026(?)

Posted: 21 Jan 2026 at 12.49pm (GMT)

On recommendations and video testimonials as powerful but underused marketing tools.

Posted: 15 Jan 2026 at 10.54am (GMT)

One of the best ways to build trust in your product or service is to get others to do your marketing for you. It's why we look at restaurant reviews r

Open article: LinkedIn recommendations and video testimonials by John Espirian • 5 min read

LinkedIn recommendations and video testimonials

Oh, Bending Spoons, why did you have to come for my beloved Vimeo? 


I've been a Vimeo power user for more than a decade. Now, the platform is likely to go the way of Evernote, StreamYard and WeTransfer, all of which have previously been acquired by BS (a fitting initialism 💩). 

Eventbrite is also moving to BS in 2026, and now the shambles is beginning at Vimeo with layoffs. I'm expecting feature cuts and a tripling of the price soon, which means that I'll have to look seriously at moving my Espresso+ video estate elsewhere.

Not happy at all 😡

Posted: 23 Jan 2026 at 2.00pm (GMT)

🆓 Until 28 February, eligible college and university students can get 12 free months of Microsoft 365 Premium and LinkedIn Premium Career.

Here are the details just posted on LinkedIn Help: 

• You must verify eligibility using a valid college or university email address.
• The offer isn’t available if you currently have or recently had a LinkedIn Career, LinkedIn Business, Sales Navigator, or Recruiter Lite subscription.
• After 12 free months, both subscriptions renew at standard pricing unless cancelled in your Microsoft and LinkedIn accounts.
• Offer available through February 28, 2026, or while quantities last.
• Sign up with your college or university email to redeem this promotional offer.

Get your kids to hop on this in the next month.

Posted: 25 Jan 2026 at 8.10am (GMT)

💾  I've finally got a LinkedIn feature that many people in my Espresso+ community had a couple of months ago: the ability to see how many saves and sends an individual post has had on LinkedIn.

These are useful metrics for understanding how valuable your audience finds your content. They'd be even more powerful if the numbers were shown publicly alongside the stats for reactions and comments. The only possible downside I could think of there (apart from slightly more noise on the screen) is that these stats could give engagement pod users a bad new incentive to maximise the numbers ("make sure you like/comment AND save/send all of my craptacular content").

I'd like to see a combined set of saved and sent posts in the main analytics dashboard, instead of having to click into each post's analytics. That would be an easier way of tracking the perceived usefulness of your content over time.

Thanks to Espressian and UpLift Live 26 speaker Tony Restell for the reminder to check this. I had forgotten all about it!

Posted: 28 Jan 2026 at 9.00am (GMT)

Bonus webinar for UpLift Live 26 ticket-holders on 5 February at 4pm UK time: Illiya Vjestica is going to give us the low-down on how to transform our boring presentations into something memorable and impactful. 

He did an amazing job with Michelle J Raymond's presentation at UpLift Live 25 last year, and now he's going to be sharing his wisdom with everyone coming to this year's event.

Get your in-person or virtual ticket in time for this webinar so that we can invite you to attend (we'll send the Zoom via email). 

Thanks for supporting us, Illiya, and for making the UpLift Live conference even more valuable!

Posted: 22 Jan 2026 at 10.50am (GMT)

On tomorrow's LaunchPad call, we're drawing winners for our prize draw to give away a free ticket to the UpLift Live 26 conference, along with other prizes such as consultations and business books. 

There's still time to enter if you're quick. It's completely free, as is the 30-min Zoom call where the draw is happening. Get your name in and good luck!

𝗘𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗽𝗿𝗶𝘇𝗲 𝗱𝗿𝗮𝘄
https://lnkd.in/edAeNsuJ

𝗟𝗮𝘂𝗻𝗰𝗵𝗣𝗮𝗱 𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗹
𝟴 𝗝𝗮𝗻𝘂𝗮𝗿𝘆, 𝟭𝗽𝗺–𝟭.𝟯𝟬𝗽𝗺 𝗨𝗞
https://lnkd.in/ejevFB-f

(If you haven't come across the LaunchPad before, it's a set of calls for ticket-holders to the conference, but our next call tomorrow is open to everyone. So, if you're on the fence about coming to Birmingham on 26 March, this is a great way to see who else is going to be in the room.)

Posted: 7 Jan 2026 at 11.14am (GMT)

Microsoft's latest earnings results (FY26 Q2) relating to LinkedIn:

• Double-digit member growth in LinkedIn, with 30% growth in paid video ads. 
• Strong adoption of LinkedIn Hiring Assistant, with weekly users growing 17% w/w on average.
• LinkedIn Marketing Solutions revenue grew 15% year over year.
• LinkedIn revenue increased 11% and 10% in constant currency driven by Marketing Solutions.
• Microsoft expect LinkedIn revenue growth in the low-double digits.

No news yet on LinkedIn member numbers, though the Q1 results put membership at 1.3 billion. I'll update when I have more. 

Going to be on my travels for a few days now, as I'm speaking at Inspire Day in Milan tomorrow 🇮🇹

Posted: 29 Jan 2026 at 6.35am (GMT)

Episode 476 of the Informed podcast came out on Saturday, where I revealed the name of our final speaker for UpLift Live 26 on 26 March 2026 in Birmingham. 

Listen now to see who's joining us for the UK's original conference on LinkedIn best practice. You'll also find out about a free bonus we're sharing with all ticket-holders.

The weekly Informed show is available on Apple, Spotify and all major podcast platforms. It's only 15 minutes and this week's main tip is about audio pronunciations on your LinkedIn profile.

If you're coming to Birmingham, please grab your ticket now as prices go up soon!

Posted: 26 Jan 2026 at 8.50am (GMT)

This year I want to do more to help people directly with their LinkedIn and online business strategy, so I'm offering 20-minute and 60-minute consultations. For experimentally backed answers without any fluff, grab a spot: tidycal.com/espirian

Posted: 5 Jan 2026 at 9.26am (GMT)

STEM Founders: Ditch the Business Dread 🟠 Coaching & Training For Founders 🟢 Innovation Director @ Oxford Innovation 🔵 Telegraph NatWest 100 Female Entrepreneurs To Watch 🟣 Ask Me About My Fave Biscuit 🍪

If you’re a founder who loves what you do but feels buried by everything else - you’re not alone.

Most of the people I work with never planned to run a business. They just wanted to do great work - build, create, teach, design, innovate - and somehow ended up juggling marketing, sales, finance, operations, and about a hundred daily decisions.

And that’s where things start to feel overwhelming.

✨ I work with hands-on founders who are doing too much and are ready for structure, clarity, and support that actually fits how they work.

Whether it’s marketing that keeps getting pushed down the list, systems that only exist in your head, or growth that still relies entirely on you - there’s a calmer way to run a business (and even enjoy it again).

-- HOW I HELP --

🟠 Free Community
A calm, supportive space for founders who want connection, gentle prompts, and a little accountability.

🟡 Membership
For founders who want more structure, expert guidance, and live sessions that make running a business simpler.

🔵 Podcast
Real, honest conversations about the messy middle of running a business - marketing, systems, money, mindset, and the occasional chaos.

🟣 Coaching
90-minute sessions dedicated to you and your business, so I can give you dedicated and hands-on support.

Find out more or join in at 👉 creatingthecurve.co.uk

-- GET TO KNOW ME --

💼 With 25 years of experience helping businesses grow - from startups to brands like GAME and Tesco - I now focus on supporting founders who want to make running their business feel calmer, clearer, and more sustainable.

🎙️ I’m the host of Creating the Curve, a podcast for hands-on founders who love what they do but find the business bits overwhelming.

📣 I’m also a speaker and co-author of The Most Amazing Marketing Book Ever, and I’ve shared insights at events including BrightonSEO, Re:Connect, and You Are The Media.

-- ICE BREAKERS --

Talk to me about:

🎮 Gaming – Currently playing Stray & Palworld (also regularly found in Roblox or Minecraft with my son)

🎵 Music - from 80s pop to modern rock, currently loving Erasure, Esoterica, and Bad Omens.

🍪 You can usually find me with a biscuit in hand. In fact, my most popular posts on LinkedIn have been biscuit related. 

-- 

👉 Curious about how to run your business without running yourself into the ground? Or just share opinions on custard creams? 

Give me a shout on DM or anna@creatingthecurve.co.uk

taplio

The Battle

John Espirian

Anna Bravington

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The Battle

John Espirian

Anna Bravington

Followers

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Performance Score.css-goub6s{font-size:var(--chakra-fontSizes-md);font-weight:500;color:var(--chakra-colors-gray-600);display:block;margin-top:var(--chakra-space-1);}John Espirian's LinkedIn Performance

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