Is LinkedIn worth it anymore? (Was it ever?) | Ep. 105

Is LinkedIn worth it for small businesses in 2026? Mike Birt and Nada Djuric of Big Brain Strategy say not much anymore, and they aren't sure it ever was. Most LinkedIn feeds are marketers talking to other marketers, AI-written posts that all sound the same, and bot comments. Why your LinkedIn posts don't reach customers, how the LinkedIn algorithm hides you from your own connections, and what happened to real networking. Full episode notes and transcript: https://bigbrainstrategy.com/podcast/... CHAPTERS 00:00 Does LinkedIn suck now, or has it always? 00:56 The LinkedIn thought leader era 01:43 Marketers talking to marketers 02:31 Bot replies and automated comments 04:36 Why your connections don't see your posts 06:06 Every AI tool gives the same LinkedIn advice 08:08 Generic advice and no original thought 11:05 Guru posts and karma jacking 12:48 Every connection request is a sales pitch 14:02 Automated outreach and spam DMs 15:56 What happened to real networking? 18:14 Who actually posts on LinkedIn 19:16 Notifications and the Premium upsell 20:48 105 episodes and the start of season 3 ABOUT THE SHOW The Cynical Marketers is a weekly marketing podcast for business owners. Mike Birt and Nada Djuric of Big Brain Strategy talk through the marketing news and trends that matter to businesses, and give their honest opinions based on years of doing the work. Got something that needs to get done? Work with Mike and Nada at Big Brain Strategy: https://bigbrainstrategy.com/contact/... More episodes:    • The Cynical Marketers   Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0CU9p0J... Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/977... iHeartRadio: https://iheart.com/podcast/348286961/ #linkedinmarketing #smallbusinessmarketing #marketingpodcast