Podcast Summary: Uncensored CMO

Episode: LinkedIn CMO on how to grow your profile, what skills are most in demand and B2B marketing strategies

Guest: Jessica Jensen, CMO of LinkedIn
Host: Jon Evans
Date: March 4, 2026

Episode Overview

In this candid and insightful episode, Jon Evans sits down with Jessica Jensen, LinkedIn’s Chief Marketing Officer, to unpack how professionals and companies can thrive on LinkedIn. They dive into what’s changing on the platform, how the algorithm works, which skills are now most in demand, the evolving job market (including AI’s impact), the future of B2B marketing, and how everyone—from creators to corporate leaders—can build meaningful personal brands.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Jessica Jensen’s Background

• Jessica shares her journey from strategy consulting at Boston Consulting Group, through roles at Apple, Facebook, Booking Holdings, and now to CMO at LinkedIn.
• Quote: “I consider myself a business person who later on became a marketer. I love leading teams to take new mountains of growth.” (01:15)

B2B vs. B2C: More in Common Than You Think

• Jensen asserts the core of marketing is understanding people, regardless of business model.
  • Quote: “I believe in B2P: business to people. Buying decisions are made on a fusion of rational and emotional factors… there’s more similarity [between B2B and B2C] than difference.” (02:54)

Building High-Performing Teams

• Importance of a clear mission, purposeful work, candid feedback, and strong leadership without “jerks.”
  • Quote: “If you’re really crisp and clear about who you’re trying to help and why, you will attract the best talent.” (03:51)
  • Continual learning and humility are key.

The Evolving Job Market & the Impact of AI

• LinkedIn’s vast data shows some surprising truths:
  • AI is creating more jobs than it’s taking—layoffs are more due to macroeconomic trends like interest rates (07:03).
  • Surge in users adding "founder" to profiles—over 60% increase in some countries, signaling a boom in entrepreneurship (08:30).
  • Young people turning to trades and healthcare for job security, recognizing these aren’t easily replaced by AI (09:27).
• In-demand skills: AI literacy is table stakes, but human creativity, judgment, clear writing, collaboration, and strategic thinking are increasingly valuable.
  • Quote: “AI is actually forcing us to become more human rather than less human.” (11:32)
  • Quote: “The value of those who do [human skills] well will increase exponentially.” (11:59)

Building a Personal Brand on LinkedIn

• Jensen’s strong endorsement for professionals to share their point of view, even while working for a company.
  • Quote: “You as a worker, as a human, sharing your learnings, your weaknesses… builds your credibility as a worker, as a leader, and that accrues to your company brand.” (12:46)
  • Authenticity (“I do a lot of videos wearing flamingo sunglasses… I also think I’m a serious business lady.”) wins over sterile professionalism.
• Empirical evidence: Personal profiles often massively outpace corporate pages in reach and engagement.
  • Quote (Evans): “I’ve got about the same number of followers as our company site—15 times the reach. That just shows what a personal brand can do.” (15:09)

Top Tips for Growing Your LinkedIn Profile

• Jensen’s Three Tips:
  1. Have a Point of View — Be clear on what you stand for and what you’re learning. (18:36)
  2. Short-form Video — Post engaging, snappy, and insightful videos with captions.
  3. Engage in Comments — “The true Jedi engage with the comments… and comment on the posts of other people.” (19:25)
• Comments can sometimes outperform original posts for reach and impact.

Algorithm Changes Explained

• 41% increase in posts in three years means more competition for organic reach.
• The feed algorithm is regularly updated, especially to counteract formulaic AI-generated content.
  • Quote: “Being a human with a voice and a pen matters… Don’t over rely on [AI], because it ends up all sounding the same.” (20:31)
• Best practices: Be authentic, strategically expand your network, and focus on meaningful engagement.

Addressing Perceived Discrimination in the Algorithm

• Jensen firmly rejects claims of gender bias:
  • Quote: “Gender, race, a number of different demographic factors are not factored into the algorithm… It is personally painful to me that people think that this exists on LinkedIn.” (23:40)
  • Variance in post reach is due to timing, engagement patterns, and feed dynamics—not demographics.

New Features on LinkedIn for Jobseekers & Creators

• AI-powered job search allows nuanced entries (e.g., combining background experience and new interests), surfacing broader opportunities (28:35).
  • 50% of users are currently looking for a new job—a historic high (28:27).
  • Extensive free learning resources, especially in AI and digital skills, are now available.
• Encouragement for users to embrace portfolio careers and entrepreneurship—documenting work and learnings on LinkedIn.

New Features for Marketers & Advertisers

• BrandLink: Lets brands buy advertising with top creator voices (31:02).
• Thought Leadership Ads: Promoting valuable, insightful video content is highly effective for B2B.
• Rich Events Platform: Over 20,000 events weekly for community-building and lead gen.

B2B Marketing Strategies: “B2B Doesn’t Have to Be Boring”

• Humor, creativity, and emotional engagement are crucial—even in traditionally dry industries.
  • Quote: “People who buy technology, bank services, cybersecurity—they are actually human beings… You have to grab their heart and their mind.” (33:23)
• LinkedIn’s billboard campaigns use wit to stand out amidst forgettable AI messaging (35:26).

Building a Winning B2B Strategy

• Be crystal clear about audience, needs, and brand message (“song sheet” approach).
• Creative needs to be distinctive—“be different, be exciting.”
• Understand the buyer journey: Most B2B customers aren’t in-market right now; brand building is essential for long-term consideration (39:13).
• Quote: “The number of companies who understand B2B branding and the interplay between branding and product marketing and performance marketing is very limited. It’s an art and a science.” (39:40)

Supporting Young Professionals & Tackling “Open to Work” Stigma

• Advice for newcomers: Build your network, use AI job search broadly, share experiences and build a portfolio on LinkedIn (41:29).
• On the “Open to Work” banner: Community-suggested idea to flip the narrative—make banners about value offered, not just status (43:54).
  • Jensen notes, “I thought that was such a great idea. I’m going to take that up internally.”

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “If you like data on labor, bring a snorkel. We've got a lot.” —Jessica Jensen (07:03)
• “AI is actually forcing us to become more human rather than less human.” —Jon Evans (11:32)
• “The true Jedi engage with the comments that drives massive reach and engagement.” —Jessica Jensen (19:25)
• “Gender, race, a number of different demographic factors are not factored into the algorithm.” —Jessica Jensen (23:40)
• On her most successful post: “Me in a ball pit wearing a pink blow up flamingo… I talked about legitimate marketing topics, but I was in a completely ridiculous setting.” (17:14)

Timestamps for Key Segments

| Segment | Topic | Timestamp | |---------|-------|-----------| | Jessica’s background & philosophy | 01:01–02:42 | | B2B vs. B2C discussion | 02:42–03:38 | | Team-building & leadership | 03:38–06:29 | | LinkedIn labor data & AI’s impact | 07:03–09:47 | | In-demand skills of the future | 10:03–11:32 | | Personal branding advice | 12:46–17:52 | | Algorithm changes explained | 20:05–22:26 | | Addressing algorithm bias accusations | 23:40–25:18 | | AI-powered job search & learning | 28:12–30:24 | | New features for marketers | 31:02–32:21 | | B2B marketing creativity | 32:21–34:46 | | Developing B2B strategy | 36:41–39:40 | | Questions from listeners | 40:30–45:40 |

Takeaways for Marketers, Creators, and Jobseekers

• Be human, relatable, and specific—this wins on LinkedIn across personal and corporate branding.
• Embrace new tools (especially AI), but don’t lose your unique voice.
• Building a brand (and a network) is a compound investment with multiplying returns for both careers and companies.
• Jobseekers: Document your journey, use new AI-driven search features, and explore learning resources.
• Marketers: Distinctiveness, humor, and emotional resonance are no longer optional—they’re essential.
• The future is flexible, creative, and people-driven, no matter how digital things become.