The Art and Science of Social Selling on LinkedIn with Mandy McEwen

Written by

Al Sefati

In this episode of the Clarity Digital Pod, host Al Sefati sits down with Mandy McEwen—LinkedIn expert, digital nomad, and founder of Mod Girl Marketing and Luminetics. They dive into the evolving landscape of LinkedIn social selling, how to build better relationships without being spammy, and why sales and marketing alignment is more critical than ever. From profile optimization and AI tools to posting cadence and LinkedIn’s algorithm quirks, this episode is a masterclass in modern B2B relationship-building. Watch the full episode below, then scroll down for the full summary and insights.

Full Episode Summary & Breakdown

The Rise of Human-Centric Selling on LinkedIn

“Social selling is the least friction way to sell right now. It’s not about blasting cold emails—it’s about connecting on a human level.” — Mandy McEwen

Social selling has evolved beyond buzzwords. For Mandy, it’s the most natural, frictionless way to build profitable relationships online—especially for B2B professionals. But it requires a mindset shift: from transactional cold outreach to intentional relationship-building rooted in empathy, trust, and relevance.

And while LinkedIn is the B2B social selling platform of choice, Mandy emphasizes that true social selling isn’t platform-bound. It’s about leveraging any channel where your audience lives—whether that’s LinkedIn, Instagram, or even industry-specific communities.

Strategy First: Know Your ICP Before You Post

“Where do your people hang out? You’ve gotta know your ICP, their pain points, and what matters to them before you start engaging.” — Mandy

Too many marketers and sellers jump into content or connection requests without a defined Ideal Customer Profile (ICP). Mandy stresses the need to reverse-engineer your social selling strategy from your ICP’s behaviors, language, and habits. Only then should you choose your platform, optimize your profile, and engage with content.

A thoughtful ICP strategy will guide:

The right content themes
Commenting and engagement priorities
Personalization in outreach
Paid media targeting

First Impressions Matter: Your LinkedIn Profile Is a Sales Page

Your LinkedIn profile isn’t a résumé. It’s your brand’s front door.

Mandy and Al discuss how most professionals—even seasoned executives—fail to convert profile views into conversations. Why? Because their profiles are all about them, not the value they offer.

“LinkedIn is not a glorified résumé. It should tell people what you do, who you help, and what results you create—for them.” — Mandy

This is the philosophy behind Mandy’s AI-powered tool at goLumi.io, which turns generic profiles into high-converting landing pages.

The optimized profile formula includes:

A bold, value-first headline (e.g., “Helping B2B Sales Teams Book 30% More Demos Through LinkedIn”)
A compelling About section that starts with an elevator pitch, shows proof, and ends with a CTA
Experience sections focused on outcomes, not duties
Personal flair (like “Digital Nomad” or “Pizza Snob”)

The Role of AI in Social Selling & LinkedIn Outreach

Mandy doesn’t just talk strategy—she builds tools to make execution easier. Her suite at Luminetics includes:

A LinkedIn Profile Optimizer
A LinkedIn Post Writer (formatted for scannability, hooks, bullets, and CTAs)
Custom GPTs for profile and post creation

These tools are built on Mandy’s experience optimizing thousands of profiles and campaigns. As she notes:

“Anyone can do this manually—it just takes forever. That’s why we created our tools. You answer a few questions, and we build something that works.”

Al echoed this frustration as an SEO expert trying to optimize his own profile with ChatGPT and SEMrush—too many keywords, not enough conversion.

Paid & Organic: How to Combine Efforts for Scale

For marketers considering how to scale LinkedIn impact, Mandy recommends boosting your highest-performing organic posts with paid LinkedIn ads—especially from personal profiles (a feature LinkedIn now supports).

She suggests:

Promoting high-value posts that teach or inspire, not just promote
Using personal thought leadership (not just brand content) for better engagement
Including case studies, mini frameworks, or lessons learned

And yes, you can now sponsor posts directly from a person’s LinkedIn profile via a company page, creating the best of both worlds: authenticity + reach.

Comments > Posts? Yes, in 2025

Both Mandy and Al discussed the strange phenomenon of high-quality LinkedIn comments sometimes outperforming original posts. This reflects the shift in how the LinkedIn algorithm rewards meaningful engagement.

Pro tip: Save your best comments in a Google Doc. Repurpose them into future content. They’re mini blog posts in disguise.

LinkedIn Voice & Video Messaging: The Secret Sauce

One of the most actionable takeaways from the episode is Mandy’s emphasis on voice notes and videos via LinkedIn mobile:

“You can be way more direct in a voice or video note. People hear your voice, they see your face—it feels human, not salesy.”

Here’s Mandy’s framework for impactful video messages:

Keep it under 60 seconds
Record directly in LinkedIn’s mobile app
Mention something personal or specific
Ask a relevant question, not a pitch
Show some energy—no monotone intros

She also references tools like Magnify to create eye-catching GIF previews for video outreach.

Don’t Ignore the LinkedIn Company Page—But Don’t Rely on It

Al raised a key question: “Should I build my brand through my personal profile or company page?”

Mandy’s take:

Personal profiles will always outperform for reach and engagement
Company pages are essential for credibility and potential acquisition value
Repurpose personal content on the company page, but don’t expect it to drive leads alone
If acquisition is a possibility, your brand needs its own presence

The Problem with LinkedIn Groups

Mandy and Al reminisced about the good ol’ days of LinkedIn groups—when communities were active and value-driven. Today? Most are spam fests.

“Unless you’re in a super niche industry, most LinkedIn groups are a waste of time.”

Still, for some verticals outside of sales and marketing, there may be untapped group opportunities. The only way to know: audit them.

Sales & Marketing Alignment Isn’t Optional Anymore

“Marketers don’t always know what buyers respond to. Sellers don’t always know how to nurture. They need to talk to each other.” — Mandy

One of the most thought-provoking parts of the conversation centered on the disconnect between sales and marketing teams. Mandy shared examples of companies where SDRs report to marketing—and others where they’re completely siloed.

The takeaway: every org is different, but alignment is non-negotiable. Marketers need to:

Get real-time sales feedback
Create assets reps actually use
Study what messaging resonates

Sellers, in turn, need to:

Share content that builds credibility
Provide anecdotal data from the field
Embrace personal branding

As Mandy put it: “Sellers are marketers now. You’re selling a product—but also yourself.”

Content Cadence: How Often Should You Post on LinkedIn?

Al confessed to posting a bit too much on LinkedIn some weeks. Mandy’s advice?

Aim for 3–5 high-quality posts per week
Don’t post more than twice a day (minimum 4 hours apart)
Quality > quantity: strong hooks, clear formatting, actionable value
Mix content types: thought leadership, personal stories, proof/results
Comment regularly—engagement counts as visibility

She also noted that the algorithm currently favors storytelling, especially short videos with punchy openings.

Track engagement trends — Certain formats (like video) are less predictable now. Adapt fast.
Record & review your comments — Your most thoughtful insights can turn into full posts.
Use storytelling — Personal narratives + value = LinkedIn gold.
Don’t obsess over likes — People are watching, even if they don’t react publicly.
Use your voice — Literally. Voice notes and video humanize your brand better than anything else.

Where to Find Mandy

Need Help with LinkedIn or B2B Marketing?

Clarity Digital Agency helps B2B and SaaS brands build stronger digital strategies through LinkedIn enablement, enterprise SEO, and AI-powered marketing. From content playbooks to performance optimization, we’ve got you covered.