Fred is joined by Mark Young, whose LinkedIn headline says it all: "A cat person helping technical AI founders earn trust before the first call."

This episode is a lively (and refreshingly sceptical) conversation about why so much LinkedIn advice is formulaic, outdated, or simply irrelevant - especially for technical founders and specialists who need trust, not vanity metrics.

What you'll learn

• Why a lot of LinkedIn "best practice" is recycled templates and pseudoscience
• The danger of chasing quick wins like "20,000 followers in 90 days" claims (and what's actually behind them)
• What LinkedIn's algorithm shift has changed (and why "do every format every week" can hurt reach)
• Why the people who "do best" on LinkedIn are often… the ones selling LinkedIn
• How to build trust with the right audience without trying to game the platform

The LinkedIn Audit: what Mark looks at

Mark explains the simple profile elements that matter most if LinkedIn is going to work as a sales tool:

• Banner (top real estate): quickly signals "you're in the right place"
• Headline: follows you everywhere—comments, search, connection requests
• • should clearly show who you help + how you help
  • and can include a small "human hook" (yes, like cats or Mary Poppins)
• About section: should read more like a landing page than a CV
• • clear ICP, clear outcomes, easy to contact you
• Credibility signals: proof, continuity, trust markers (without making it all about you)
• ICP clarity: pick a focus for your campaign (even if you can sell wider)
• Call-to-action strength: what you want people to do next, made simple

Trust on LinkedIn: what actually works

• Engage properly (not spam comments, not "AI parroting")
• Use LinkedIn like a real-world networking event: show up, contribute, be relevant
• Build familiarity and credibility before you ask for time or a call
• Avoid "potato-style" engagement hacks that create noise, not trust

Connect with Mark Young

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/markyoungsocial
• Email: Mark.young@lovesocialmedia.com
• Want an audit? Comment POTATO 🥔

Follow Fred: https://linktr.ee/fredcopestake

Watch this episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/KTJSIrxcHWY

Watch Fred's FREE YouTube Course: Sales Mastery for Engineers: https://bit.ly/Sales-Mastery-For-Engineers

Useful resources

• Take the Collaborative Selling Scorecard – free
  Check how well your sales approach fits today's buying environment https://collaborativeselling.scoreapp.com/