A Complete Guide to Social Selling

The term “Social Selling” was unthinkable during the starting days of the first social media platforms. Fast forward to the 2020s, and it appears to be indispensable for modern online marketers – who are constantly thinking of newer and better ways to leverage social selling in sales funnels and campaigns.

Social Selling – What is It?

Simply put, this is a long-term strategy for sales. It lets a business connecting with suitable prospects and finding leads but leveraging its social network. The social channels of a business are used in order to get in touch with prospective customers, establish a connection with them and engage them in as seamless way as possible. 

Rather than selling services or goods overtly, social selling lets businesses establish personal relationships based on trust with their leads – based on trust, and nurture those bonds. This technique can be used to establish a one-on-one relationship with leads and convert them into customers. Social networking websites such as Facebook, Twitter and Instagram are being used increasingly for the purpose of Social Selling. 

Why is Social Selling So Important?

This sales strategy works over a period and lets businesses explore new markets, establish more robust relationships and attain profit targets. It is especially vital when compared to various other sales strategies. 

This has great potential for businesses that do not get much success with cold-calling methods and have customers who would prefer social media for professional and personal interactions. An active social network usage can help such businesses reach out to their customers and earn through social selling. A staggering 78% of businesses outsell their competitors with social selling.

Benefits of Social Selling

Social selling is a newer strategy. Thus, it can be useful for a brand in creating a line of communication with its target audience more easily, which is not crowded.

Statistics show that more than 90% of B2b customers are likelier to engage with a vendor / industry leader who can offer valuable insights into the industry. During relationship-building with prospects, salespersons can have the opportunity to personally respond to questions, provide consumers with guidance and make their brand look like an authority. This can help establish brand reputation and brand loyalty.

While  Social Media Marketing or SMM  focuses on reaching out to the widest possible audience, Social selling targets only a few prospects – but valuable ones – and the sales team brings it to life.