The Future of Social Selling: 7 Trends to Leverage in 2024
The way buyers and sellers interact has undergone a major shift in recent years. Rather than relying on salespeople for initial education about products and services, today‘s buyers are taking research into their own hands, using digital channels to learn about their options before engaging with a sales rep. This trend has elevated the importance of social selling – using social media to find, connect with, and nurture prospects.
According to LinkedIn, 78% of social sellers outsell peers who don‘t use social media. So what exactly are these top-performing reps doing differently? Here are the key social selling trends to watch and leverage in 2024:
1. Salespeople as influencers
With prospects conducting more research on their own, salespeople need to shift from the role of gatekeeper of information to trusted advisor. One of the most effective ways to do this is by sharing valuable, educational content on social media consistently.
By providing helpful resources and insights, reps can attract potential customers and establish their expertise in the industry. As a result, salespeople are increasingly acting as influencers within their space.
"Salespeople have the opportunity and responsibility to amplify good information to help prospects better understand solutions," says Dan Tyre, sales expert and former executive at HubSpot. "Because social media is critical for finding potential solutions in the early stages, publishing helpful information is a big differentiator."
2. Focusing on community-building channels
When it comes to social selling, not all platforms are created equal. Reps are increasingly focusing their efforts on channels that support finding prospects, researching potential customers, and building engaged communities.
Overwhelmingly, those channels are LinkedIn and Facebook. LinkedIn is a go-to for identifying prospects based on criteria like job title, company, and interests. And according to HubSpot research, Facebook has emerged as the top trending channel for salespeople to find prospects, with reps saying it‘s the single most effective channel for researching potential customers and their businesses.
The ability to build an active community is a key consideration when choosing where to invest time. "The biggest benefit [of social selling] is socializing and shopping coming together," said one small business executive in a HubSpot survey. "Customers love when you get to know them and let them get to know you."
3. Establishing trust and credibility
It‘s no secret that buyers can be skeptical of companies‘ motives. In an age of infinite information, they place more trust in recommendations from real users than in brands. For that reason, establishing credibility needs to be a top priority for salespeople on social media.
One of the most powerful tools for building trust is social proof. Reps should seek to gather user-generated content like customer testimonials, case studies, and reviews. Sharing this content on social media allows reps to demonstrate the value their offering has provided for other customers, making prospects more comfortable trusting the company.
But above all, sales reps won‘t build trust if they don‘t prioritize providing value in every interaction. Cluttering prospects‘ feeds with irrelevant content or bombarding them with product-focused messages will only turn potential customers off from engaging. Reps need to take a helpful, customer-centric approach in order to build trust.
4. Social media as a lead engine
While social media has long been a valuable networking tool for salespeople, it has emerged as a powerful channel for lead generation as well. According to HubSpot research, 45% of salespeople use social media to find prospects, with reps saying it generates the second-highest quality leads of any channel.
LinkedIn and Facebook are the heavy hitters here. On LinkedIn, reps can easily find potential customers and learn key information about their role, work history, interests, and common connections. And as mentioned above, Facebook has become the breakout star for researching prospects and accounts.
Even before proactive outreach, reps can use social media to get on prospects‘ radar in a friendly, low-pressure way. Commenting on or liking prospects‘ posts can be a valuable first touchpoint to reference later. For example, if a prospect posts about a company milestone, the rep can engage with the post, then mention it at the beginning of their first call or email.
5. Providing customer support via direct messaging
As social media shopping has exploded in popularity, so too have customer expectations for receiving support through the same channels. According to HubSpot‘s 2023 Consumer Trends Report, 47% of social media shoppers expect a response from companies within 30 minutes or less when they reach out on social platforms.
To meet these expectations, many businesses are turning to social media direct messaging as a customer service tool. And it‘s working – sales reps say using DMs to answer questions and provide support is one of the top four most effective tactics for converting customers. What‘s more, salespeople cite the ability to provide customer support through DMs as one of the most important features they look for in social selling platforms.
This makes sense, as DMs enable personalized one-on-one conversations that feel more private than public comment sections. To take advantage of this trend, reps should proactively encourage prospects and customers to reach out via DM with any questions or concerns.
6. Optimizing social profiles for credibility
If a salesperson is regularly sharing content and engaging with prospects on social media, those prospects will likely visit the rep‘s profile to learn more about them. That‘s why it‘s critical that salespeople treat their social profile pages as an extension of their personal brand.
Reps should ensure that all of their profiles are fully fleshed out with relevant details on their role, experience, skills, and interests. Each profile should tell a story about who the rep is, the unique value they provide, and the types of customers they serve. Profiles should also be visually engaging and consistently branded to create a cohesive impression across platforms.
An incomplete or unprofessional social media presence can undermine the credibility reps work so hard to build through their content and interactions. Taking the time to optimize social profiles is well worth it.
7. Leveraging native social commerce tools
For B2C salespeople in particular, taking advantage of built-in commerce features on social platforms is becoming table stakes. Social shoppers have demonstrated a clear preference for being able to discover, research, and purchase products without ever leaving the app.
In fact, 67% of social media users have made a purchase directly through a social platform, and that number is only going up. The most popular channels for social commerce are Facebook, which 56% of consumers have used to buy something in-app, and Instagram, which 77% of social sellers use.
B2B salespeople, on the other hand, aren‘t likely to be closing deals directly on social media anytime soon. However, taking note of the social commerce trend can still provide valuable insights into buyers‘ evolving expectations for seamless, integrated experiences.
Thriving at social selling in 2024 and beyond
The data is clear – salespeople who leverage social media outperform their peers. But simply using social media isn‘t enough. To be effective, reps need to understand and strategically implement social selling best practices.
In 2024, the most successful social sellers will build their personal brand, share valuable content, engage authentically with their network, and provide helpful, timely support to prospects and customers. They‘ll focus on the social channels that allow them to find and research potential buyers. And they‘ll consistently demonstrate credibility and trustworthiness in every interaction.
By keeping these trends and tactics in mind, salespeople can use social media to provide better experiences for today‘s increasingly self-serve buyers and drive more revenue in the process. The future of selling is social – is your sales team ready?
