Social Selling: the B2B sales revolution

On the one hand, cold calls, word of mouth or face-to-face meetings are methods of generating B2B sales that have gradually become obsolete, and on the other hand, buyers’ decision-making patterns have also undergone significant changes. Today, buyers proactively seek information before making a decision, researching, comparing and obtaining information from different sources, always before committing to a specific solution.

All of these trends are reflected in numbers: 90% of decision makers no longer respond to cold calls, 75% of B2B buyers use social media contacts and information as part of their buying process, and in addition, it has been observed that decision makers spend approximately 22% of their time on social networks such as LinkedIn.

The change has already begun: traditional methods no longer work. Social networks and the digital world have become the cornerstone of any commercial strategy, opening up a range of possibilities for B2B sales.

This is precisely the approach with which Cronuts approaches the commercial and international expansion objectives of Gamarra, a steel foundry company. Until now, they only used traditional commercial techniques. Through the application of Social Selling techniques we were able to significantly increase their sales, going from 0.5 monthly proposals to 15, the creation of a strong and recognizable brand image and the optimization of their Linkedin channel, which went from 150 followers to more than 1,000. If you want to know more about this case, click here.
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What is B2B Social Selling?

B2B Social Selling is the strategic approach that uses social media and online platforms to build relationships with potential customers with the objective of generating sales.

It is a methodology that employs digital tools and strategies, and allows companies to leverage the power of social media to reach their specific target audience and build meaningful relationships with them that can later turn into sales. Unlike traditional selling, which is based on more direct and intrusive approaches, Social Selling focuses on creating authentic and lasting connections through relevant content, engaging in conversations and building trust.

The fundamental principle underlying this methodology is that today’s B2B buyers research, search and make buying decisions based on information they find online, including social media.

How to implement a B2B social selling strategy?

First of all, a Social Selling strategy has as its main objective to be present in the right social networks, providing value and building a reputation as an expert in the industry you belong to. Implementing this technique requires a structured and planned approach.

Some of the key steps to develop and implement this tool:

1. Define objectives: establishing clear and specific goals that you want to achieve with your social selling strategy is fundamental. Some objectives could be to increase the number of qualified prospects, generate sales, strengthen relationships with existing customers or improve brand visibility, among others.
2. Identify problems and establish solutions: knowing and understanding the issues and challenges facing the organization is vital. In the same way, it is essential to identify real and feasible solutions.
3. Know your audience: conduct thorough research to understand your target audience. Analyze their needs, preferences, online behaviors and which social media platforms they use most frequently. This will help you adapt your strategy to their specific characteristics.
4. Choose the right channels: Based on your knowledge of your audience, select the social networks where your potential customers are located and where your message can be shared. For example, if your potential customers are on Linkedin and Instagram, you will have to develop a strategy for each of these platforms since each channel has its own characteristics and your message must be adapted to each of them.
5. Create relevant content: offer quality content that is relevant and useful to your audience. Provide valuable information, advice, solutions to problems and demonstrate your expertise in the area. To do so, you can use different formats, such as blog posts, infographics, videos or podcasts, among others.
6. Build real relationships: create genuine and lasting relationships with your audience. Actively participate in relevant conversations, respond to comments and questions, and show interest in the needs of your followers and potential customers. In this sense, looking for opportunities to connect with them on a personal level and build trust is key.
7. Establish KPIs (Key Performance Indicators).Define the KPIs that will help you measure the success of your social selling strategy. These may include the number of interactions, increase in the number of qualified leads, increase in sales, or any other relevant metric with which to measure the performance of your strategy.
8. Measures and adjustsRegularly monitor your results and analyze the data obtained. Use social media analytics tools to evaluate the performance of your strategy and make adjustments as needed.

Remember that the main objective of B2B Social Selling is to try to establish long-term relationships, offer value and build trust. It is a process that requires time and dedication, but it is highly effective in generating sales and strengthening your presence in the market.

Benefits of B2B Social Selling

The Social Selling technique offers a great number of benefits for companies that decide to implement it.

Firstly, it provides an excellent opportunity to increase the visibility of any company, as it allows you to reach a much wider audience potentially interested in your value proposition. At the same time, it contributes to saving time and resources, as it allows reaching customers directly through digital platforms, avoiding the costs associated with traditional methods.

Moreover, the investment required to develop this strategy is much lower compared to conventional approaches. With social selling, companies can use digital tools and resources at a lower cost compared to activities such as print advertising or attending in-person events. In addition, by establishing authentic and genuine relationships with customers through social networks, trust and credibility are built, which in turn favors the generation of new sales opportunities.

It is also a very effective way to adapt to today’s environment, where online presence is critical to success.

Recommendations for developing an effective B2B Social Selling Strategy

To achieve success in the development of a Social Selling strategy it is necessary to consider a series of key practices that must be followed, as well as a series of mistakes that should not be made.

1. Provide relevant and quality content: Making sure you create and share content that is valuable and relevant to your audience is vital. This includes providing useful, problem-solving information that demonstrates your industry expertise. Quality content will help establish your reputation as an expert and attract potential customers interested in your value proposition.
2. Establish real relationships: in the world of sales, building personal relationships is fundamental. The use of bots or impersonal tactics is a big mistake.
3. Prioritizes quality over quantity: Instead of seeking a large number of followers or connections or creating a large amount of content, focus on the quality of your relationships and providing relevant content. Building strong, trusting relationships with a limited number of customers will be more beneficial than having a large number of superficial connections. Similarly, creating a lot of content without it being relevant to your audience will not help you attract potential customers.
4. Consistency: maintain a constant presence in social networks. Post relevant content regularly, interact with your followers and customers, and maintain a constant flow of communication. Consistency will help you keep your audience’s attention and interest over time.
5. Active listeningPay attention to the conversations of your potential customers. Listen to their needs, concerns and opinions. Use this information to tailor your strategy and offer customized solutions that truly meet their needs.
6. AdaptLearn from your experiences and adapt your approach to continuously improve. Likewise, keep up to date with the latest trends and changes and adjust your strategy to take advantage of new opportunities. Adaptability will allow you to stay relevant and competitive in the digital environment which, as we have seen, is constantly evolving.