Social selling: the journey from inspiration to purchase

It’s no news that Brazilians spend a large part of the day online, but it may still be surprising to think that half of our lives, according to a recent survey by cybersecurity company NordVPN, is spent in front of screens, especially on entertainment platforms and social networks.

In this article, we cover the following topics:

• What is social selling?

• Is there a difference between social selling and hard selling?

• What are the main pillars of social selling?

• How do B2B salespeople apply the strategy, and through which steps?

• Is social selling the same as social engagement?

• When does it meet influencer marketing?

• How does Inflr practice social selling?

More than channels through which we connect with people, brands, and stories, social networks such as Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, WhatsApp, and LinkedIn have, in recent years, become spaces where brands build relationships with their audience and also negotiate and sell their products and services. We call this set of actions social selling. Shall we take a look at the main pillars of this process?

Speed, scale, efficiency, and trust. These are the four pillars of social selling.

We’ll dive into each of these concepts throughout the article, but first, here’s a question: if, to solve a customer’s pain point, the salesperson needs to establish a real connection, isn’t selling on social networks in itself a behavior that predates the digital universe?

In addition to what defines social selling and which pillars support it, we’ll look at the difference between social selling and hard selling. As for B2B salespeople, we’ll see how they use it and which techniques they use to attract more and more customers. Another important point will be understanding whether social selling is the same as social engagement. Finally, we’ll cover two important aspects: what characterizes the connection between social selling and influencer marketing, and how Inflr puts social selling into practice.

What is social selling?

Put simply, social selling is the strategic process of establishing a real connection, or a relationship, with potential users so that they become customers. You may now be wondering: why has social selling proven to be a more efficient strategy — and therefore one with higher financial returns — than more traditional sales techniques?

The answer is simple: although populations are not fully present in the digital universe due to social inequalities in access, the users with the biggest budgets are also the ones who use social networks the most, as industry research shows.

In line with this data, a recent survey by IDC (International Data Corporation), commissioned by Infobip — an omnichannel communications company — revealed that, in Brazil, more than half of retailers’ revenue comes from digital platforms. What explains this result is the massive presence of these professionals using social networks to close their sales: more than 80% of salespeople are on platforms such as Facebook and Instagram.

Whether to offer a new type of service to a new customer profile or to innovate compared with retailers who resist digitalizing their products and services, the truth is that more and more companies have embraced social selling.

Is there a difference between social selling and hard selling?

Although both methods are sales strategies, there are indeed considerable differences between social selling and hard selling.

While hard selling relies on a less subtle and more direct sales model, that is, a more aggressive, product-focused sale that aims to capture the customer quickly, social selling relies on a more interactive model, that is, a more customer-focused sale that aims to build loyalty over whatever time it takes.

Shall we look at a comparison table of the two methods?

Cultivation. This is the word to keep in mind when thinking about social selling. First, you cultivate the social media environment, then you cultivate the potential customer’s trust, and then you cultivate the relationship.

What are the main pillars of social selling?

There are four pillars of social selling: speed, scale, efficiency, and trust.

• The speed that social networks have given social selling is structurally linked to the digital universe. With fast internet, online sales benefit both consumers and the market ecosystem. The opposite, however, is also true. And when it comes to Brazil, research shows that our internet is unfortunately still much slower than in the rest of the world;
• In the context of social selling, scale, or scalability, is when the sales of a business or company increase. With a scalable business, that is, one in which results and efficiency improve, demand also tends to grow. Considering the digitalization of this process, digital social networks are great allies for retailers;
• Sales efficiency means more than converting leads into customers or each salesperson hitting their monthly target: it means establishing sales processes, understanding consumer behavior, and committing to customer loyalty, to evaluation metrics, and to the tools that will lead to the final goal;
• Finally, trust is the pillar linked to building a relationship between brands and consumers. Think of it as the bridge that connects the pain points of users — who are looking for a solution — with salespeople ready to help them with the information they need.

How do B2B salespeople apply the strategy, and through which steps?

Real-world salespeople who are prepared to represent their company, conveying its values and reinforcing its brand to customers, are also prepared to apply social selling in digital marketing strategies. To do so, some important steps need to be followed. Let’s take a look at them.

• Humanize sales through social networks

We know that people connect with people. That’s why investing in approaches that align salespeople with the brand while also boosting their sales targets is a worthwhile path;

• Integrate the marketing and sales teams

Positioning, language, leads, prospects, pain points, questions. These topics only tend to develop when the teams are integrated into one: smarketing; 

• Combine social selling with content marketing

Effective sales content should be balanced with creating and sharing content that helps leads in some way, whether by solving their problems, saving them time, or adding value to their lives; 

• Find or create groups that spark conversations about what you sell

Facebook, LinkedIn, or another social network. Whatever the platform, joining or creating groups related to the company’s segment can reinforce the online authority of salespeople’s profiles;

• Understand the company’s ideal customer profile (ICP)

To define the company’s persona, you first need to define the ideal customer. With the ICP defined, the strategy of segmenting social media searches by potential customers’ profiles becomes much easier;

• Leverage personal connections

Direct sales messages on social networks are often ignored or end up in spam. That’s why leveraging the connections you — as a salesperson — already have can be a way to meet a potential customer or people close to them.

Is social selling the same as social engagement?

Although they are very similar strategies, we can say that social engagement is the evolution of social selling since, in addition to encompassing methods for selling products and services, it aims to generate engagement and increase the credibility of the company or business.

Shall we look at a comparison table of the two strategies?

When does it meet influencer marketing?

It is when the brand expands its purpose that social selling meets influencer marketing and, through the company’s social networks, connects with influencers who promote the business’s products, services, and solutions.

You may now be wondering whether influencer marketing “improves” social selling. Our answer is yes. As purchase decisions are increasingly shaped by social media and, consequently, by digital influencers, both B2C and B2B audiences, as well as C-level executives, have transformed their relationship with consumption in the digital age.

That said, social networks play two main roles with the help of influencer marketing: that of a shop window and that of a business meeting room. So, to master social selling, you need to know how to present yourself and connect with your audience, and also how to turn the result of that relationship into sales arguments.

The better social selling and influencer marketing are combined, the greater the brand’s visibility, and the easier it will be to understand its position relative to competitors and to apply the ideal fit to capture leads and customers.

How does Inflr practice social selling?

Smart influencer marketing: this is how Inflr practices social selling.

We are an adtech specialized in connecting your brand with digital influencers whose audience is aligned with your market. Thanks to our pioneering approach, your audience gains not only in breadth, but also in engagement.

This whole journey is only possible because the influencer marketing practiced by Inflr speaks precisely to the desired audience through our multi-segmentation strategy: we consider filters such as geolocation, age group, and activities of interest, among others. With the match applied, digital influencers become a reference inside and outside their follower base.

At Inflr, your brand pays only for the delivery generated and, thanks to remarketing, sees its chances of being chosen by a potential customer increase.

As a benchmark in the market, we are also fully in tune with the future of smart influencer marketing. We refine our strategies through three main actions, for example:

1. We look for influencers willing to develop skills that are increasingly connected with the contemporary world;
2. We look for influencers committed to authentic and transparent content;
3. We seek out and value nano and micro-influencers.

We influence people, boost businesses, and maximize results. With Inflr, social selling and influencer marketing work together to ensure success and transform the future of your business.