Top 3 Differences of B2B Social Selling & Social Media Marketing Plus How to Make the Two Strategies Work Together

B2B ‘social selling’ is somewhat a brand-new term in the sales and marketing landscape. Numerous companies are already embracing this brand-new strategy, nevertheless, not all end up successful.

One point that prevents a business’ success in implementing social selling methods results from the misconception of what B2B social selling truly is.

Social Selling is not selling on social media sites. Nor can it be contrasted to social media advertising and marketing.

Rather, social selling is a strategy that uses social media platforms for outreach and building valuable connections with prospects. When these relationships are developed and stabilized, then you can convert these potential customers into clients.

Sales in Contrast to Marketing: Defining the Various Approaches of How Each Department Makes Use of B2B Social Media Platforms

As discussed above, social selling differs from social media marketing.

Social media marketing frequently makes use of social media sites in three methods. Initially, it is utilized to build as well as strengthen brand recognition. Considering that social network channels have numerous users, it is easy to develop recognition as long as you publish content that buyers can relate to.

In line with this, marketing likewise makes use of B2B social platforms to disseminate information to their target audience. The purpose is to educate, stimulate interest, and captivate your B2B buyers.

Finally, social media marketing — when done right — can also boost a company’s customer success through after-sales service. Numerous businesses today use social media to provide excellent customer service.

On the other hand, social selling techniques use B2B social media sites primarily for prospecting and outreach. LinkedIn has more than 690 million users on its platform. A B2B business can see this as a cash cow of potential customers!

Through LinkedIn, your sales associates can learn more about their potential customers and also make their outreach much more customized. By offering help through valuable content that answers your buyers’ pain points, your sales representatives can efficiently build as well as sustain connections that will fruit into a sale.

Sales Vs. Marketing: What are the Leading Distinctions Between B2B Social Media Marketing and Social Selling?

Social selling and social media marketing have various distinctions aside from how each uses social media networks. Here are their top 3 differences:

1. Strategy Purpose

Social Media Marketing: The primary objective of social media marketing is to develop a recognition of who your brand is and what it provides for your target buyers. Whatever material you publish is aimed at creating a buzz around your business or product. Content is used to build your authority in your particular industry.

Social Selling: Social selling is utilized to generate high-quality leads by forming partnerships based on value. The main objective of social selling is to capture a prospect’s trust so you can efficiently transform him or her into a happy client.

2. Messaging Approach

Social Media Marketing: Social media marketing integrates a messaging that is “brand-to-many.” Content for marketing is intended for a company’s general target audience as its objective is to showcase what the brand is all about.

Social Selling: Social selling highlights a messaging that is “brand-to-one.” The type of content needed for an effective social selling strategy is intended specifically for a particular target segment or particular titles of prospects.

3. Active Players

Social Media Marketing: From graphics & video clips to written content & promotion, your marketing department has the sole duty regarding your business’ social media marketing.

Social Selling: The players of social selling consist of 3 divisions — sales enablement, sales, and marketing. Sales enablement will determine the material your salespeople need as well as streamline content production with the marketing department. Although the marketing division will create the required content, your sales representatives are in charge of sharing these types of content with your prospects.

Top 3 B2B Social Selling and Social Media Marketing Methods your Business Needs to Implement in Order to Improve Sales

While social selling and social media marketing vary in most ways, there are areas where they can collaborate to enhance sales.

Begin with a strategy.

Success stems from a definitive strategy. With a B2B digital strategy system that specifies the goal and KPI metrics to track, you will have the ability to determine if your efforts are productive. Also, if you’re losing time as well as cash over something that isn’t working for your company.

Develop content for sales.

In B2B, content is KING. Whether it’s for social selling or social media marketing. More and more, B2B buyers today are proactively researching solutions to their business pain points online. Therefore, you must provide help through various content found on your profiles. Plus, create certain materials such as whitepapers that your sales team can use for their prospecting.

Sign up for digital sales training.

You cannot just leave your sales reps on their own when integrating a B2B social selling and social media marketing strategy. To be effective, they need to undergo digital sales training supplied by a reliable company that knows the system and also have a favorable track record to confirm it.

Also, you cannot expect your sellers to create top-notch leads in a matter of days or weeks. There is a learning curve, a change of mindset, and a transition to marketing habits that your sellers need to undergo to become reliable social sellers.

Define Your B2B Social Selling Goals: Produce an Annual Digital Sales Strategy to Take Advantage of a Social Selling System

Social selling and social media marketing may be two different branches. However, when you assimilate both strategies into one, you can maximize your sales reps’ potential for lead generation.

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