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 their 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 to 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 to create 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 to 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 reps are in charge of sharing these types of content to 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 for 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 a digital sales training supplied by a reliable company that knows the system and also have a favorable track record to confirm it.  

Also, you can't 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. 

Link to the full post: https://crushingb2b.com/b2b-social-selling-vs-social-media-marketing/ 

About the author

Craig Wasilchak is the founder and CEO of Crushing B2B Digital Strategies. He is also an active member of the Entrepreneur Organization, as he is the owner of a business earning over $1M in sales annually.

Crushing B2B Digital Strategies is a Dallas-Fort Worth area-based company that teaches CEOs, C-Level Execs, & Entrepreneurs how to grow their business value by using success systems for LinkedIn, other social media platforms, and SEO. Crushing B2B offers a variety of Social Selling & LinkedIn training, Branding & Lead Generation systems that are proven to convert digital sales conversations into profits.

As a B2B Mentor that has extensive skills in Leadership, Mentoring, and Entrepreneurial skills, Craig loves to share his amazing business journey and help others achieve their maximum success.

Craig has built and sold multi-million dollar businesses over the last 25 years. Now, with Crushing B2B Digital Strategies, his goal is to teach other entrepreneurs how to grow and run profitable businesses in a disrupted business world utilizing practical business strategies. If you wish to connect with Craig here on LinkedIn, just send an invite! You are also more than welcome to subscribe to his YouTube Channel "The B2B Lead Generation Movement”.