Social selling has become an increasingly influential tool for businesses, allowing them to harness the potential of social media platforms to reach potential customers and boost sales. In recent years, the concept of social selling has gained significant momentum as more and more people turn to social media for information and product recommendations.

While social selling has become a hot topic in the business world, there is an ongoing debate about its precise definition and whether content is essential for its success. Let’s delve deeper into the nuances of social selling and explore the significance of content in this blog article.

What is social selling exactly?

When looking into social selling, you usually find two different definitions. The sales definition explains social selling at its core as the action to generate leads and make sales. The marketing definition describes social selling as using the personal networks of sales professionals to distribute relevant content, effectively extending the reach of content marketing. In this case, social selling is basically an extension of content marketing.

Don’t agree? You’re right – we’ve exaggerated a bit. In many organizations, sales and marketing work hand in hand to fully leverage social selling. Sales professionals utilize their personal networks to build relationships, educate their target audience with valuable content, and ideally generate business.

What’s the difference between social selling and content marketing?

While there may be some overlap between social selling and content marketing, they serve different purposes. Let’s have a closer look.

1. Focus & objective:

Social selling primarily uses social media platforms to generate leads, build relationships, and drive sales. Its main objective is to directly engage with potential customers, nurture them through the sales funnel, and ultimately convert them into paying customers. Content marketing, on the other hand, aims to create and distribute valuable content to attract, educate, and engage a target audience. The primary goal is to build brand awareness, establish thought leadership, and generate organic interest in products or services.

2. Approach & tactics:

Social selling relies on active engagement with prospects through personalized communication, such as direct messaging, commenting on posts, and participating in relevant conversations. It leverages social media platforms to connect and build relationships with potential customers. Conversely, content marketing focuses on creating and sharing valuable, informative, and engaging content, such as blog articles, videos, infographics, and eBooks. All content is strategically crafted to address the target audience’s pain points, needs, and interests. It aims to attract, educate, and nurture prospects over time, often through inbound marketing techniques.

While social selling and content marketing are different strategies, they are highly complementary, and their effectiveness can be amplified when combined. That’s why social selling is much more effective with high-quality content.

Why do you need content for social selling?

One of the critical components of a successful social selling strategy is high-quality content. Social selling relies on establishing credibility, engaging with the audience, building trust, and nurturing relationships—all greatly enhanced through compelling and valuable content. By providing informative, relevant, and engaging content, social sellers can effectively capture the attention of their target audience, position themselves as industry experts, foster meaningful interactions, and guide prospects through the buyer’s journey. 

Let’s take a closer look at the benefits high-quality content offers you and why it plays a critical role in social selling:

1. Establish your expertise.

One of the primary goals of social selling is to establish yourself as a trusted and knowledgeable resource within your industry. You can demonstrate your expertise and establish credibility with your audience by sharing high-quality content that provides valuable insights, tips, and advice.

Over time, high-quality content establishes you as an industry expert and builds credibility with your target audience. When engaging in social selling, sharing relevant and valuable content enhances your reputation, making prospects more likely to trust your expertise and recommendations.

2. Drive engagement.

Engagement is a critical component of social selling. You must keep your audience engaged with your brand to build relationships and increase the chances of converting them into customers. High-quality, relevant, informative, and engaging content is one of the most effective ways to keep your audience engaged and build a loyal following.

Exciting and engaging content sparks conversations and encourages interactions with your audience. When conducting social selling activities, sharing high-quality content enables you to provide valuable insights, address customer concerns, and foster meaningful discussions. Providing these connection points, in turn, boosts engagement levels and increases the likelihood of building relationships with potential customers.

3. Build trust.

Building trust is another essential component of social selling. Consumers are likelier to buy from brands they trust, and content can help you establish that trust. You can demonstrate your commitment to your audience and build a solid trust-based relationship by providing valuable information and insights.

Content also plays a crucial role in nurturing prospects throughout their buyer’s journey. By providing valuable content aligned with their needs and pain points, you can guide them through the decision-making process and increase the chances of conversion. When supported by relevant and timely content, social selling helps nurture prospects further and move them closer to purchasing.

4. Differentiate yourself from competitors.

In a crowded marketplace, high-quality content sets you apart from competitors. By delivering valuable content that educates, informs, and entertains your audience, you position yourself as a trusted source of information. This differentiation can give you a competitive edge and make your social selling efforts more impactful.

In essence, high-quality content is the fuel that propels social selling to new heights and ensures its effectiveness in the dynamic and competitive landscape of modern sales.

Social selling will only work with excellent content.

As you can see, high-quality content is essential for social selling as it helps build credibility, enhance engagement, differentiate from competitors, and nurture prospects toward conversion. By combining the power of social selling and content marketing, businesses can create a robust and effective strategy for driving sales and building long-term customer relationships.

Do you still need to figure out how to create the right content for your audience? Don’t worry. Our next article will provide a deep dive into how to develop high-quality content for social selling to ensure your future success on social.