Social selling is still a relatively new approach in the B2B world, so wouldn’t it be nice to have a way to measure your success and ensure your strategy is on the right track? Luckily, there already is: the LinkedIn Social Selling Index, short SSI.  

LinkedIn describes its SSI as a social selling measurement tool that was solely produced to help you quantify the value of your social selling efforts. That sounds great, right? But let us warn you right here: The first look at your SSI will most likely raise more questions than it answers. 

No reason to worry, though! Just read on to learn everything you need to know about why this score matters, how it is measured, the skill points that contribute to it, and how you can improve your index if you so choose. 

What is my SSI, and why does it matter? 

It’s helpful to find out your current score to see where you currently stand and what you may want to do to improve your index. Find out your current SSI by clicking here. 

Now that you know your SSI score, it’s time to learn why it matters. The number between 0 and 100 is your starting point. If it’s not where you’d like it to be, don’t panic. The significance of the SSI is to be a helpful metric and tool for tracking your progress, so it exists only for your benefit. The higher your score, the more effective your social selling approach is in the four following areas: establishing a professional brand with an optimized profile, finding the right prospects, sharing relevant content, and building and strengthening relationships. 

Component 1: Establishing a professional brand with an optimized profile. 

This first component of your score concerns how your profile is set up, how well you reflect your brand, and what you are all about professionally. This step encompasses how you fill out your profile, the quality of the content you create, and the views and followers you gain in the process. 

Tip for improvement: Work on becoming a successful thought Leader. Stepping into thought leadership is about portraying your professionalism and industry knowledge to people by taking the lead and guiding them in the right direction with your expertise. Establishing this type of presence on LinkedIn will positively impact your SSI. 

Component 2: Finding the right people. 

Filling your network with ideal clients and potential prospects is essential to ensure that your social selling strategy is successful and reaches the right audience. LinkedIn makes this easy with built-in search and research tools. 

Tip for improvement: Use keywords that relate to ideal candidates in LinkedIn’s robust search tools to find and connect with more of the “right people” you need to succeed. Creating more of an online market for yourself to flourish in should help your score. 

Component 3: Engaging with insights. 

The third component of the SSI is all about the insights you bring to the table and the conversations you lead. This step demonstrates your online community expertise and sets a foundation for more connection-building and thoughtful discussions. It will help you find similar people in your industries and those of your clients. 

Tip for improvement: In addition to starting conversations, join some LinkedIn groups! They present an excellent way to find like-minded individuals and show off your wisdom and expertise in a way that reflects excitement and interest instead of simply a need to sell. 

Component 4: Building relationships. 

Last but not least, relationship building is a critical factor in determining your social selling index score, which makes sense since so much of the sales and social media worlds revolve around relationship building. Social selling combines the strengths of both. But having the right people in your circle isn’t enough in itself. Your success is defined by the meaningful relationships you cultivate and the trust you build with decision-makers. After all, 73% of B2B buyers prefer to buy from sales professionals recommended by someone they know. 

Tip for improvement: Focus on relationships beyond those you build with leaders. Relationships matter regardless of job titles or status. So engage with other company members with various titles. You never know who might have more decision-making power than it seems or who could mention your name to the right person at the perfect time. 

Now it’s time to grow your SSI like a pro. 

Has learning more about each of the components that make up your score given you ideas for the direction you want to take your social selling in to improve your index and other tangible outcomes? Excellent!  

Use your index to gauge your success and know you are on the right track. LinkedIn also shows you an individual ranking of each component, making it easy to decide which needs the most attention. Keep in mind the many ways these factors impact each other. For example, the more you broaden your network and extend it to the right people, the more chances you have to build meaningful connections and relationships. 

Even though your score only needs to be for your eyes, it does a decent job aligning with social selling success. LinkedIn says social selling leaders generate 45% more sales opportunities than peers with lower SSI. So ask yourself: Is it time to create that extra 45% for yourself? How regularly do you check your SSI? Is it a fair assessment of social selling? If you had to add another metric for it to measure to make up your score, what would it be? 

We look forward to reading your input in the comments and hope our breakdown of the SSI helped you lift your LinkedIn profile and social selling game to the next level. 

Photos by Afif Kusama on Unsplash; Kelly Sikkema on Unsplash; Patrick Fore on Unsplash; Mpho Mojapelo on Unsplash