Most sales teams know they should be using LinkedIn and other social platforms to connect with buyers. But knowing is not the same as doing. For many B2B organizations, getting sellers to engage on social media consistently feels like an uphill battle. Sales teams are busy, skeptical, and often unsure what "social selling" really means or how it benefits them.
Meanwhile, modern B2B buyers are doing more research independently, avoiding cold outreach, and relying on their networks for trusted recommendations. This shift in behavior puts traditional sales tactics at a disadvantage and creates a major opportunity for teams that embrace social selling as part of their everyday process.
What is social selling?
Social selling is the practice of using social media platforms, especially LinkedIn, to find, connect with, and build relationships with potential buyers. Unlike traditional sales tactics that rely on cold calls or mass emails, social selling is about starting meaningful conversations, adding value, and earning trust over time.
At its core, social selling is not about pitching. It is about building credibility, sharing insights, engaging with industry content, and becoming a go-to resource in your niche.
Why sellers struggle with social selling
Even when marketing and enablement teams provide guidance, many sellers still hesitate. The reasons are understandable and fixable.
Common barriers include:
1. Lack of clarity: "What exactly should I post or say?"
2. Fear of doing it wrong : Sellers worry they will come across as inauthentic or make a mistake
3. Perception that it is marketing's job: Some reps do not see social as their responsibility
4. Time pressure: Sellers are focused on deals, not content
5. No immediate ROI: Social selling success is often gradual, which can be frustrating for quota-carrying reps
To overcome these blockers, organizations need to align social selling with the way sales teams already work and show them that it is not about becoming a marketer, but about being visible, valuable, and human.
Why social selling matters in B2B
Today's buyers are digitally savvy and socially connected. They are more likely to trust a peer's LinkedIn post than a branded ad. And they are doing their research long before they ever talk to a sales rep.
Here is why social selling is especially important in B2B:
1. It builds trust in a low-pressure, conversational way
2. It creates visibility among the right audience, including decision-makers and influencers.
3. It opens doors to warm conversations that feel personal, not pushy.
4. It aligns with modern buying behavior, where most of the journey happens before outreach.
When done well, social selling leads to higher-quality conversations, stronger relationships, and a more consistent pipeline.
How to get sales teams involved in social selling
Engaging sales in social selling is not about adding more work. It is about making it easy, repeatable, and clearly valuable.
1. Lead with value for sellers
Show how social selling helps them book meetings, shorten cycles, and build credibility. Frame it as a tool for success, not a task to complete.
2. Provide ready-to-share content
Create a centralized content hub where reps can find relevant, pre-approved posts. Include options they can personalize with their own voice.
3. Offer training and confidence-building
Most reps are not reluctant; they are just unsure. Provide short, actionable sessions that cover LinkedIn best practices, profile optimization, and how to start conversations.
4. Encourage them to engage, not just post
Social selling starts with small actions like liking, commenting, or replying to posts. These interactions build familiarity and trust before a connection request or message is sent.
5. Recognize early adopters
Shout out to top-performing reps who are using social selling effectively. Peer success stories are often more persuasive than executive mandates.
What content works best for social selling?
Sellers do not need to create new content every day. What they need is content that feels relevant and authentic, things they are comfortable sharing.
Effective social selling content includes:
1. Industry trends or insights with a quick opinion
2. Customer success stories or quotes
3. Third-party articles that support your solution
4. Light commentary on webinars, events, or panels
5. Short videos from marketing or product teams
6. Human moments, such as culture posts or lessons learned
Encourage reps to add context, a personal takeaway, or a question. These posts perform better and feel more genuine.
How to build trust through social selling
Trust is the currency of B2B sales. Social selling helps build that trust long before a discovery call.
Here is how:
1. Show up consistently by posting or engaging a few times per week
2. Be helpful, not salesy. Share insights, not just calls to action.
3. Join conversations by commenting on posts from prospects, partners, or industry leaders.
4. Highlight your team. Reps can boost company credibility by spotlighting internal expertise or wins.
5. Respond quickly when someone engages, using it as a prompt to connect or message.
Over time, this kind of engagement builds recognition and credibility, which leads to warmer, more productive sales conversations.
How marketing can support social selling
Social selling works best when marketing and sales collaborate. Marketing teams are in a perfect position to enable sellers with the right content, tools, and support.
Here is how marketing can help:
1. Curate content that fits sales conversations, not just campaigns
2. Create templates or post starters to reduce writing pressure.
3. Educate sellers on best practices with micro-training or guides.
4. Track what is working and share insights.
5. Create feedback loops so sales can request content they actually need.
When sales trusts marketing to deliver valuable content, adoption goes up and performance improves.
How to measure social selling success
Social selling is more complex to measure than traditional outbound, but it is not impossible to measure. Focus on leading indicators and qualitative signals, not just closed deals.
Track metrics such as:
1. Number of posts or shares by sales reps
2. Engagement from target accounts
3. Connection requests accepted
4. Inbound messages or referrals via LinkedIn
5. Traffic to landing pages from rep-shared links
6. Feedback from reps on conversations that started on social
Some teams also use LinkedIn's Social Selling Index (SSI) as a benchmark, though it is more of a directional tool than an accurate KPI.
Ultimately, the goal is not just visibility. It is about creating influence that leads to trust and a pipeline.
Final Thoughts
If your sales team is not practicing social selling, you are missing a valuable opportunity to build relationships, earn trust, and stay visible to today's buyers. The good news is that you do not need a complete transformation to start. With the right enablement, content, and support, you can help your team engage confidently and effectively.
Social selling is not a marketing responsibility. It is a modern sales skill that helps reps meet buyers where they already are on social.