As social media continues to evolve, businesses are discovering new ways to engage with customers, build relationships, and ultimately drive sales. A recent article by Gianni Adamoli, CEO of Execus, highlights how social media is transforming the landscape of online sales, particularly in the B2B sector. According to Adamoli, “90% of people buy from brands they follow on social media and are willing to spend 20% to 40% more on those they interact with.” This statistic underscores the growing importance of social media in influencing consumer behavior.
In the B2B arena, the impact of social media is even more pronounced. Data shows that 75% of B2B buyers utilize social media to gather information before making a purchase, while 54% of B2B marketers generate leads directly from these platforms. Adamoli notes that the effectiveness of social selling strategies has led to a significant increase in opportunities—companies adopting these strategies report up to 45% more chances to close deals compared to traditional sales channels.
Moreover, 31% of B2B professionals have stated that social media has helped them build stronger relationships, and 39% have managed to reduce the time spent searching for new contacts. With over 5 billion internet users globally, nearly 64% of whom are active on social media, the potential for businesses to connect with consumers is immense. Statista predicts that by 2028, the number of social media users will exceed 6 billion.
LinkedIn remains a dominant platform for B2B social selling, boasting over 1 billion registered users, including 230 million in the United States and 20 million in Italy. Tools like Sales Navigator and InMail enable companies to position themselves as industry leaders and improve customer acquisition processes. However, LinkedIn is not the only platform that businesses should consider. Adamoli points out that X (formerly Twitter) is useful for following trends and engaging in relevant discussions, while platforms like YouTube and TikTok are becoming increasingly important for content marketing. These platforms allow businesses to create webinars, tutorials, and case studies that engage buyers in a more direct and visual manner.
Messaging apps such as WhatsApp are also emerging as strategic channels for managing leads and providing personalized customer service. Many companies are now implementing advanced chatbots to handle initial customer interactions and respond to inquiries in real time. This shift towards social selling emphasizes the need for credibility; as Adamoli notes, “users are becoming more selective and tend to engage only with brands and professionals that offer authentic content.” According to Hootsuite, the future of social selling will rely more on creative and valuable content rather than straightforward product promotion.
As the landscape evolves, the role of influencers in B2B social selling is also changing. While macro-influencers have traditionally dominated, there is a growing trend toward micro and nano-influencers who possess niche expertise. Their specialized knowledge makes them more credible to audiences, resulting in higher engagement and conversion rates compared to conventional advertising campaigns. These influencers enhance brand trust and contribute to organic growth.
Artificial intelligence (AI) and personalization are set to be significant trends in social selling by 2025. By collecting and analyzing data, companies can offer increasingly targeted experiences tailored to individual customer needs. ISTAT data from 2024 reveals that 8.2% of Italian companies with at least 10 employees are already using AI to optimize their digital strategies, a figure that is expected to grow as businesses adopt more sophisticated software to segment audiences and improve engagement strategies.
The rise of video marketing and social listening will also play a crucial role in shaping the future of social selling. Audiovisual content, such as expert interviews and practical demonstrations, will become essential for building authority and fostering engagement. Statistics indicate that 76% of TikTok users appreciate a mix of images and videos in ads, highlighting the importance of diverse content formats.
As companies navigate these changes, they must also consider how social selling strategies differ across markets. In the United States, social selling is a well-established practice, with a GoDaddy study revealing that more than one in five consumers makes purchases on social media weekly. This trend is particularly strong among younger generations, with 31% of Gen Z and 52% of millennials having made purchases on Facebook in the last three months. TikTok has emerged as the preferred platform for Gen Z, with 52% of users making purchases in that same timeframe.
In Europe, the adoption of social selling is growing, but there are notable differences between sectors and countries. Eurostat data from 2023 indicates that 60.9% of EU enterprises utilized at least one type of social media for business purposes, a significant increase from previous years. The hospitality and information sectors are leading the way in digital integration, while more traditional sectors like transportation and construction lag behind.
In Italy, social selling is gaining traction, although it still lags behind the U.S. and other European countries. The traditional corporate culture and the perception of social media as primarily B2C tools hinder investment in this area. However, digitalization is prompting more businesses to recognize the value of social selling in expanding their market reach and strengthening customer relationships.
The “Digital 2024” report by We Are Social indicates that 25.1% of Italian users utilize social media to discover new brands, with 47.1% making online purchases weekly. As we look ahead to 2025, social selling will increasingly focus on building authentic and personalized relationships. Digital platforms will evolve into ecosystems of trust and authority, where companies that effectively integrate AI, video content, and personalized engagement strategies will gain a competitive edge. In social selling, as in the real world, those who build strong relationships will achieve the best results.
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