Social Selling in 2025: The (NOT) New Competitive Edge

Rachel Daggett

Social selling is not new. Sales professionals have been building trust and staying top of mind long before the digital era. What has changed is the reach, speed, and measurability made possible by platforms like LinkedIn. 75% of B2B buyers now use social media to support purchasing decisions (Zeliq). Sellers with a high Social Selling Index generate 45% more opportunities and are 51% more likely to hit quota (LinkedIn).

Even with this evolution, social selling is not a replacement for outbound calling. Cold calls still play a critical role. The difference is that social activity often earns the right to make that call by making your name recognizable, your expertise visible, and your outreach more welcome. When combined, social engagement and direct calling outperform either method alone.

What Social Selling Looks Like in 2025

For those unfamiliar with the modern approach, social selling today often includes:

Posting industry-relevant, high-quality content to position yourself as a trusted voice.
Engaging with target accounts through comments, shares, and value-added input.
Monitoring buying signals like job changes, funding rounds, and expansion news.
Linking these activities with CRM tracking to connect engagement directly to pipeline.

When applied consistently, these actions move a buyer from not knowing you to seeing you as a credible partner worth engaging.

Trust as the Digital Currency

Trust remains the decisive factor in most deals, yet now it often forms before the first conversation. On LinkedIn, only about 1% of users post regularly,(OptinMonster) which creates a visibility advantage for those who do. 78% percent of social sellers outperform peers who do not use social channels (OptinMonster). Sales Executives who consistently share relevant insights create familiarity that primes their audience for engagement when the time is right.

Spotting Buying Signals Early

Opportunities rarely begin with an RFP. A newly hired CIO, a facility expansion, or a funding announcement can all indicate that a company may soon be in the market. These triggers are not theoretical—C-level executives often receive hundreds of inbound messages after stepping into a new role precisely because this timing works. Even F3 partner, Jamey Heinze, tells a story about how he took a call and ultimately purchased a martech solution due to the right combination of timing and context.

For sellers, the key is to be relevant, informed, and concise when acting on these moments. Teams that apply this discipline—monitoring for specific buying signals and engaging appropriately—can enter conversations well before competitors.

From Insight to Engagement

Social selling is most effective when outreach grows naturally from prior interaction. A prospect who has seen an AE’s engagement with multiple posts is more likely to answer the phone, stay in the conversation, and agree to a follow-up. The call is still essential, but it benefits from the trust built in advance.

The Authority Loop

Sales people who combine curated industry insights with their own perspectives create an authority loop: the audience anticipates their commentary, engages with it, and extends its reach. Over time, this loop develops brand gravity that draws prospects in organically with less of the typical “numbers game” pursuit.

Using AI as a Force Multiplier

Artificial intelligence now supports social selling in practical ways. It can surface trending topics for your sector, outline first-pass content, and flag relevant news about target accounts. The technology accelerates action but does not replace the relationship-building work that remains central to sales success.

Measuring ROI and Setting Expectations

Team progress should be tracked through clear metrics such as:

Share of pipeline influenced by social engagement.
Meetings booked with priority accounts after LinkedIn interaction.
Engagement rate from decision-makers in target companies.

Consistent results often appear after several months of disciplined effort, although early wins are possible. Without this commitment, competitors who invest in social presence will shape buyer perceptions before you ever make contact.

The Combined Approach

Social selling expands reach, builds trust, and shortens the path to a productive first meeting. Calls bring focus, urgency, and direct interaction. The most effective B2B sales strategies in 2025 use both, each amplifying the other to create a real advantage.