“He’s an individual way out there in the azure, riding on a grin and a shoeshine.”
This is how Arthur Miller described Willy Loman, the central figure of his iconic 1949 drama “Death of a Salesman.”
Seventy years later, effective salespeople are still in the azure. However, this azure now belongs to LinkedIn and Facebook, and million-dollar grins have evolved into million-dollar emoticons.
Loman wasn’t acquainted with social selling metrics, but he understood what all exemplary salespeople comprehend: Connections drive sales. You familiarize yourself with your prospects and their needs. You cultivate trust. When the moment is opportune and prospects are prepared to purchase, they’ll recall you first.
This was the scenario in 1949, and it remains the same today. That’s why the finest sales experts seize every opportunity that social media selling platforms offer. They acknowledge the power of social networks to elevate customer interaction. It’s termed social selling now, but Willy Loman would see it as the genuine hard work of establishing connections and closing sales.
Let’s explore some statistics that could aid the future wave of salespeople to navigate the vast azure.
Essential Social Selling Metrics for 2025
- Over 50% of revenue in 14 leading industries is created by social sales.
- 75% of B2B purchasers and 84% of top-level executives are swayed by social media when making buying choices.
- 48% of firms identified extending reach to new purchasers as a perk of social sales.
- Pioneers in social sales generate 45% more sales than their counterparts and have a 51% likelihood of achieving their targets.
- Almost 70% of sales specialists utilize social selling tools for lead creation.
Statistics on Social Selling
Over 50% of revenue in 14 leading industries is created by social sales.
(LinkedIn – Truth About Social Selling)
This embraces some of the largest sectors, like healthcare, advertising, logistics, and computer software. Social selling has emerged as the prevalent sales approach in the modern age, and leveraging its power can distinguish between unsuccessful and thriving ventures.
98% of B2B companies appreciate the value of social selling, yet only 49% of them have established social selling programs.
(anthonyBarnum)
Despite nearly all businesses acknowledging the advantages of social selling, fewer than half have fully implemented selling programs. This affects both client outreach and customer retention.
Businesses with defined social selling processes are 40% more likely to achieve revenue targets.
(Sales for Life)
According to the Sales for Life social media selling data infographic, 78% of businesses with an in-place social sales process managed to accomplish their revenue targets in the preceding year. Those objectives were met in only 38% of the cases by businesses that lack a structured process when conducting sales. These statistics illustrate a clear connection between organized social selling and sales metrics.
48% of firms identified extending reach to new purchasers as a perk of social sales.
(Sales For Life)
Forrester’s survey of social selling firms revealed that, for 48%, buyer outreach constitutes a major benefit of social sales. Of those surveyed, 45% emphasized staying in touch with the buyer during the sales cycle, and 41% mentioned increased win rates and seller productivity as advantages.
Social sellers acquire and convert more clients.
(HubSpot)
With regard to social selling, the statistics speak volumes. Social sellers possess a larger pool of new clients (65% vs 47%) and higher client conversion (46% vs 31%) compared to those who do not use social media for sales. The data clearly shows that more interaction on social media boosts buyers’ confidence – signaling to them that they can trust accounts with higher numbers of followers and likes. Perhaps that’s why in July 2024, more than half of enterprises reported purchasing Instagram followers and likes for their content. Furthermore, this trend is even more widespread among TikTok account holders – with 70% reporting having bought TikTok followers and likes in the past year.
Leaders in social sales generate 45% more opportunities than their lower-SSI peers and are 51% more inclined to meet their targets.
(LinkedIn – Social Selling Index)
The social selling index (SSI) evaluates a salesperson’s social selling abilities and execution. According to LinkedIn social selling data, superior social sellers produce more opportunities and achieve their quotas more effortlessly.
Trust is the paramount element in closing deals for both vendors and decision-makers.
(LinkedIn – State of Sales Report 2019 Pocket Guide)
Recent studies reveal that 40% of professional sellers and 51% of decision-makers consider trust the critical factor in closing deals. Companies cultivating their brand should aim to garner their customers’ trust initially. Social sales play an integral role in this as they foster relationships with customers, leading to trust building.
Social Media Selling Metrics
In 2020, there were 3.6 billion active social media users worldwide.
(Statista)
Almost half of Earth’s population uses social networks, and statistics on social media indicate that this figure increases daily. By 2025, that number is foreseen to reach 4.41 billion. Unsurprisingly, social networks have emerged as the principal sales and marketing tools of our time.
Over 70% of sales professionals and 90% of top achievers utilize social selling tools.
(LinkedIn – State of Sales Report 2016)
Studies show that 71% of sales professionals use Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and other networking channels. Sales professionals are increasingly acknowledging the significance of social media selling for improving their quotas.
78% of social sellers close more sales than their peers who don’t leverage social media.
(LinkedIn – Social Selling Index)
According to social media selling statistics research, more than seven out of ten individuals utilizing social networks in their sales approach achieve better outcomes than those who depend on more traditional sales approaches.
Almost 70% of marketers but only 50% of vendors use social media to comprehend buyer preferences and needs.
(Forrester)
Forrester’s employee survey about social media metrics shows a substantial gap between marketers and vendors regarding understanding their customers. This appears as an unexploited chance for vendors to learn more about their target audience before attempting to engage them in social sales.
Lack of assurance about engaging on social networks is the most frequent issue sales teams face concerning social sales.
(Forrester)
As per Forrester’s social selling infographic, 32% of participants stated that a lack of confidence among their sales team when engaging individuals on social networks poses the largest challenge to creating and maintaining a successful social selling program. Notable mentions
encompass a restricted comprehension of social commerce offerings (28%) and a broad absence of instruction (27%). This suggests that although many comprehend what social commerce is, they lack confidence in their proficiency in its practical application.
Most experts favor utilizing LinkedIn for making sales.
(LinkedIn – State of Sales Report 2019 Pocket Guide)
Data on social media commerce indicates that a majority of sales specialists employ LinkedIn (70%) and Facebook (64%) to secure prospects and finalize sales. Regarding using social platforms for commercial objectives, Twitter (43%), YouTube (41%), and Instagram (39%) also play significant roles. Created as a networking medium for business individuals, LinkedIn and Facebook, the largest social network, dominate the scene of online social commerce.
Statistics on B2B Sales
75% of B2B purchasers and 84% of high-level executives are impacted by social platforms in their purchasing choices.
(IDC)
If you’re aiming at the B2B domain, utilizing social commerce is your optimal strategy. LinkedIn and Facebook are the primary networks for engaging B2B audiences. Numerous companies are allocating resources to their social media teams specifically for this purpose.
96% of business professionals are more likely to purchase products or services from companies whose sales agents comprehend their business needs.
(LinkedIn – State of Sales Report 2019 Pocket Guide)
LinkedIn’s sales data suggest that industry professionals prefer salespeople who grasp their specific business challenges. A personalized approach towards social media commerce is considerably more effective in acquiring new clients and retaining existing ones.
Only 36% of B2B leaders feel that sales representatives truly grasp their business challenges and propose clear solutions.
(Linkedin)
Research by Forrester highlights that most B2B decision-makers doubt that salespeople genuinely have their best interests in mind. To enhance your social commerce metrics in 2022, exert effort in assuring decision-makers that you can provide clear, effective solutions tailored to their business.
The majority of decision-makers (89%) find consistent messaging between marketing and sales critical, yet almost half (48%) report disparate information from these teams.
(LinkedIn – State of Sales Report 2019 Pocket Guide)
The discrepancy between marketing and sales teams can severely affect your social commerce performance. Numerous examples of social selling highlight that this division is a legitimate issue. To boost social commerce success on LinkedIn or other networks, companies must ensure alignment in the messaging of marketing and sales to potential clients. A coordinated sales and marketing strategy can significantly increase potential buyers.
31% of B2B specialists claim they can form deeper connections with clients through social commerce.
(CSO Insights)
Within business sales data, relationship nurturing is crucial for any company’s success. A substantial number of industry experts surveyed by CSO Insights indicate that one of the key advantages of social commerce is cultivating more meaningful client relationships.
39% of B2B experts report that social commerce cuts down on lead searching time, while 33% say it boosts their lead volume.
(CSO Insights)
Insights from professionals surveyed by CSO Insights reveal that their social commerce numbers have improved mainly as the medium facilitates more lead generation in less time. Quickening the lead discovery process while increasing lead volume is invaluable in the fiercely competitive B2B sector.
Data on Tools for Social Selling
Sales technology aids nearly three-fourths of sales experts in closing more deals.
(LinkedIn – State of Sales Report 2019 Pocket Guide)
LinkedIn’s report cites that a significant 73% of surveyed individuals noted an increase in closed deals and enhanced sales figures after adopting CRM solutions or other sales technologies.
Projected spending on sales tech has expanded by 53% over the last five years.
(LinkedIn – State of Sales Report 2019 Pocket Guide)
Social commerce data reveals that companies are allocating more funds for sales technology annually. Additionally, most sales experts (55%) anticipate this trend to persist throughout the next year. As the social commerce industry evolves, the necessity to invest in and utilize sales technologies will escalate.
Nearly 70% of sales professionals rely on social selling tools for lead creation.
(CSO Insights)
According to a CSO Insights survey, 68.9% of respondents indicated they mainly employ social selling tools for lead development. Additional key uses entail researching accounts (64.9%), preparing for calls (60.3%), and researching stakeholders (58.6%).
A majority of sales experts use CRM tools like Salesforce and Microsoft Dynamics.
(LinkedIn – State of Sales Report 2019 Pocket Guide )
Statistics on social commerce show an ascent in CRM tool utilization. LinkedIn’s research demonstrates that 64% of sales experts now engage with various CRM tools, marking a 28% rise since 2017. They also increasingly employ collaboration tools like Google Docs, Microsoft Office, and Dropbox.