Social Selling in a World Full of AI
Amid the noise of AI-generated content, social selling thrives on authentic connections, turning conversations into conversions.
Trying to stand out on social media these days can feel like yelling into a wind tunnel. With AI-generated content flooding every platform and constant algorithm changes, it’s easy to worry that your message is getting drowned out—especially when that message is a subtle sales pitch. But here's the thing: social selling isn't just about pitching your product. It's about building relationships, understanding your audience, and nurturing those connections until the time is right to make that pitch.
Social Selling as Relationship Building
Social selling is more than just a new channel for cold calls. It's a comprehensive process of engaging with potential customers. Instead of diving straight into the sales pitch with a cold D.M. on LinkedIn, it's about taking the time to build a relationship first. Social media offers a unique opportunity to understand your audience on a deeper level—what they care about, their pain points, and the conversations they're having.
Think of it like this: when you use social media to listen to your audience, you’re able to offer solutions that actually matter to them. You're not just another voice in the crowd; you’re someone who understands their problems and can help solve them.
Conversations Are Content
Building relationships on social media starts with meaningful interactions, not just constant posting. It’s about creating content that sparks conversation and makes your audience feel heard. Instead of flooding your feed with posts every hour, focus on sharing stories and insights that resonate with your audience.
For example, instead of posting a dozen times a day, you could share a story about how one of your users, a small startup, dramatically improved their workflow using your tool. Then, jump into the comments to answer questions or offer a free trial to those who show interest. You’re not just broadcasting—you’re engaging.
Zapier is a company that does this well. They focus on creating content that’s genuinely useful to their audience, like sharing workflows that save time. They're not overwhelming their followers with content; they’re delivering value, which keeps their audience coming back for more.
The Key to Standing Out
Once you've built that initial connection, personalization becomes your secret weapon. It’s not just about addressing someone by name; it’s about understanding their specific needs and challenges. For instance, Highperformr, a company that helps businesses with social selling, uses A.I. tools to analyze customer behaviour and tailor messaging in a way that feels genuinely helpful. Whether it's responding directly to a LinkedIn post where someone is venting about a lack of social growth or offering a customized solution in a D.M., the goal is to be seen as someone who understands and can solve their problems—not just another vendor.
Adapting and Optimizing
The final piece of the puzzle is continuous optimisation. Social selling isn't a one-and-done effort; it requires constant refinement. What worked yesterday might not work tomorrow, and that's okay. The key is to be adaptable.
For instance, if you notice that LinkedIn posts with video content are getting more engagement than text posts, or that early-morning tweets are performing better than afternoon ones, you can pivot accordingly. The goal is to keep your content fresh and engaging, ensuring that you remain relevant in a constantly changing digital landscape.
The Bottom Line
Social selling in this AI-driven age isn’t about trying to outshout the competition. It’s about being smarter, more personal, and—crucially—more human. It's about using social media not just as another sales channel but as a platform for building relationships and priming your audience for when the time is right to make that pitch. By focusing on relationship-building, meaningful conversations, and continuous optimisation, you can turn social selling into a powerful strategy that cuts through the A.I. noise and connects with your audience on a deeper level.
