Sales Through Social Media: How It Works in B2B

«The main thing for me is for social media to generate sales. Otherwise, I don’t see the point,» says a major B2B businessman. It’s hard to argue: in 2024, businesses need to understand the ROI of SMM (social media marketing). Let’s explore how B2B social media investments turn into sales—and if they do?

The primary tool of social media is to enhance brand/product/company recognition. This tool is foolproof—it’s “built into” human psychology.

The peculiarity of the human brain is that we trust the familiar. To our prehistoric ancestors, the new was perceived (and was!) dangerous, while the familiar was safe. This mechanism still works. What’s repeatedly seen on a screen, banner, or social media and is already familiar inspires more trust—whether it’s yogurt, a car, or a tour operator.

Still, are B2B sales possible via social media? We say: anything is possible. However, there are nuances to remember. Let’s highlight three:

• The cost of a lead (a client ready to buy). In B2B, it’s directly proportional to the product price. Infobusiness often breaks this rule, but different decision-making mechanisms are at play there. So—if your product is inexpensive (a can of foliar feed), you can set up sales through social media. VKontakte allows targeted lead ads: efficiency depends on targeting settings and audience effectiveness—we detail this in our guide. However, if the product is costly, the service complex, and purchases require multiple interactions and negotiations, social media will support sales but won’t sell alone.
• B2B Hacking via Info-business. We mean webinars, nominally free products, and other tools effectively used by major info-business figures. This field (despite its negatives, which we’ll skip here) offers many effective methods for attracting traffic and leads through information. If you have a scientific or fact-rich product/service, testing this lead generation method is worthwhile.
• Every Process Can Be Improved. Social media promotion should be supported—simplifying memorability. Unique brand identity, regular columns, and real faces in your social media are tools to boost recognition.

In the long run, social media builds a strong company image + aids sales. An example from Russia’s agri-sector: one of our clients from 2021-2023, at the start of our work (February 2021), aimed to promote a Serbian bearings brand in our market + dispel frequent “low-quality Chinese” objections. After a year and a half, the client reported that most sales to end consumers happened on their initiative: “hot clients” arrived and purchased immediately—no persuasion needed. They accepted the premium price because they valued the product, much of which was formed through social media content we co-created over two years.

From our experience with Serbian bearings, we learned: the company and dealership sales teams used the internet and social media as a “hook” for clients, as well as an info-base:

“Ivan Petrovich, are you following us? No? Subscribe for useful info, promotions, etc… check the range directly from the account—here’s the link. And here’s a post on frequently asked questions about usage…”

Result: one more subscriber and a constantly engaged “warm” client online. Where will they turn for the next repair? Exactly. Any offline event is an opportunity to invite attendees (your target audience) to “continue the conversation” via social media, thereby solidifying brand contact.

Conclusions

Social media creates an image: products are recognized and remembered, meaning trust. This process isn’t quick—but its results are lasting.

Social media maintains constant contact with a vast number of potential clients, unmanageable by a sales department alone.

There are tools enhancing social media promotion and making investments more effective: info-business opportunities, brand identity use, and “account faces.”

Leads can be gathered on social media—but the cost (on average) rises proportionally to the product price. Mass-market products are the best option for relatively inexpensive leads through social media.

The most effective sales method is hybrid, where social media supports your sales process:

Social media followers are more inclined and familiar with you. When they need something, they’re more likely to buy from you. Marketing draws the buyer.

Conversely, the sales department can boost marketing efficiency—when promotion is built on customer feedback. Thus, customers influence marketing. But that’s another article’s topic. Follow us on social media to avoid missing it!